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7 Best Antivirus for iPhone Reviews in 2023 | To Keep Your Apple iOS Cell Protected

7 Top Picks

4 Reviewers

30 Hours of Research

30 Options Considered

Some of the best mobile apps are built on the Apple iPhone mobile platform.  The iOS mobile operating system are generally at lower risk from external threats than Windows, PC, or Android devices.  However, there are still some vulnerabilities and online security issues on the iPhone that you need to take the necessary precautions when best antivirus for iPhone users.

The Apple iPhone is a remarkable piece of hardware.  The iOS mobile operating system is also amazing, but not perfect or immune from security threats.  That is why it is crucial that you choose the right antivirus software to install on your iPhone to protect you from getting your sensitive data such as personal information, banking information, or credit card numbers stolen from your device. However, if you need to provide internet security across the range of devices, check out this post.

At VSS Monitoring, we are here to help answer your antivirus security needs from desktop computer to mobile phone and all devices in between.  Let's take a look at some of the options and reasons for antivirus protection on the iPhone.

3 Top Antivirus for iPhone

mcafee protection

1. [Best Antivirus for iPhone Overall]

 McAfee Mobile Security

4.9/5

Keep critical or important information safe and protected with McAfee Mobile Security on your iOS device.

The Threat Scan feature on McAfee Mobile Security detects all unsecured Wi-Fi internet hotspots nearby your current iOS device.  In addition, this feature provides friendly reminders with notifications when your current iOS version was out-of-date and needed and upgrade.

  • A single subscription will cover all your devices
  • It offers a 30 days trial
  • It offers a lot of privacy protection
Avast antivirus software

2. [Best For The Money] Avast Security & Privacy

4.8/5

The free antivirus app of Avast's Security & Privacy mobile suite allows you to protect up to 40 photos in an encrypted vault with its Image Vault feature.

 

You can access the media vault via PIN code, Face ID or Touch ID. 


  • Secure Browsing
  • It is lightweight
  • Offers great value for the money
avira security

3. [Best For The Password Manager] Avira Mobile Security

4.7/5

Developed in Germany, Avira Mobile Security is effective in blocking malicious websites and providing real-time alerts for any new security breaches.  


You can also customize which type of alert to be notified when one of your accounts has been compromised.


  • It includes an app locker

  • Avira offers you a 30-day Prime trial
  • Scanning engine works particularly well

Do I Need a Virus Protection for My iPhone?

The simple answer is Yes. Regardless of whatever device you might have, Internet Security should still be the same. The hardware such as a computer or mobile device might be different, but they are all accessing the same Internet.

An iPhone is no different.  iPhone devices need virus protection just like desktop computers, laptops, or other devices.  It is extremely detrimental if your valuable personal information such as passwords, banking credentials, credit card numbers, and personal financial information is leaked or intercepted by an unwanted hacker on our mobile devices.

Running the latest version of the iOS mobile operating system by Apple just simply is not enough protection from the bad guys.  There are many vulnerabilities and internet-based threats like phishing, altered advertising, browser intercepting, ransomware, and malware that are possible on any such device. 

Having the right antivirus software installed on your iPhone can be the preventative measure needed from letting your sensitive data be hijacked by malicious apps with bad intent. You may still need a quality anti spyware software for your other devices.

Although many experts say that you do not need antivirus software for your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, others argue that you should still have a security app to be safe. When you are browsing the Web on an unstable public Wi-Fi networks or other internet connection, you never know how it will affect your device, so it is good to be safe.

What Is the Best Antivirus Protection for iPhone?

Here at VSSMonitoring, we are dedicated to finding the best free version and paid software out there to help protect and improve your digital life.   Here are some of the best antivirus options on iPhone that you should highly consider. Each security app will have different tiered subscription plans available for you to choose.

[Best Antivirus Protection for iPhone Overall]

4.9/5

App Store Rating:

  • 4.7 out of 5 stars from 110.4K Ratings

Pricing:

  • $2.49/month or $29.99/year
mcafee for gamers

Features:

  • Threat Scan
  • Back up, Restore, and Wipe
  • CaptureCam
  • Device Locator and Remote Alarm
  • Find Phone
  • Media Vault

Keep critical or important information safe and protected with McAfee Mobile Security on your iOS device.

The Threat Scan feature on McAfee Mobile Security detects all unsecured Wi-Fi internet hotspots nearby your current iOS device.  In addition, this feature provides friendly reminders with notifications when your current iOS version was out-of-date and needed and upgrade.

McAfee Mobile Security has a Find Phone features uses a GPS tracker to accurately find the approximate location of your lost phone. In addition, if your battery is quickly running out, the McAfee software also automatically saves the phone's location to improve your chances of finding and retrieving your device promptly.

Even if your iPhone runs out of battery, McAfee's app will have already saved the last "known" location of your phone to help you better locate and find the device.

Secure and reliable, McAfee Mobile Security's Media Vault with Face ID option is an amazing feature to help open media with just the iOS phone and your face to unlock the device.  You can also choose to use the touch ID option with your fingerprint to unlock the device and still use the Media Vault feature.

McAfee Mobile Security Pros

  • A single subscription will cover all your devices.
  • It offers a 30 days trial
  • It offers a lot of privacy protection
  • It offers several options to scan your devices like quick scan, full system security scan, and custom scan

McAfee Mobile Security Cons

  • VPN services are sold separately

[Best for The Money]

4.8/5

App Rating

  • 4.7 out of 5 stars from 29.9K Ratings

Pricing

  • Pro plan: $4.99/month or $19.99/year

Avast offers a  7 or 14-day free trial  to try the premium version subscription features.

Avast antivirus software

Features:

  • Easy to Use Interface
  • Unlimited Identity Guard
  • Unlimited Photo Vault
  • Wi-Fi Security Feature
  • Secure Browsing

The free antivirus app of Avast's Security & Privacy mobile suite allows you to protect up to 40 photos in an encrypted vault with its Photo Vault feature.  You can access the media vault via PIN code, Face ID or Touch ID. 

The Premium Pro plan subscription allows you to store an unlimited numbers of photos or images in Photo Vault.

In addition to the Photo Vault, another amazing feature of Avast Security & Privacy is Identity Guard, which ensures identity protection by making sure none of your online account passwords have been leaked online by monitoring the largest online repository of stole login credentials.

Avast Security & Privacy Pros

  • Offers advanced protection hence can safely shop and bank online
  • Offers great value for the money
  • It is lightweight
  • It has an unlimited Photo Vault

Avast Security & Privacy Cons

  • Some of its notifications can be annoying

[Best for The Password Manager]

4.7/5

App Store Rating

  • 4.2 out of 5 stars from 1.9K Ratings

Pricing

  • Ultimate Security - Pro + Free VPN Protection: $22.99/year
  • Pro+Unlimited VPN+Spam Caller: $34.99/year
  • Prime plan: $79.99/year for up to 5 devices
avira security

Features

  • Avira Connect
  • Call blocker
  • Contacts Backup
  • Device Analyzer
  • Identity Safeguard
  • Password Manager
  • Phantom VPN
  • Web Threats Protection Feature

Developed in Germany, Avira Mobile Security is effective in blocking malicious websites and providing real-time alerts for any new security breaches.  You can also customize which type of alert to be notified when one of your accounts has been compromised.

Avira Mobile Security Pros

  • It includes an app locker
  • Avira offers you a 30-day Prime trial
  • It is lightweight
  • Scanning engine works particularly well

Avira Mobile Security Cons

  • It cannot properly handle the most dangerous viruses and trojans on the web

4.6/5

App Store Rating

  • 4.7 out of 5 stars from 51K Ratings

Pricing

  • $2.99/month or $29.99/year

Another higher-tiered subscription option is theLookout Premium Plus plan available in the US Only).  The cost is $9.99/month or $99.99/year.

The Lookout Premium Plus includes all of Lookout Basic and Premium but with advanced features such as identity restoration and insurance, SSN Watch, and Breach Report

lookout logo

Features:

  • Locate Feature
  • Lost Message
  • Locate & Scream Feature
  • Signal Flare
  • Anti-Theft tool Alerts
  • Safe Browsing
  • Cyber Watch
  • Identity Theft Protection
  • Safe Wi-Fi

Lookout is a trusted antivirus brand that offers real-time notification of potential attacks.  You can also be happy to know that it offers world-class anti-theft protection, malware discovery, and virus   You can rest assured that the antivirus app installed on your iPhone will also help in identity theft protection when safeguarding your personal information. 

Lookout Pros

  • Works well in the background 
  • Easy to use
  • It has a very simple interface
  • Useful features

Lookout Cons

  • It tends to consume a lot of battery

App Store Rating

  • 4.7 out of 5 stars from 16K Ratings

Pricing

  • $49.95 per year for up to 5 devices
Trend Micro red logo

Features:

  • Back-Up Storage
  • Anti-Theft Features
  • Wi-Fi Checker
  • Password Manager
  • Parental Controls
  • Web Filtering
  • Virus Scanning
  • Comprehensive Threat Protection

The bundled anti-theft features of Trend Micro Mobile Security is worth praising.  You can locate your missing devices via GPS, Wi-Fi or cell towers.

Trend Micro Mobile Security Pros

  • AI-powered protection
  • Average pricing
  • Anti-ransomware protection w/ Folder Shield and Vault
  • Top-notch customer support

Trend Micro Mobile Security Cons

  • High demand for power even when Mute Mode is activated

4.5/5

App Store Rating

  • 4.2 out of 5 stars from 104 Ratings

Pricing

  • $13.99 per year for 1 device
  • $34.99 per year for up to 3 devices
  • $44.99 per year for up to 5 devices
  • $54.99 per year for up to 7 devices

Free trial subscription for 30 days and up to 3 devices.  You can try F-Secure SAFE for free.  After the trial period ends, you are not obligated to buy the product.  Additionally, you can use the product during the trial period without needing to provide any credit card or banking details for billing.

safe logo

Features:

  • Lost Device Finder
  • Ransomware Protection
  • Parental controls
  • Banking protection
  • Ransomware protection
  • Antivirus Scanner
  • Private secured WiFi network

Many people on their iPhones do not realize that they are using an unsecured WiFi connection that is not protected from prying eyes.  With F-Secure SAFE, you can ensure a private connection on the cloud.

The subscription plan offered by F-Secure is quite a bargain.  You can receive quick free customer support and also a 30 days money back guarantee.

F-Secure SAFE Pros

  • Remote account management
  • Cross-platform parental control
  • Finder for lost or stolen device
  • Effectively blocks malicious and fraudulent sites

F-Secure SAFE Cons

  • Limited protection on iOS

App Store Rating

  • 4.7 out of 5 stars from 4.3K Ratings

Pricing

  • Free
fyde security

Features:

  • Risk Mitigation
  • Zero Trust Access
  • Identity Protection
  • Wi-Fi Scanner
  • Anti-Phishing Alert
  • Privacy Controls

Barracuda CloudGen Access, formerly known as Fyde Mobile Security & Access, is a mobile security solutions software innovation by Zero Trust.  It provides and enables secure, reliable, and fast access to cloud or on-premise applications and workloads.

This innovative tool is a free app to download, but is not purely an antivirus app.  It focuses on securing your device against rogue WiFi networks, phishing websites, and safeguarding your mobile hardware through its crowd-sourced intelligence technology.

Fyde Mobile Security & Access Pros

  •  Easy to setup
  • It provides and enables secure, reliable, and fast access to cloud.
  • Free app
  • Effectively blocks phishing websites

Fyde Mobile Security & Access Cons

  • No Real Time Reporting

FAQs

1. What Is the Best Antivirus Apps Work for iPhone?

There are a lot of different antivirus apps to choose from, but which one is the best for your iPhone? We have reviewed some of the best antivirus apps for iPhone above, and Mcafee is a great option. It has a very user-friendly interface and provides good protection against viruses and other threats. If you are looking for an antivirus app that will keep your iPhone safe, Mcafee is a good choice.

2. How Can I Check My iPhone for Viruses?

There are a few ways to check your iPhone for viruses. One is to use an antivirus app, like Avast or Bitdefender, which can scan your device for malware and viruses. Another is to use Apple's built-in security features, which can help you find and remove any malicious software that might be on your phone.

3. Can Apple iPhones get viruses?

For Apple iPhone and iPad fans, the good news is those iPhone and iPad viruses are extremely rare, but not unheard of. While iPhones are generally secure, they can become infected with viruses if they are 'jailbroken.' Apple is opposed to jailbreaking and is working to patch the vulnerabilities in iPhones that enable it.

4. How do I protect my iPhone from viruses?

There are a few things that you can do to protect your iPhone from viruses. First, make sure that you have installed a good antivirus program and that it is up-to-date. Second, be careful about the websites that you visit and the apps that you download. Only download apps from reputable sources, and avoid clicking on links or downloading files from unknown or untrustworthy websites. Finally, keep your iPhone's operating system up-to-date.

5. How do I get rid of a virus on my iPhone for free?

- Shut down and restart your iPhone. Restarting your device is one of the simplest ways to remove a virus.
- Delete your browsing history and cache.
- Restore a previous backup version of your phone.
- Clear all data and settings.

Conclusion

Having a reliable, trustworthy antivirus for your iPhone and iPad is as important as having a nice carjack on your vehicle.  You should find the best antivirus app that balances the basic anti-theft features. Additionally, parental controls, customized privacy features, Wi-Fi protection, cloud-based malware detection, and other safeguards to malicious cyber threats such as phishing, ransomware, and trojan horses.

Many iPhones upon purchase do not have the proper default security for secure browsing and the adequate protection needed in case the device is stolen.  You need an antivirus app on iPhone and iPad that blocks malicious websites and annoying ads, detect wifi attacks, enables privacy protection, as well as keeping your private personal information through banking protection, web protection, malware scanning, social media secure browsing, and other steadfast features that often do not come default on iOS. 

Be sure to visit our VSS Monitoring homepage to continue reading more on the newest software and apps on iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS to help keep you living your best digital life.  Subscribe to receive news and offers on the best deals on the Web!

About Dusan Stanar

I'm the founder of VSS Monitoring. I have been both writing and working in technology in a number of roles for dozens of years and wanted to bring my experience online to make it publicly available. Visit https://www.vssmonitoring.com/about-us/ to read more about myself and the rest of the team.