Avast One: free app to remove viruses on Android
This page describes what the Avast One It does the following on Android phones: malware scan, password-protected app locking, cleaning tools, and features to locate the device itself. The download on Google Play is free, and the app contains ads and in-app purchases.
What the app does
Real-time protection
The app tracks what is installed and opened on the device and warns when a file or app matches something already cataloged in Avast's threat database. The warning appears before the installation continues.
Device scan
The scan goes through installed applications and storage files, listing what it classifies as suspicious. You confirm the removal item by item—nothing is deleted without this confirmation.
App blocking
It's possible to require a password or fingerprint to open selected apps, such as banking, social media, and photo galleries. The lock applies to anyone who picks up the phone after it's already unlocked.
Cleanliness and performance
There are tools to delete temporary files, terminate background processes, and identify which applications are consuming the most battery. How much this changes in practice depends on the device and what was occupying the memory.
Anti-theft features built into the phone itself.
With the account linked before the loss, you can remotely lock the device, trigger an alarm, and check its last recorded location. These features work for your own phone, with the account already configured on it.
Limits you should know before installing.
No antivirus program recognizes all threats: detection depends on the database and mainly covers what has already been cataloged. The application also does not recover leaked data or undo a purchase made by someone who had the device. Some functions—database updates and location tracking, for example—require internet access; the scan runs offline, but using the last downloaded database.
Common questions
The download on Google Play is free, and the free version already includes scanning, real-time protection, and app blocking. The store's own listing states that the app contains ads and offers in-app purchases for additional features.
No. Detection covers what's cataloged in Avast's database, which is frequently updated, but no antivirus recognizes everything. Files that the app doesn't classify as malicious remain on the device.
It depends on the device. Real-time protection is a background service that consumes memory and battery. On phones with limited memory, the effect is usually more noticeable than on newer models.
The scan works offline, using the most recently downloaded threat database. Updating this database and using the remote location and locking features require an internet connection.
According to the official listing on Google Play, published by the developer Avast Software, APK files received via message or downloaded from third-party websites do not pass through the store's verification process and are a common pathway for malware.
