25 Best Privacy Apps

Looking for the best apps to protect yourself and your family on your mobile devices? Check out this list, which brings you the best in anti-spyware, anti-virus, phone trackers, data lockdown, and more.

Educate

  1. Clueful – Applications aren’t often clear about what information they are accessing, nor how they intend to use and distribute it once obtained. Clueful helps illuminate this process by running audits on all your existing applications and providing you with clear cut, no-nonsense reports on what applications are leaking about you. It gives you a quick-look at your app’s security with a score, and alerts you promptly when an app is abusing privacy standards. For a subscription fee, you can upgrade the service to include a constant monitor that will lock, locate, and wipe your phone in the event it gets stolen. Also available for iOS. Price: Free.
  2. Protect My Privacy – This application is being developed by UC San Diego as a way of helping them examine privacy on mobile devices. To that end, they collect anonymous data transmitted securely over SSL. Users can choose to not provide data to the study. For users with cracked iPhones, any application attempting to acces your data must first get approval. A message pops up informing users of what data the app is attempting to access, and allows you to fake credentials in some cases, deny access, or allow it. Some data is scrambled to provide an additional layer of protection. Only available for iOS. Price: Free.

Eraser

  1. History Eraser – This simple application makes it easy to wipe sensitive information from your phone, including browser history, call logs, text messages, market searches, clipboard data, and more. Useful for those interested in protecting privacy, but also for those who want to free up storage on their phone. One quick tap will clear your data. Also available for Chrome. Price: Free.
  2. Last Pass – This application has demonstrated its effectiveness for browsers, its mobile version is equally powerful. It automatically fills in forms for every saved site, generates powerful passwords, allows users to add and alter notes and sites easily. Audio and images can be attached to secure notes as well. Also available for iOS, Windows 8, Mac, Linux, BlackBerry, and most other mobile OS. Price: Free 14 day trial, $1 per month pass afterwards.
  3. Delete Me – While not quite a mobile application, this exceptional service can completely remove your sensitive and personal data from the hands of data brokers online, ensuring that private photographs and personal data stay secured. Price: $129 annually for one person, $229 for two people annually.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Robbert van der Steeg

AntiVirus

  1. McAfee WaveSecure – Recognized in 2010 for excellence from CNET, The NY Times, PC World, Lifehacker, and others WaveSecure offers a solid mobile security package for a good price. It includes lock and wipe features that give you control over a lost or stolen phone, backup and restore to allow you to store important data on the cloud, even after the phone has gone missing, and recover it when necessary from a web-based application.  Locate and track features help you pinpoint the lost phone on a map, set it screaming to make it easy to snag, and allows you to track calls being made on the phone.  Also available for BlackBerry, Symbian OS, Windows Phone, iOS, and Java. Price: 7 day free trial, after which it costs $19.99 annually.
  2. Lookout Security & Antivirus – This application gained recognition from PC Mag Editor’s Choice for being excellent, from TechCrunch as one of the top 10 best free apps, and PCWorld ranked it 5 out of 5 stars. It offers excellent antivirus and malware protection in apps, email attachments, or files. It scans number for dangers and alerts users to potential hazards, blocks  websites that could potentially be harmful, and offers a Privacy Advisor to alert users to what information their apps are attempting to access. It also features a web-based phone finder that utilizes Google Maps to pin-point your lost phone, lets you make your phone scream to identify it, snap photos of users who attempt to access it while lost, and even remotely lock or wipe your phone. Users also can backup vital phone data and restore it in the event of a wipe. Also available for iOS. Price: A free two-week trial, users can continue using a pared down version for as long as they like after. Premium has a monthly fee.
  3. Webroot Security & Antivirus – Webroot was recognized as one of the best free android apps of 2011 by PCWorld, recognized for its unique features from PC Magazine, for being one fo the best security applications by Tech of Web, and Uberphones said it was ‘a must for Android users.’ It features a powerful antivirus that automatically scans and blocks malware, viruses, spyware, and Trojans and alerts users to settings that put the device at risk. It offers remote access to lock, wipe, scream, or locate your phone when it is lost or stolen. Premier grants the use of App Inspector, which alerts users to apps that access private info, drain money, track location, or drain the battery. It helps maximize battery usage and network access. The program itself is lightweight and not a drain on battery life. Available for iOS and Android devices. Price: $19.99 per device in a year.
  4. NQ Mobile Security & Antivirus – This app offers a powerful antivirus that scans and protects users from all the typical threats, as well as keeping users up to date with security databases. It protects while web browsing against phishing, fraud, and other dangers. A real-time app scanner alerts users to potential problems, and it includes anti-eavesdropping protection designed to detect spyware programs installed on the phone. It features a remote phone locator and offers backup of sensitive data as well as a call and SMS blocker to protect against harassing calls and messages. A system optimizer keeps your device operating smoothly. Only available for Android devices. Price:  Free trial for blah weeks, $19.99 per device, per year after for access to Premium features after.
  5. Norton Mobile Security Lite – As with its competitors, Norton Mobile Security offers a powerful antivirus that keeps users safe when browsing the web, accepting files, or downloading apps. It also offers remote wipe, tracking, and locking capability and SD card scanning.  It continuously scans and alerts users to potentially dangerous apps. Also available for iOS. Price: Free pared down version, and Premium access costs $29.99 for one year on one device (currently on sale for $17.99)

 

Photo courtesy of Flickr user briggz5d

  1. Avast! – This top-rated security app offers both anti-virus and anti-theft capabilities to ensure your phone is well protected against most eventualities.  The software developer has been around for 20 years and the app has been recognized for its excellence by PCAdvisor, Droid-Life, AndroidPolice, AndroidAuthority, and Android and Me. Lost your phone? Use a web-based interface to control your phone remotely, locate it on a map, and lock the device till you can snag it. You can even activate a siren and wipe its memory. Only available for Android devices. Price: Free.
  2. Kaspersky – A fairly straightforward anti-virus and security application that offers its users a powerful defense against viruses, Trojans, malware, and spyware which runs over-the-air to keep the program lightweight. It offers GPS location services to locate the phone if it goes missing or stolen, and remote access to lock and wipe your phone, take a ‘Mugshot’ of anyone who uses it, and remotely activate an alarm. Users can filter incoming calls and text messages to screen unwanted contacts.  In addition, users can conceal calls, contacts, and other data from casual snoopers. Available for Android only. Price: One year subscription costs $14.95.
  3. F-Secure – A European based application that protects mobile devices with a combination of antivirus, anti-theft, and screening tools. Users can filter out adult and other unsuitable content from web content and applications, block unwanted calls and text messages, remote locking and wiping, and remote location detecting. Available for Android and Symbian. Price: 14,95€ for a one year subscription with a free 30 day trial.
  4. Virus Barrier – This Gizmodo app of the day offers iOS users a solid and intuitive antivirus to protect them against intrusions from files, web browsing, and applications. It automatically updates to keep on top of new threats, repairs infected files, and keeps logs of scans, detected threats, and repairs. Only available for iOS. Price:  $0.99

App & Data Lockers

Photo courtesy of Flickr user flakeparadigm

  1. Smart AppLock – Smart Lock is a lightweight application designed to give you greater control over privacy on your mobile device. Set a list of protected applications, then create a lock pattern or password, and your friends and family can no longer access apps you don’t want them in, including SMS, mail, photos, and contacts. Only available for Android devices. Price: Free.
  2. Gallery Lock – Named app of the year by Times Magazine, this handy application makes it easy to keep your private photos away from the eyes of phone snoops. The intuitive program makes it easy to create your own folders and conceal your photos and videos in a beautiful and feature rich application. It has the capacity to run in stealth mode to keep others from being aware of your hidden images. Use a PIN pattern to access your data. Only available on Android. Price:  Lite version is free, Premium unlocks additional features.
  3. App Defender – This straightforward app prevents access to applications. Users can set a unique password for each individual app. After three failed attempts to access an application, it displays the number of failed attempts to alert the owner to the access attempts. Only available for Android. Price:  Free trial, after which it costs $3.13.
  4. Picture Safe –   This application offers advanced protection for your mobile device’s private information. It allows you to create custom folders to organize your data how you wish, decoy icons and screenshots to fool snoopers, a fake calculator entry screen with 8 digit PINs for highly secure access, dual passwords to allow access to ‘safe’ and protected photos, and much more. Hide everything from phone records, photos, and web access. Only available for iOS, including iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPod. iOS 5.0 or later editions, optimized for iPhone 5. Price: $1.99 (currently on sale for $0.99)
  5. Snap Secure – This application offers a range of unique and helpful features designed to make your mobile device a powerful security tool. It features real-time tracking of members that can be viewed on a map from a related mobile device or the web, helpful for keeping track of children or partners. Have teenagers? The motion-activated driver safety feature stops users from texting, calling, or web surfing while on the road. Footprints allows you to track the movement of the device using GPS, giving a clear picture of the movement history for any attached device. It also allows you to create safety zones and sends alerts when a device moves out of that defined territory. Finally, if a user finds themselves in dire circumstances, it offers a panic button that promptly calls 911 or alerts an emergency contact with location information via email, phone, or text. Available for Android, iOS, Windows, or Blackberry. Price: Free basic account, after which it costs $499 a month for a single user and $9.99 a month for a family plan.

 

Other Nifty Apps

Photo courtesy of Flickr user geoffeg

  1. Gibberbot – Recognized by PC Mag as one of the 100 best Android Apps of 2013, this application allows you to securely chat with friends across a range of platforms in one streamlined place, with powerful off-the-record encryption. No ads, easy to use, and available in many languages. Plus the chat program has fun built-in features like custom icons and wallpapers. Also available for iOS, Mac, Linux, and PC. Price: Free.
  2. Anti-Spy Mobile – Homebrewed spies are being blessed with a wide variety of tools to dig into your private and personal information. One growing method is to conceal an application on your mobile device to intercept communication, application use, and web browsing habits.  Stop that in its tracks with this application, which scans for and automatically removes any of these applications. Also available for iOS. Free: This version is completely free, a premium version offers a few additional features.

Locate Lost Phones

Photo courtesy of Flickr user gorbould

  1. SeekDroid: Find My Phone – While many of the antivirus programs offer a basic phone finder program, this one goes above and beyond. In addition to remote location, locking, and wiping, it allows users to create GPS breadcrumbs to track the movement of the lost or stolen phone, access recent calls, retrieve important data, and remotely wipe SD cards. The program itself can be hidden from display and made impossible to remove. It has almost no battery drain. Only available for Android devices. Price: $4.99
  2. Plan B – Many of these applications are focused on preventing loss and damage to your phone. Plan B is for folks who were not quite as proactive. If your phone gets lost or stolen, Plan B helps you locate it after the fact. You can install it remotely and it will start utilizing cell towers and your phone’s GPS to track its location every ten minutes. Users will get an email or text message with the current location of the phone each time it is located. Once the phone is recommended, you can revert back to the preferred ‘plan A’ and download any of the other excellent security apps that include tracking and other security features. Only available for Android devices. Price: $1.99
  3. iHound Software – Utilzing GPS, Wifi, 3G, or Edge signals built into your mobile device, iHound tracks its location every 10 minutes and reports it to a web application. Users can remotely lock and wipe their phone and directly instant message their phone to communicate with anyone who picks it up. Further, users can set it up to automatically alert opted-in programs like Facebook, Foursquare, and Twitter to keep friends up to date on their location. Also available for Android and iOS. Price: They offer a free 7 day trial, after which the program costs $3.99 for an annual subscription.
  4. GadgetTrak – This iOS-focused app will help you keep your phone secure in the unfortunate event it gets lost or stolen. It uses a combination of GPS and WiFi  alongside cell tower triangulation to keep accurate tracking of the phone’s location. Each time the phone is tracked, it will send users a detailed account of its location. Automatic camera captures will let you know who has the phone. Once the tracking has been activated, no software settings can be modified, and all collected data is sent through a secure SSL connection. Only available for iOS. Price: $3.99

 

 

 

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