Installing an antivirus for iPhone or iPad is certainly a wise choice. Although viruses and malware in general are relatively less effective on iPhones and iPads than those found on Windows PCs or Android smartphones, it is advisable, for your greater safety, to choose a good antivirus.
Why install an antivirus on iPhone / iPad
With the evolution of technology, cases of threats are increasing even in devices with iOS or iPadOS. One of the reasons why an iPhone or iPad is generally safe concerns the Cupertino company's modus operandi in approving or not the apps developed for its AppStore. Once available, the application runs inside a "closed box" called sandbox.
In practice, as soon as it is installed, the latter will have access to the permissions necessary for the regular functioning of the app itself. That said, viruses in Apple's operating system exist but it is very difficult for them to “infect” our device.
The solution to be immune from threats is certainly to install an antivirus among those that you can find in a few paragraphs.
In the next few lines, in fact, we will see the best antivirus, Free and paid, available for iPad and iPhone and that best suit your needs.
The best antivirus 2021
The best antivirus that we find in circulation for our iPhones and iPads are niche products because not all users decide to download such an app.
By themselves, devices with iOS or iPadOS on board are generally not subject to the viruses that we usually see on Android or Windows operating systems as regards the world of PCs and notebooks.
As we said in the introduction, choosing a good antivirus could be a useful choice not only to safeguard our personal data but also to keep our device away from threats.
Among the antivirus we have selected for you we find:
- Avira
- McAfee
- Lookout Personal for iOS
- Avast
- Trend Micro
- Phone Guardian Mobile Security
In the next lines we will see one by one the various antiviruses for iPhone and iPad available in the AppStore both free and for a fee. The various solutions that you will find shortly are only a small part of the antivirus available online for your Apple devices.
Avira
The German brand offers complete solutions to protect your device from malicious people and threats.
Avira Prime, paid package, allows you to have the Antivirus, the Phantom VPN app and the password manager Password Manager.
In addition to eliminating the viruses present, thanks to the free VPN with the Avira Prime package, you can protect your browsing so as not to be traceable by malicious people. The VPN service has no bandwidth limits and is included with the Prime package.
In addition to the Phantom VPN, Password Manager is also part of the Prime package. This app allows you to save your passwords for websites, email accounts, applications and so on in a safe place.
It is also possible to know if the chosen password is effective or not. In fact, the software allows you to choose a complex password to ward off the hacker attack.
You can also take advantage of the same subscription on multiple devices without having to purchase multiple licenses.
>> Go to the Avira price list
McAfee
McAfee is the second antivirus that we have decided to bring you in this guide. The American security service offers a similar solution to the one seen on Avira for iPad and iPhone.
McAfee Mobile Security for iOS has a free VPN that allows you to protect our Wi-Fi browsing, web security, anti-theft system to protect your device from thieves, secure backup of contacts, protection of multimedia files on private storage via code PIN.
All of this is available for one device at an annual price of € 69.99. However, there is also the free version with some main functions such as scanning the device and the Wi-Fi network to which we are connected, protection of your multimedia files always via PIN, anti-theft system and backup of contacts.
The McAfee Total Protection version is currently on offer at € 39.95 instead of € 99.95.
Lookout Personal for iOS
Another valuable ally for the security of your iOS and iPadOS devices is the Antivirus Lookout Personal.
This product allows you to protect your device at 360 °. It is available in three variants Basic (free), Premium and Premium Plus for a fee.
Thanks to Lookout Personal, in addition to protecting your device from viruses and to safeguard your privacy, you can also locate the device in case of theft or loss.
Furthermore, you can analyze whether the apps installed on your iPad or iPhone are malicious or may request permissions without a specific reason.
Like Avira Prime, the product can also be used on multiple devices with a single subscription.
In addition to the usual antivirus, Lookout Personal allows you to check in real time for a new operating system update.
Among the functions included in this antivirus we find the Theft Alert which allows you to detect suspicious activity on the device.
Avast
The well-known PC antivirus brand is also present for the mobile world. The app designed for iPhone and iPad has nothing to envy to the most complete antivirus that we find in the versions for personal computers and laptops.
The Avast Mobile Security product allows you to stay safe from viruses and malware on your network.
Like the other products we have just seen, this interesting antivirus also allows you to protect passwords and keep photos.
With the Pro version it is possible to unlock some more exclusive functions such as the VPN, email and account protection with a system that monitors whether a password has been violated or not and other services.
The Free version of Avast for iPhone and iPad is the solution adopted by 80% of users. The more security freaks usually choose the paid variant.
The Avast Ultimate suite integrates everything needed to ensure optimal protection, privacy and performance for computers, phones and tablets and is currently on offer at € 69.99 / year instead of € 119.99
Trend Micro
The fifth product we will describe today is Trend Micro's Mobile Security antivirus. The iPad and iPhone app allows you to keep your device safe by automatically blocking potentially harmful websites while browsing the internet. Trend Micro also allows you to bypass ads and personal data tracking mechanisms, avoid Wi-Fi networks that are harmful to your privacy and the safety of your device.
This antivirus also allows you to browse in total safety. Surfing via VPN with bank-grade encryption is available thanks to the Trend Micro WiFi Protection package.
Like Avira Prime, Trend Micro also allows you to save your passwords in a safe place. With the Mobile Security package you can save 5 passwords for free. With € 9.95 per year you can request an upgrade and thus obtain unlimited saving of our passwords.
Phone Guardian Mobile Security
The latest antivirus we have chosen for this guide is perhaps the most interesting. Phone Guardian Mobile Security is a totally free app capable of keeping your personal data safe. This antivirus is very simple to use and allows you to anonymize your data and passwords through the use of completely free VPNs. Phone Guardian Mobile Security is available for both Android and iOS.
Max the Husky, this is the name of the Phone Guardian mascot, will help you protect yourself from the bad guys.
On the other hand, everyone would like a dog as an antivirus!
How to choose an antivirus app on iPhone or iPad
Choosing the best antivirus app on iPhone and iPad is certainly not child's play. However, thanks to this guide we will make it a little easier.
The antivirus apps available for iPhone and iPad in most cases are complete packages created to preserve and protect our privacy. In fact, most of these antiviruses also have some apps with some extra services that allow you to save passwords or browse the VPN without the fear of connecting to unsecured networks.
There are also antivirus apps that allow you to preserve your device without adding other extra services.
Depending on your preference, you can choose a more complete antivirus or not.
Security on smartphones: general advice
The main feature to have a good degree of security on your device, apart from antivirus, is to not make changes to the operating system.
We are talking about the so-called jailbreak that allows you to unlock some functions deliberately made inactive by the parent company both for a vulnerability speech and for the correct functioning of the device.
Another fundamental thing to have greater security on your device is to keep it updated to the latest version available. The updates of iOS and iPadOS in addition to bringing new life to our devices go to correct some problems reported by the developers on security. Another issue concerns the installation of some apps modded by alternative stores that are not entirely legal. These apps install a profile on our device that will have access to a lot of personal data.
It is therefore good to pay close attention when we have to install an application that is not present in the AppStore.
Frequent questions
Now let's see some Frequently Asked Questions on the topic in question. In the next lines we will see the frequently asked questions to which we will try to answer.
Surely among the most popular questions we find that relating to the need or not to have an antivirus on the iOS operating system since by all accounts it is safe. Another question might be whether antivirus apps consume a lot of battery or if it slows down your device.
In short, these and other questions that we have found in the various dedicated forums are the most answered by the houses that produce antivirus for mobile devices.
In the next paragraphs we will see the answers to these frequently asked questions, thus clarifying any doubts on the subject.
If you have reached this point you will surely be interested in knowing more about this topic and therefore in finding the answer to your questions.
Is iOS Not Safe By Itself?
iOS as a mobile operating system is certainly more secure than Android. All this security is not 100% guaranteed. In the last few years, iOS has become more targeted by attackers and some vulnerabilities have been discovered. We are talking about just two years ago when Google researchers from Project Zero discovered 14 viruses capable of taking control of our device.
Is iOS Not Safe By Itself? The answer to this question is not quite. As we have seen, in fact, in the old versions of iOS this vulnerability problem did not exist. Initially, the iPhone's operating system was in effect immune from any virus or malware attack.
As already mentioned in a few lines above, another problem that may exist in iOS is that relating to the installation of some configuration profiles. In fact, in order to work, many apps need these particular profiles that can modify some important parameters of the device.
Do antivirus apps work with any iPhone version?
Taking into consideration that the older versions of the operating system present in iPads and iPhones are less targeted by hackers, it does not mean that they are totally immune from viruses or unwanted attacks.
That said, most of the apps we have seen so far are theoretically compatible with any version of iPhone and iPad.
So don't worry, if you have an older device you can still install your favorite antivirus without any incompatibility. Keeping your device, pure old it may be, is essential in a historical period like this.
Now it's up to you to choose the best antivirus app that best fits your protection needs.
What features do security apps on iPhone / iPad typically include?
The protection apps on iPhone and iPad are real complete packages that guarantee 360 ° protection of your device.
As we have seen in the paragraphs dedicated to the various antiviruses we have chosen for this guide, the most complete protection apps offer the possibility of saving your passwords in total safety, surfing the internet using an encrypted connection thanks to VPNs, storing photos, videos , contacts and other personal items in a PIN protected storage space. In fact, in addition to the standard protection provided by the antivirus, it is possible to secure everything that we consider essential to preserve our digital privacy.
One thing is certain, like all applications not all free ones offer the same type of ancillary services as the paid ones and sometimes you need to upgrade to get them.
However, if these footnotes are not essential for you, you can opt for a 100% Free antivirus.
Do security apps slow down your smartphone?
Let's dispel this taboo. Security apps do not slow down the smartphone, on the contrary, they optimize it by eliminating unnecessary and malicious files.
The slowdowns that can occur would therefore not be caused by these antivirus apps but by other applications.
Some antivirus with VPN app may slow down the Wi-Fi network or cellular data of our iPad or iPhone.
The speed of your smartphone or tablet also depends on the number of apps installed, the remaining space and the RAM occupied.
All clear therefore, the security apps do not slow down your smartphones on the contrary sometimes they make them faster.
As we have already said, by removing some unnecessary files, the smartphone or tablet will be safer and faster in daily operations.
Summary and conclusions
So, we have come to the end of this guide dedicated to the best antivirus for iPhone and iPad.
After choosing the best applications for you, we can say that it is essential in 2021 to have an antivirus to protect ourselves from the possible vulnerabilities that we can run into with our devices.
Many times, for example, you will have happened to travel and have to necessarily connect to the Wi-Fi of a public place such as a bar, an airport or other places where a lot of people pass and many times there are unsecured wireless connections.
Well, by choosing a solution with an app dedicated to VPNs, you can surf in total safety without incurring probable attacks by malicious people.
Therefore, choosing an antivirus can protect us from possible identity theft, access by malicious people to our credit cards, bank details, photos, videos, contacts and much more.
Now it's your turn, depending on the security apps we have described in this guide, you can choose the one that best suits your needs.
Our last advice we can give you is not to aim for savings but to choose wisely taking into account that the safety of your device is a thing of primary importance in this historical period.