General
What is AVG AntiVirus?
AVG AntiVirus for Android is a security app that helps protect your mobile device from unwanted phishing, malware, spyware, and malicious viruses such as trojans. It also helps secure your email accounts and accounts associated with your email addresses, lock your sensitive apps, and protect access to your photos stored on your device.
How does AVG AntiVirus help protect my device?
AVG AntiVirus helps protect your Android device from known malware and threats, and monitors data going in and out according to your preferences. We do our best to protect your device against all possible threats, but no solution is 100% effective.
Like all applications on the Android market, it is subject to limitations imposed by the operating system version running on the device. It cannot protect against exploits targeting specific vulnerabilities in the OS kernel, the network stack and other fundamental parts of the system. However, we take our role in the security industry seriously, and continuously work with Android vendors to develop future solutions to minimize the risk of attacks.
Download and Installation
What are the system requirements for AVG AntiVirus?
For detailed information on system requirements for AVG AntiVirus, refer to the following article: System requirements for AVG applications.
AVG AntiVirus supports both Android phones and tablets. The app is compatible with most ARM Android devices. However, each vendor or manufacturer makes slight changes in their devices, so some features may behave unexpectedly or, in rare cases, not work. Note that AVG cannot cover all vendor customizations to the OS. However, we gladly accept feedback if you experience compatibility issues on your Android device.
If you are using a custom ROM (Read-Only-Memory), the app may not work as expected. If you have any feedback regarding this issue, report it to AVG Support.
- Symbian, Microsoft Windows Phone/Mobile, Bada, WebOS, or any mobile operating system other than Android. The iOS version of AVG AntiVirus can be downloaded from the App Store.
How do I install and activate AVG AntiVirus?
For detailed installation and activation instructions, refer to the following articles:
Subscription and Activation
Which paid AVG AntiVirus subscriptions are available?
There are two tiers of paid AVG AntiVirus subscriptions:
- AVG AntiVirus Premium: With this tier, you can take advantage of the following premium features:
- Remove ads: Eliminate third-party ads from your AVG AntiVirus experience.
- App Lock: Protect access to your apps with a PIN.
- Automatic Scan: Set a day of the week and time for the app to scan your device automatically.
- Hack Alerts: Monitor up to 5 email accounts and immediately receive a notification if a password linked to your email account is found leaked online.
- Scam Guardian Pro: Includes paid features such as SMS Guard, Call Guard, and Link Guard.
- Unlimited Photo Vault: Secure storage of unlimited photos in an encrypted vault on your device.
- AVG AntiVirus Ultimate: This is an advanced tier of the paid version. With this subscription, you gain access to:
- All the features included in the previous tier, AVG AntiVirus Premium.
- VPN Secure Connection: This feature helps protect your privacy online by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN), ensuring that no one can monitor your online activities.
How do I upgrade to one of the paid versions of AVG AntiVirus?
To upgrade AVG AntiVirus to one of the paid versions, tap Upgrade in the top-right corner, select your preferred subscription tier (AVG AntiVirus Premium or AVG AntiVirus Ultimate), then follow the on-screen instructions to subscribe. When the transaction completes, the paid version of AVG AntiVirus activates automatically on your Android device. Your purchased subscription is valid on devices that are connected to your Google Account and have AVG AntiVirus installed.
Is my paid AVG AntiVirus subscription also valid for other paid AVG apps?
No. If you subscribe to AVG AntiVirus Premium or AVG AntiVirus Ultimate, your subscription is valid only for this particular app.
What happens if I upgrade from my current subscription to a different subscription?
When you upgrade from one paid version of AVG AntiVirus to another (for example, from AVG AntiVirus Premium to AVG AntiVirus Ultimate), Google Play Store automatically calculates how much of your original subscription was unused. To compensate you for the value of this unused subscription, you receive access to the upgraded subscription for a period of time that is equivalent to the value of that unused subscription at no extra cost. This means you are not immediately charged when you activate your upgraded subscription, but when that period ends (unless canceled first). The length of that access period depends on how much of your original subscription was unused. The date of your first payment is displayed during the subscription upgrade.
How can I use my AVG AntiVirus subscription on another device?
To start using your AVG AntiVirus subscription on another device, refer to the following article: Transferring or restoring AVG mobile subscriptions.
How can I cancel a paid AVG AntiVirus subscription?
Uninstalling the AVG AntiVirus app from your Android device does not cancel your paid subscription. You will continue to be charged until you cancel it. For information on how to cancel a subscription purchased via the Play Store, refer to the following article: Canceling an AVG subscription via Google Play Store or the App Store.
What can I do if AVG AntiVirus does not detect my paid subscription?
In rare cases, AVG AntiVirus does not detect your valid subscription and displays the No subscriptions found message when you try to restore your subscription. For instructions on how to resolve this issue, refer to the following article: Troubleshooting activation issues in AVG mobile apps.
Features
What is Scan now?
The Scan now button on the main app screen scans apps installed on your device and informs you about security risks caused by changes in default settings.
AVG AntiVirus automatically scans newly installed apps the first time they are run. AVG AntiVirus offers to uninstall the app or delete the file if malware is detected. If an app or file is incorrectly identified as malware, you can report the false-positive detection directly to AVG Threat Labs.
To schedule automatic scans, refer to the following article: AVG AntiVirus for Android - Getting Started.
What is Scam Guardian?
Scam Guardian within AVG AntiVirus offers several features to help verify website legitimacy and reduce the risk of fraudulent interactions.
The free version, Scam Guardian, which is included in the AVG AntiVirus includes Web Guard. The paid version, Scam Guardian Pro, which is included in the AVG AntiVirus Premium and Ultimate adds SMS Guard, Call Guard, and Link Guard.
For more information about using Scam Guardian and the features within, refer to the following articles:
What is Web Guard?
Web Guard is a free feature within Scam Guardian, designed to automatically block malicious URLs that could harm your device or steal info like your personal data or passwords. Web Guard also warns you when you visit a potentially sensitive website, and advises you to turn on your VPN for additional protection.
For detailed information about using the Web Guard, refer to the following article: AVG AntiVirus for Android - Scam Guardian Pro.
What is Hack Alerts?
Hack Alerts monitors the accounts connected to your email address and notifies you if there has been a hack or leak.
To check if your account passwords have been leaked, refer to the following article: AVG AntiVirus for Android - Getting Started.
What is Junk Cleaner?
When you tap the Clean junk tile on the main app screen, AVG AntiVirus analyzes your device and displays the storage space that is being used by junk files.
For more information about using Junk Cleaner, refer to the following article: AVG AntiVirus for Android - Getting Started.
What is Scan Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi Speed test measures and rates your network's current download and upload speeds. It also scans your network for problems with your router, encryption, Wi-Fi, and connection. When this action is complete, the app advises whether the network you are connected to is safe. Any detected issues are described, along with instructions on how to resolve them.
What is App Lock?
App Lock is a premium feature available in AVG AntiVirus Premium that helps protect most of your sensitive apps with a PIN or pattern. If you can unlock your device with a fingerprint, you can also use this option for App Lock.
For information about enabling this feature refer to the following article: AVG AntiVirus for Android - Getting Started.
What is Photo Vault?
Photo Vault allows you to protect access to your photos stored on your device with a PIN code. Photos that are moved to Photo Vault are encrypted and hidden. In the free version of AVG AntiVirus, you can protect up to 10 photos. To secure an unlimited number of photos, upgrade to a paid version of AVG AntiVirus.
To learn how to use Photo Vault, refer to the following article: AVG AntiVirus for Android - Getting Started.
What is App Insights?
App Insights provides you with usage information about the apps on your device, and allows you to view which permissions are required by your installed apps.
VPN Protection
What is VPN Protection?
The VPN Protection feature allows you to connect to the internet via AVG VPN servers, using an encrypted tunnel to help protect your online activity from eavesdropping. VPN in AVG AntiVirus offers:
- Protection: When many people are connected to the same public network, attackers can capture sensitive data, such as logins and passwords. The encrypted VPN connection provides adequate protection against these types of attacks.
- Anonymization: With broadband connections, many people have fixed IP addresses, which can be tracked when browsing sensitive sites. With a VPN connection, the browsing session is effectively anonymized, as the IP address the remote server sees is the address of the VPN server, not the user.
- Access content around the world: Using a VPN allows you to access servers in different parts of the world.
To activate VPN Secure Connection, refer to the following article: AVG AntiVirus for Android - Getting Started.
What is the difference between the VPN feature in AVG AntiVirus Ultimate and the AVG Secure VPN app?
The VPN Protection feature in AVG AntiVirus for Android and the AVG Secure VPN app allow you to connect to the internet via AVG VPN servers, helping protect the personal data you send and receive online. When you connect to our VPN servers using the VPN Protection feature in AVG AntiVirus for Android, you can choose from the same server locations available in AVG Secure VPN.
The AVG Secure VPN app contains certain advanced settings options unavailable in AVG AntiVirus for Android, including Split Tunneling and the option to choose different VPN Protocols. For more information, refer to the following article: AVG Secure VPN - FAQs.
How can I add the VPN feature to AVG AntiVirus?
The VPN feature in AVG AntiVirus is available for devices with an AVG AntiVirus Ultimate subscription.
Can I use my AVG Secure VPN subscription to activate the VPN feature in AVG AntiVirus?
No. In this case, you would continue to use AVG Secure VPN as a separate app.
Settings
How can I disable or customize the permanent notification?
For information about managing the notifications, refer to the following article: Explaining Android notifications about AVG AntiVirus for Android running in the background.
How can I customize my scan settings?
Tap 
Account ▸ Settings ▸ Device protection to access the following options:
- Automatic scan: Allows you to set a schedule for scanning. Select a day of the week and time for the app to scan your device automatically.
- Scan System Apps: Choose whether to scan system apps for malware, privacy risks, and unusual behavior.
- Scan SD Card: Choose whether to scan SD Cards.
- Ransomware Recovery: Attempt to remove ransomware if it has taken control of your device.
How do I verify which version of AVG AntiVirus is installed on my device?
- Open AVG AntiVirus and tap
Account ▸ About.
- Verify your current app version under AVG AntiVirus.
Where can I find My statistics?
My statistics is available via Account ▸ My statistics.
My statistics lets you see all activity AVG AntiVirus performs for Android. This mainly includes updates and scans.
How can I control which data I share with AVG and third parties?
To manage your data sharing preferences, tap Account ▸ Settings ▸ General. Tap the slider next to one of the following options so that it changes to green (ON) to opt in (automatically enabled), or gray (OFF) to opt out:
- AVG Community IQ
- Share app-usage data (In the free version of AVG AntiVirus, this option is enabled by default and does not appear)
- Personalized discounts
How can I check if my virus database is up to date?
The virus database is updated automatically. Tap Account ▸ Settings ▸ Device protection, and scroll down to Virus database to check the date the current virus database was installed. Tap Check for updates to manually install the latest update.
To prevent AVG AntiVirus from updating when you are using mobile data to connect to the internet, tap the slider next to Wi-Fi updates only so that it changes to green (ON). We do not recommend keeping this setting enabled.
Troubleshooting
How can I uninstall AVG AntiVirus?
If you no longer want to use AVG AntiVirus, you need to cancel your subscription before uninstalling the app from your device.
For detailed uninstallation instructions, refer to the following article: Uninstalling AVG AntiVirus.
How can I disable third-party ads in AVG AntiVirus for Android?
To support the ongoing development of AVG AntiVirus, the free version of the app includes third-party ads that do not interfere with app usage. Paid versions of AVG AntiVirus are ad-free and include a range of additional premium features and benefits. Subscribe to a paid version of AVG AntiVirus by tapping Upgrade in the top-right corner of the main app screen.
Alternatively, you can purchase an ad free subscription. This option removes third-party ads from AVG AntiVirus, but does not include any additional premium features and benefits. An ad free subscription is only available after you have used the Free version of AVG AntiVirus for approximately 40-50 days. When this subscription option is available, the 'Remove ads' panel appears on the main app screen. To purchase an ad free subscription, tap the gray (OFF) slider next to Remove ads and follow the on-screen instructions.
What should I do if the Accessibility permission is disabled repeatedly?
To improve performance, some Android devices force apps to stop when your device screen turns off. This often causes apps with the Accessibility permission to lose this permission.
To re-enable the Accessibility permission, open your device settings, search for Accessibility, then grant this permission to AVG AntiVirus.
We recommend changing your system settings to prevent AVG AntiVirus from losing the permission. For detailed instructions, refer to the following article: Preventing your Android device from stopping AVG apps.
How can I reset the PIN for App Lock?
For information about resetting the App Lock PIN, refer to the following article: AVG AntiVirus for Android - Getting Started.
What should I do if AVG AntiVirus for Android crashes or stops running?
Try one of the following options:
- Fully uninstall, then reinstall AVG AntiVirus.
- Report the issue to AVG Support so that our support representatives can perform a deeper analysis.
- Join the AVG Beta program to test the latest versions of AVG Android apps before public release. This means that you receive app updates and bug fixes earlier.
What can I do when AVG AntiVirus for Android cannot remove malware?
In rare cases, AVG AntiVirus detects malware but cannot uninstall it. This is usually caused by the level of permissions granted to the suspicious app or the app being installed as a system app. For more information, refer to the following article: Resolving a malware removal issue in AVG AntiVirus.
How can I report a false positive detection to AVG Threat Labs?
In rare cases, AVG AntiVirus may detect and mark a clean file as malware. You can report false detections to AVG Threat Labs directly from the scan results screen:
- Tap
⋮More options (the three dots) next to the detected file that you want to report. - Select the Report as false positive option.
- Type a description of the issue and enter your email address (if you want to be notified when the file analysis is finished).
- Tap Send.
How can I disable sound alerts for background notifications from AVG AntiVirus?
On some Honor or Huawei devices, a sound plays each time you receive a notification from AVG AntiVirus. To prevent this, follow the steps below on your Honor or Huawei device:
- Open your device Settings and go to Apps & notifications.
- Select Notifications management.
- Tap AVG AntiVirus for Android, then select Background services.
- Tap the blue (ON) slider next to Ringtone, so it changes to gray (OFF).
A sound no longer plays each time you receive a notification from AVG AntiVirus.
Why does AVG AntiVirus need so many permissions?
AVG AntiVirus for Android requires many permissions that may initially seem unnecessary. This is because permission classifications in Android are assigned a name based on the most common use case, but do not describe all the kinds of processes that require the permission. For example, the full internet access permission is required to receive updates to malware definitions, and Scan and Web Guard need permission to read phone data so the data can be scanned for threats.
We take your privacy very seriously. The permissions requested are the minimum set that is needed to implement the functionality of AVG AntiVirus for Android. For more information, refer to the following article: Permissions required by AVG AntiVirus for Android.
How can I report an issue to AVG Support?
We offer many self-help articles on the AVG Support pages. However, some issues may require deeper investigation by AVG Support.
If you have a paid subscription to AVG AntiVirus, you can contact AVG Support. Our support agents will help you resolve your issues.
- AVG AntiVirus
- Android