Efficient Spyware Removal Tools for Your Device

You might've heard about spyware before. If not, let's quickly explain it.

Spyware is a malicious file that hides on your device and records all kinds of data about your activity. It can be your personal information, your login credentials, credit card data. Spyware is able to record everything you type on your keyboard.

There is not only one type of spyware. Spyware is any malicious file that's designed to hide on your device and collect data. A couple of examples are adware, keyloggers, hijackers, cryptominers, rootkits, and tracking cookies.

What's worst about spyware is you're not aware that it is snooping your activity, and it is pretty difficult to detect its presence without the proper tool.

Fortunately, security companies do their best to provide the right technology for users so they can use their devices safely.

There are spyware removal apps appearing constantly, so, finding one is not a difficult task. But there's a catch. Many of them promise to protect your device when, in fact, don't offer any protection at all.

A great part of these spyware mobile apps claim to scan your device for spyware and, while not all of them contain malware themselves (though some of them are designed to infect your device), they are apparently not effective in detecting malware and blocking it.

While Google makes progress into removing dubious apps from the Play Store, sometimes it takes time to spot them. Not to mention new ones keep on appearing.

Many of the non-effective antimalware apps are developed either by beginner developers or by developers that are not exactly focused on security. They create such apps either to have something to add to their portfolio or to make money through advertisement.

To save you the trouble of installing various apps only to notice they are not doing their job or, worst, to get your device infected by a malicious app, we have put together a list with the best spyware removal tools that have been tested by security experts and turned out to be efficient.

You must've heard about AVG before as they are one of the biggest companies in the security market. In fact, the AVG app for Android was the first antivirus app on Google Play to cross the 100 million downloads target.

After you install it, the app will run in the background protecting you from spyware, viruses, malware, dubious apps and settings.

• Scanning apps, games, files, and settings real-time and removing malicious content
• Scans websites from harmful threats
• Scans Wi-Fi networks for encryption, password strength and Captive Portal
• Makes your device run smoothly by killing processes that slow it down
• Cleans unnecessary files to free up storage space
• Has features to help you locate your device in case it gets lost or stolen
• Monitor how you spend your time and how your data is used

The free version has in-app ads but you don't need to worry about intrusive ads. You can also opt for one of their paid subscriptions to get extra features such as a VPN, getting rid of ads, locking your sensitive apps, and protected vault for your photos.

Supported on: Android, iOS, Windows, Mac

Download the AVG Free Antivirus.

Comodo is a company with over 20 years of experience in security. Their products aim to provide a secure environment for both enterprises and consumers. The Comodo free mobile antivirus app provides protection against all kinds o malware, including spyware, trojans, ransomware, worms, and adware. The mobile app is integrated with real-time virus signature and quickly identifies new threats and instantly blocks them to protect your device.

• Scans apps and files in real-time
• Scans external SD cards to detect and remove threats
• Automatic scheduled scans at your set up interval
• Automatically blocks known malicious websites to protect your from phishing and notifies you when you try to access a potentially risky site
• You get instantly alerted if your email credentials or your credit card number have been compromised

This free antivirus app doesn't have in-app ads. With the premium version, you get extra benefits such as an unlimited VPN, firewall, the ability to lock sensitive apps, Wi-Fi network scans, and a vault to protect your files and folders.

Supported on: Apps for Android, Windows, Mac, Linux

Download Comodo Free Antivirus.

Panda Security is a Spanish company focused on developing security solutions. And they are one of the best in the market. The Panda free antivirus safeguards your device against malware, spyware, viruses, and ransomware.

• Real-time scans for all the apps and files you download
• On-demand scans of files and multimedia content to detect viruses and other threats
• Scan your SD card
• Check the access permissions of installed apps
• Check real-time app resource consumption to speed up your device
• Free VPN for 150 MB/day with one single virtual location
• Locate your device in real-time and wipe up the data remotely

The free app does have in-app ads. As with other providers, Panda also provides a premium subscription with extra features such as removing ads, app lock, advanced anti-theft features, call blocker, unlimited VPN, and remote photos.

Supported on: Android, Windows, Mac

Download Panda Free Antivirus.

Norton is built on the faith that everyone has the right to explore the digital world, so they focus on protecting that freedom and the explorers. Norton is a Symantec brand, which by itself says a lot about the trust you can have in their security expertise.

The Norton antivirus app has a couple of free basic features and a paid subscription to get the best out of it. You get a 30 days free trial to the premium version upon installing the app. Also, I must note that you can't start using the app until you register for an account.

• Real-time scans for viruses, spyware, malware, or other harmful threats
• Scans Wi-Fi networks and notifies you if a connection is not secure
• The in-app search engine connects to the Symantec's global threat database to flag unsafe sites
• Lost and stolen phone protection tracks your device’s location and saves the last known location when the battery level is critical, sounding an alarm, or taking a Sneak Peek photo of anyone using your device without them knowing

Premium features include scanning apps for privacy risks, intrusive ads, and unusual behavior, protects you against online scams and fraudulent websites, gives you a detailed privacy report on where your private data is going so you can keep your privacy under control.

Download Norton Security & Antivirus.

Supported on: apps for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac

The Malwarebytes app automatically detects and removes threats like spyware, malware, and ransomware from your device. Aggressive detection of adware, phishing scams other potentially unwanted programs keep your device running smoothly.

• Real-time scan for adware, spyware, malware and other potentially dangerous threats
• Identifies the access privileges of every app installed on your device so you know exactly what information you're sharing

With the premium version, you get extra benefits such as removing ransomware before it gets to look up your device, scanning for phishing URLs when using the Chrome browser and alerts you when any are detected to ensure a safe browsing experience.

Supported on: Apps for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac

Download Malwarebytes Security.