Is antivirus protection necessary for Android?

Yes — additional antivirus protection for Android is sensible today for many users and is often clearly recommended. Android already includes a built-in baseline protection through Google Play Protect: the service automatically scans apps on Android devices and helps prevent the installation of harmful apps. At the same time, Google emphasizes that monthly security updates are an important tool for keeping Android devices secure.

In practice, however, baseline protection alone is not always enough. Many users install numerous apps, use mobile banking, store sensitive data on their smartphones, or occasionally download APKs directly from the manufacturer. In exactly these scenarios, an additional Android antivirus scanner makes sense because it provides more visibility, faster response, and often more layers of protection than standard protection alone. This recommendation is based on the combination of Play Protect baseline protection, ongoing Android security bulletins, and the real-world usage scenarios of many users.

So if you ask whether antivirus protection for Android is “really necessary,” the honest answer is: For minimal users who behave very cautiously, it may not be absolutely essential in every single case. For most everyday users, however, it is a very sensible additional layer of protection. That is exactly what Antivirus AI was developed for: Protectstar describes the app as an AI-based Android antivirus scanner with dual engine, real-time detection, 2M+ downloads, and multiple certifications; AV-TEST lists Antivirus AI 2.1 as certified in its Android test from May 2024.

In short: Android has baseline protection — but a modern additional antivirus solution significantly raises your security level. If you want to seriously protect your smartphone against malware, trojans, risky apps, and new threats, a specialized solution is a much better choice.