Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android Review

Full review

Setup

The setup for the software is easy enough for anyone. For Android users, you can easily just install the app from Google Play. After installing the app, you will need to create account to access the app.

The software can be installed for free, or you can choose the premium version for $9.95/year which offers more features and protection options.

BitDefender no longer offers its updated software for Windows, Blacberry, or Symbian devices on its website, so you will need to download older versions of the software via another website if you don’t own an Android-based phone.

Anti-theft

BitDefender has all of the anti-theft features you will ever need. Using the same login information that you use when signing up for the service, you can log on to my.bitdefender.com to access an online dashboard that lets you access a wide variety of anti-theft features. The software also gives you the ability to give certain anti-theft commands from another phone that you designate through the software.

Remote locate - Using the online dashboard, users can locate their lost or stolen device on a map. This feature is also available via SMS command.

Remote lock - The online dashboard also gives users the ability to lock their phone so a lost phone can’t be used by anyone. SMS commands also support this feature.

Remote wipe - This feature can be used via the online dashboard or SMS. Delete all of the data on your phone remotely so no one can access important data.

Malware protection

Anti-virus and spyware protection - BitDefender will automatically scan when new software is installed or new files are saved to an SD card. You can also scan manually if you need to.

Firewall - This feature is only included in the premium version. It will provide protection from threats trying to sneak into your system while surfing the web.

Parental controls

BitDefender Mobile Security has some of the very best parental controls. Using the online dashboard, users can monitor their children’s activity and blacklist certain apps and websites for their use. Parents can even block certain phone numbers from contacting their child’s device via phone call, SMS, and even instant message. Also, parents can look at a child’s tracking history via the GPS locator. You won’t find better parental controls on the market.

Updates

There is no need to update BitDefender Mobile Security because it uses data from a cloud. This means there is a constantly updated database on the web which does not inconvenience the user.

Ease of use

The interface and usability of the software is very simple. Everything is easy to find and new users should have no problem learning each function quickly. The only learning curve will come with the online dashboard which is used for anti-theft features and parental controls, but users will find the learning curve to be very short.

Help and support

BitDefender offers plenty of support options if you run into any problems. It offers the basics like help topics and a user forum, but also instant person-to-person help via live-chat or phone. Some other similar programs do not offer live-help, so BitDefender bests the competition in this department.

Overall

BitDefender Mobile Security offers amazing parental controls and anti-theft features. It also comes at the cheap price of $9.95. It’s very easy to use, and will do a fine job giving your mobile device protection from threats. However, if you don’t need the parental controls, there may be better value for you elsewhere on the market in terms of malware protection and features. You can do much worse than BitDefender.