The Most Coveted Must-Have Security Apps for Your Smartphone

Awareness and concern for privacy and security on the web are at an all-time high, mainly because of the ubiquitous nature of threats. From anti-viruses to ad blockers, from anonymous browsing apps to anti-tracking apps – there’s a lot for the mobile phone user to check out and possibly use. Particularly those who need to use the Internet on mobile phones for purposes other than primary information searches, for instance, digital marketers, e-retailers, web hosting service personnel, casino gaming enthusiasts, cyber security hobbyists, etc. have every reason to check out the top rates privacy and security apps for mobiles. This guide brings together the best of these apps.

Kyms

As unimposing as it sounds, Kyms is a must have application to get the privacy you deserve, at least for the media you store on your smartphone. Abbreviation for ‘keep your media safe’ Kyms is seen as a regular calculator, but actually, delivers advanced security for your media files. With a four-digit PIN and password, Kyms helps you isolate all your private data from others. With a built-in web browser, Kyms lets you download video content right into the vault, and offers a utility to transfer data to and from other devices on the same network. Though the popularity of this app will soon make it obvious to peering eyes as to what Kyms is doing on your phone, you can still trust its password protected vault to keep your media safe.

FrozenChat

Using ‘Off The Record’ messaging (called OTR), FrozenChat is all you need to truly be able to converse using text messages on your smartphone, without worrying about any privacy breach. That’s because this app encrypts your message before it goes out of your device. Also, FrozenChat is an open source app, which means its source code is available and visible to security experts. Unlike Whatsapp and many other messaging apps, FrozenChat doesn’t use central servers and supports open XMPP standard. So, you can register with one of the hundreds of public XMPP servers and use FrozenChat.

Signal

Open Whisper Systems’ Signal is a must have for everyone looking for end-to-end encryption for text and voice communications. Group messages, individual messages, voice calls, attachments, and media – everything is encrypted when you use Signal to send your data. Because it eliminates the need for PIN codes and passwords, it’s a highly preferred application. Open source and frequently upgraded encryption policies make Signal a future-ready security application. Another terrific aspect of Signal app is the user-friendly design. This one’s been acknowledged and lauded by Edward Snowden along with several other notable advocates of cybersecurity.

NordVPN

Whether you need them to bypass local web content restrictions or to make it doubly sure that your critical personal and financial information is not compromised, VPN apps are blessing for anyone who needs them. Among these, NordVPN is one of the best. This app encrypts all data shared from your device on the Internet. With a zero logs policy, NordVPN guarantees that no record will be retained for your web activities. The all-new NordVPN brings together a pretty neat interface and top-notch VPN and security features that make it a must-have for any mobile phone user.

Applock

This one does what it sounds like. Whether you wish to lock your favorite instant messaging app, your most frequently used casino gambling apps, or your dating app, this is the one you need. The user interface is pretty neat; the settings are kept to a minimum to make the app easy to use. You can assign a PIN code to applications, making sure that only somebody who knows the code can access the app.

Norton Identity Safe

Here’s a problem that you already face, or will start facing soon enough – too many passwords to remember. This is where Norton Identity Safe comes to the fore. This app simplifies the arduous task of remembering several complex passwords. You can save all your credentials in this app. It uses an encrypted vault to store your credentials and makes sure that nobody apart from you is ever able to access that. A great advantage is that Norton Identity Theft helps you fill web forms quickly using your saved bank info. This app also checks whether a website is safe for browsing or not. Another great example could be LastPass.

SpiderOak

SpiderOak brings you the flexibility of cloud storage with the peace of mind of cutting-edge encryption. The ‘zero-knowledge’ policy of SpiderOak means that data in transit, as well as data at rest, are secured. Your password is not stored in SpiderOak servers, so there’s no way anybody apart from you can access your stored data. For everyone else, your data is just a collection of numbered containers! With the free plan, you get 2 GB storage. The app is available for both iOS and Android OS.

Avira Phantom VPN

Avira Phantom VPN lets you browse the web anonymously. Not only can you bypass regional restrictions on web content, but can also completely anonymize your online activities, right from your web-browsing to online gaming. Hiding your IP address is a pretty reliable way to stay safe and secure from any data breaches or identity theft, and Avira Phantom VPN helps you achieve precisely that. With the free plan, you get 500 MB worth of anonymous browsing every month, which can double up to 1 GB if you register your email ID as well.

Avast! Mobile Security & Antivirus

For the complete and wholesome anti-virus solution for your mobile phone, look nowhere else than Avast Mobile Security & Antivirus. The anti-virus scanning feature, SMS blocker, and Privacy Advisor make this suite of the most comprehensive for mobile phones. The premium plan comes with advanced anti-theft features apart from data recovery tools.