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I would like recommendations on the following software requirements:

Must have:

  • Android antivirus/antimalware

  • Does NOT request permissions to access location (coarse or fine)

  • Does NOT request permissions to access microphone

  • Does NOT request permissions to access camera

Nice to have:

  • Does NOT have advertisements

  • Does NOT read phone status and identity

  • Does NOT find accounts on the device

  • Open Source

    • available on the F-Droid store

At this time, Comodo Mobile Security and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware appear to fulfill these, but given Comodo's disabling the same-origin policy in their browser, I'd like recommendations on other products.

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  • I wonder what could be a legitimate reason why an antivirus requires to take pictures and the GPS. Many other software for Android also requires permissions that have nothing to do with what they're supposed to do.
    – Alejandro
    Feb 21, 2016 at 13:40
  • @Alejandro - the purported use is for the anti-theft and tracking portions of the software; however, I consider it a privacy violation, and I only want anti-virus and anti-malware, which is extremely hard to find. Even some that used to not do location tracking started to, without a version that's pure AV/AM.
    – Anti-weakpasswords
    Feb 21, 2016 at 19:53
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    You can play with my app search by permission. But as soon as I set it to match all your requirements, almost no anti-malware app remains. Two left-over candidates (unless I missed one): Ad Clean & Antivirus Security and Antivirus Free-Mobile Security. Not sure why one needs anti-virus if there's no virus – but that part is left to you :)
    – Izzy ♦
    Feb 22, 2016 at 14:03
  • @Izzy - thank you for the note and link, though your app search by permission immediately requires a (hopefully strong) login :). Regardless, go ahead and put those candidates and whatever you can for the app search by permission in an answer so I can upvote it, please!
    – Anti-weakpasswords
    Feb 23, 2016 at 1:33
  • @Anti-weakpasswords Ooops... Link fixed, sorry!
    – Izzy ♦
    Feb 23, 2016 at 6:05

2 Answers 2

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Using my app search by permission, I only found two candidates being left when applying all your must-have conditions:

Both are fairly well rated. Applying your nice-to-have criteria only leaves the first candidate then (no GET_ACCOUNTS and READ_PHONE_STATE). As I'm not using any such app (I see no reason to fight "ghosts": as there's no virus, I do not need an anti-virus ;) I cannot speak about the advertisement part. Your last criterion cannot be met, as there's not a single anti-virus app on F-Droid (probably for the very same reason).

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Malwarebytes for Android is the most ideal option. It's free, yet it's not asking for camera, microphone or location. I also personally think it is the best malware detection software for all platforms.

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