Recently, I had several viruses show up on my Samsung S23 Android phone. I paid a shop to remove them. I wonder if any free apps will offer protection so this doesn’t happen again to me
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Sorry that happened. The good news is that you usually don’t need to pay for antivirus on Android if you’re careful about where you install apps. Google Play Protect, which is built into Android, does a decent job of scanning apps, so make sure it’s turned on. I also avoid downloading APK files from random websites and keep my phone updated with the latest security patches. If you want extra peace of mind, Bitdefender or Malwarebytes both have free versions that are worth checking out.
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There are some security features of that phone and Android OS that you can make sure are turned on. Some of the security features will make it harder to use the phone, for example you can block links that show up in texts. Good thing to block from criminals, sometimes harder for life when you block links from friends.
One of the easiest things with big security payoffs is to uninstall every application that you are not using. Sometimes people add an app, later quit using it, and allow it to stay on their phones/computers. Every app or program is a potential weakness for someone to exploit.