We use our iPhones and iPads for pretty much everything now. They’ve become a key aspect of our lives, even more than our computers.
All kinds of information like credit card details, pictures, passwords, business data, and other details about our lives live on our mobile devices, so if the device were to be compromised, it could lose a lot—more than we care to lose.
This is why having a good antivirus and security software on your device is absolutely necessary. It can prevent unforeseen attacks and security threats that could corrupt your iPhone and iPad and lead to massive data loss.
Although there are hundreds of antivirus apps for iOS out there, finding one that actually does what it says it does can be a bit of a challenge.
To help cut down the stress of finding the right and best antivirus apps for your devices that are completely free to use, we did all the research for you.
All you have to do is go through our list of options, learn about their respective features, and choose the one you feel is perfect for you.
Best Free iPad & iPhone Antivirus Apps
1. McAfee Mobile Security
For maximum security and protection on your iPad and iPhone, you can’t go wrong with the McAfee mobile app. It comes with lots of cool features designed to safeguard your device from all kinds of attacks.
The real-time protection function will detect and prevent online threats from getting into your device and corrupting it. It will also carry out regular system checks to ferret out outdated software and WiFi attacks.
With the media vault feature, you don’t have to worry about your personal videos or photos getting into the wrong hands. You can keep them secure with a PIN code that’s known only to you.
McAfee also lets you find a stolen or lost device by activating a remote alarm or using a GPS tracker to pin down its location. It can also help you erase all your data from the missing or stolen device.
The antivirus software can even be used to automatically backup your files and contact information so you can easily recover them anytime.
Thanks to the CaptureCam feature, you can receive images of the person attempting to steal your device, making it easier for you to identify and track them down.
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2. Avira Mobile Security
Avira is an excellent free antivirus app that you can use on your iPad and iPhone. It boasts of an intuitive interface with multiple layers of protection to stop anyone with malicious intent from gaining access to your device.
If you’re worried about companies collecting your data, Avira provides a privacy manager feature that helps reduce data collection by preventing Siri from sharing your data with Apple and other businesses.
The app’s contacts backup feature lets you keep your address book safe by backing them up to the cloud or emailing them to yourself. The identity safeguard feature will scan you and your contacts’ email addresses and inform you of any security breach.
Avira’s anti-theft tools help keep your data and information safe in the event your device gets stolen or lost. You can use the call blocker to clamp down on spam calls and the built-in network scanner to discover what public devices and connections are in your network.
Other useful features that Avira offers include a management tool for monitoring storage and memory use and generating analytic reports on your latest security events. You also get a free VPN with a 100MB daily limit so you can hide your IP address and surf the internet safely.
3. Webroot Mobile Security
This free antivirus app for iOS is fully equipped to help you ferret out potential threats and keep you safe from phishing attempts, malicious websites, and malware attacks.
Webroot offers real-time protection and allows you to browse the internet safely using most of the better-known search engines.
With Webroot, you don’t have to worry about data leaks and security breaches because the app will secure your passwords and keep your personal data from being compromised.
You can even set the level of protection that you want and Webroot will work in the background to offer you continuous protection without interrupting or slowing down other processes.
Additionally, Webroot ensures you remain secure when banking, shopping, or browsing on your iOS device. The app has a simple interface that makes it easy for users to navigate and explore all the features that Webroot has to offer.
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4. Kaspersky Security Cloud
The Security Cloud version of Kaspersky’s software syncs all your devices together through the cloud, enabling you to manage all of them at once.
The app comes loaded with antivirus and malware protection to keep your iOS devices safe from any threats.
With Kaspersky Security Cloud, it’s easy to ensure your security software is up to date and get notifications across all your devices so you can stay on top of any security situation.
The breach scanner promotes email security by checking submitted email addresses against a vast database of breaches login information.
If Kaspersky finds your login details in the database, it’ll alert you so you can quickly change them and prevent potential security attacks.
In addition, Kaspersky Security Cloud offers you access to a password storage vault with 256-bit encryption. This means you can create strong and secure passwords without having to worry about remembering them because the app will do it for you.
You also get a VPN with 300MB worth of data daily, access to geo-blocked content, and a no-logs policy that stops everyone, including Kaspersky, from tracking your browser history.
The app is available for free.Â
5. Avast Security
Avast is one of the most widely used and best free iPad and iPhone antivirus apps on the market today. Its dedication to protecting your data and eliminating malicious activities such as ransomware, malware, and Trojans has earned the Avast app high ratings on the App store.
It comes with a photo vault function that enables you to encrypt your photos and send them to a hidden library where no one else can reach them.
Unlike some other antivirus apps, Avast does not cause your iPhone or iPad to lag because it consumes very little system resources in carrying out its operations.
Another security feature that Avast provides is anti-theft so you can get alerts and track the location of your device if it ever gets lost or stolen.
To prevent your personal information and sensitive data from getting into the wrong hands, you can lock the missing device and erase the data on it.
You can also download your data remotely, force your device to text or call another device, or show a message on the screen. Your emails are not left out of the party because Avast will monitor your mail and alert you when it detects links to phishing websites.
This way, you can avoid downloading harmful sites, get rid of annoying ads/spam, and eliminate other potential threats.
6. Lookout Mobile Security
Lookout’s main focus is to analyze WiFi and web connections for suspicious activities, encrypt data to promote security, and ensure the safety of your passwords.
It monitors your devices and online activities for suspicious behavior, alerts you if your iPhone or iPad has been hacked, and regularly updates your system to guarantee maximum protection.
The app monitor feature will keep an eye on every application you install and promptly inform you if any of them are engaging in malicious activities and infecting your files.
Lookout can analyze WiFi networks and let you know whether it’s a good idea to use a particular network thanks to its safe browsing feature.
For those who are prone to losing their phones, Lookout Mobile Security has a locate feature that can help you find your missing device. If the lost device is in close proximity, the scream feature will force your iPhone or iPad to ring loudly so you can find it.
Alternatively, you can use the signal flare to send yourself an email containing the phone’s last location and the image of the person trying to unlock your phone without authorization.
You can also display a message on the lock screen with your contact details in case someone finds it and wants to return it to you.
Furthermore, Lookout’s system advisor will let you know if you’re missing any vital security updates that could leave you open to potential threats.
7. AVG Antivirus
AVG is another impressive free iPad and iPhone antivirus app that you can use to keep your devices secure and protected.
It’s designed to detect and eliminate spyware, malware, adware, and other online threats in real-time before they get a chance to infect your device and do serious damage.
AVG is able to prevent spoof sites from monitoring your online activities and stealing your passwords or other important personal information. The app runs in the background and doesn’t interfere with any other non-harmful processes on your iPad or iPhone.
Aside from being a reliable and user-friendly antimalware solution, AVG has the capability to block calls from numbers you don’t want reaching you.
The privacy fix feature can dive deep into your social media privacy settings and give you suggestions on how to make them more secure.
AVG can secure WiFi connections, protect you from online information and identity thefts, and encrypt your IP address to give you anonymity when browsing the internet or using certain applications. It also features a photo vault for encrypting your images and storing them far away from prying eyes.
Finally, you can use AVG to boost the performance of your device by cleaning the storage or optimizing the RAM.
With AVG’s anti-theft feature you can pinpoint the location of your lost phone, wipe or lock it remotely, or authorize an alarm to ring so you can find the device more easily.
8. Bitdefender
Bitdefender is a comprehensive security suite and antivirus solution for iOS devices that has won the AV-Comparatives’ Product of the Year award four times.
A feat that no other anti-malware software has accomplished so that should assure you that you’re in the right hands with Bitdefender.
It boasts of excellent virus detection rates and real-time protection against breaches and malicious attacks. Bitdefender can scan your email addresses and inform you of any security or privacy issues so you can easily resolve them and protect your account.
It can even analyze network connections and stop any suspicious behavior before it breaches your online accounts.
The Bitdefender app is very easy to use and you don’t need to pay a dime or submit your credit card information to access it, you just have to create an account and you’ll be good to go.
Bitdefender comes with a secure VPN with 200MB of daily data to give you protection while browsing. Additionally, the Bitdefender Central Platform allows you to check the status of every device connected to your Bitdefender account.
9. TotalAV Mobile Security
Despite being one of the new kids on the block, TotalAV has built a solid reputation for itself as a provider of malware and virus protection.
This antivirus app for iPhones and iPads is chock-full of effective security features to keep your device free from corruption and information thefts.
TotalAV Mobile Security scans your device quickly and furnishes you with real-time protection against ransomware and other malicious processes. It comes with a powerful data breach scanner that monitors databases and lets you know if your email account has been compromised.
The antivirus app even gives you access to a secure web browser using DuckDuckGo, a search engine with an intense focus on privacy, which prevents your web activities from being targeted or tracked by advertisers.
You can get rid of duplicate screenshots and photos and optimize your storage space with the photo cleanup tool in TotalAV.
Thanks to TotalAV’s device locator, you can track your device when it goes missing. The system security feature will inform you of the latest iOS updates and keep third-parties with sinister intent from exploiting the vulnerabilities in your system.
10. Panda Dome
Panda Dome comes with all the standard features you’ll expect to find in antivirus software such as antimalware protection, disk cleanup, anti-theft, privacy protection, real-time monitoring, and anti-phishing protection. The application will scan WiFi connections and inform you if it finds any malware.
With Panda Dome, you don’t need to worry about phishing attacks or stumbling into malicious sites designed to steal your passwords and other confidential information.
The application will automatically block access to those sites to keep you from accidentally visiting them.
The virus cleaner will sweep your device and take care of any corrupted files, apps, or processes that it encounters and return your iPhone or iPad to a safe and protected state.
The app’s anti-theft function enables you to locate a lost device, lock it remotely, and wipe out important documents and fails to keep your personal information from falling into the wrong hands. Thanks to Panda’s built-in VPN, you can remain anonymous and protect your data while browsing the internet.
You can install Panda Dome on your iOS device via the cloud so all your devices will be synced to each other. The application consumes very little device resources so you don’t have to worry about storage space or lags.
The versatile app has a customizable interface that you can tweak to your preference. It can also improve the overall performance of your device and optimize battery life.
11. F-Secure SAFE
Next on our list of best free iPhone and iPad antivirus apps is F-Secure SAFE. It features a comprehensive range of powerful web filters that keep you protected from malicious sites and prevent harmful downloads or files from infecting your device with viruses.
F-Secure SAFE protects your financial information by letting you know which websites are safe for online shopping or banking transactions.
If you’re a parent or guardian, you might find F-Secure SAFE to be particularly useful because it offers extensive parental controls. This means that you can block unwanted websites from search results so your child can’t reach them and even set limits on their browsing time.
Also, you can filter content by category depending on what you want or don’t want your child to have access to. However, you’ll need to disable Safari and other browsers manually to ensure this feature is effective because iOS doesn’t ordinarily let apps restrict one another.
In addition, F-Secure SAFE includes basic anti-theft features like device tracking to help you discover the phone’s last location and alarms to alert you when you’re in close proximity to the lost device.
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12. MobiShield
MobiShield uses top-flight security protocols to banish online fraud and viruses from your iOS device and leave you completely protected against fraudulent and virulent activities.
The app is home to lots of useful and effective features including a backup function that lets you back and recover data like contact information.
The virus scanner keeps you protected from malware, Trojans, spyware, ransomware, and malicious apps by detecting and killing them. In case your device gets lost or stolen, you can use MobiShield’s anti-lost feature to activate a loud alarm, locate the device, remotely lock the phone, or erase sensitive information.
The network scanner can monitor your device and web activities for threats and even provide updates about the security status.
With MobiShield’s vault feature you can encrypt videos, audios, photos, and other kinds of files and securely store them in a password-protected vault.
MobiShield’s scanning tool scans your systems to detect common settings and vulnerabilities on your device and then suggests ways to strengthen your security. Also, MobiShield can monitor and optimize your storage and battery life to boost your device’s performance.
13. ZoneAlarm Mobile Security
If you’re looking for a free iPad and iPhone antivirus app that gets the job done effectively, ZoneAlarm Mobile Security is worth considering.
ZoneAlarm can monitor your WiFi connections and stop any attempts to access your personal data if you end up connecting to an infected or malicious network. It can also scan your device and potential downloads for dubious activities to keep you safe from attacks.
If ZoneAlarm notices that you’ve downloaded or installed a suspicious app on your device, it will alert you immediately so you can take the appropriate action. It also bolsters the security of your iOS device and doesn’t share your personal data with other applications.
Beyond providing antivirus protection and firewalls, ZoneAlarm addresses other security issues such as data loss and information/identity theft.
It offers tools that monitor your credit status daily to avoid identity theft, as well as a credit education specialist who can help you resolve any concerns or problems you might have.
Another great thing about ZoneAlarm is it obstructs any unauthorized attempt to access your microphone, camera, and private data like messages, videos, and photos.
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14. Phone Guardian
This tested and trustee iOS antivirus app is just what the technician ordered for your device. It uses the latest antimalware technology to scan your device, the websites you visit, and the files you want to download for viruses and other harmful software that may be hidden within it.
Since your phone probably contains sensitive information like your credit card details, passwords, and addresses that you don’t want compromised, you can rely on Phone Guardian to protect your data and prevent it from being breached or stolen.
It will promptly inform you whenever it finds apps that are using your personal information. Phone Guardian grants you access to a VPN, allowing you to browse the internet with a cloak of anonymity by connecting you to a secure server.
It also encrypts your data so that even if your device gets stolen and the data is decrypted, the hackers still won’t be able to read it. Phone Guardian is extremely easy to use and doesn’t require you to register an account to begin enjoying the service.
15. LogDog Mobile Security
LogDog Mobile Security is one of the best antivirus apps for iPad and iPhone you can find. It stays on top of your device security 24/7, constantly running checks and monitoring account logins, app downloads and processes, and other relevant details.
Once it catches a whiff of any unusual and doubtful activity that could result in device corruption, data loss, ransomware attacks, or identity theft, LogDog instantly blocks it.
The antivirus solution can analyze your online accounts and offer suggestions as to how you can tighten security and reduce vulnerabilities to minimize the risk of an attack.
If an attacker tries to hack your account, LogDog will send you alerts immediately so that you can take the appropriate measures to block it.
LogDog also monitors and keeps detailed logs of your activities for safety purposes and to make it easier to diagnose where a threat might be coming from.
Additionally, LogDog Mobile security is able to safeguard both your online accounts and local accounts against attacks, and the app is continuously updated to guarantee maximum security for users.
Conclusion
These days, you can’t be too careful when it comes to security and privacy because there are all kinds of threats and individuals with malicious intent out there that can make life very difficult for you with the help of a virus.
The iOS antivirus providers discussed above are the best at what they do and are equipped to handle any virus or malware attacks that might come your way.
Although investing in any of the software will prove invaluable to your device security, we recommend Avast Security the most.
It provides excellent protection against viruses and other harmful threats, alongside a range of other interesting features like email monitoring, anti-theft, photo vault, and ad/spam blockers.
