iPhones and iPods are not as vulnerable to malware as most devices, but we cannot guarantee their safety. Every time you turn on your device, you face many privacy and security risks.
Bitdefender Mobile Security for iOS (opens in new tab) Provides an extra layer of protection for you and your data. The free version includes a limited (200MB per day, no location choice) VPN to protect your web activity from snoopers. A data breach monitor that alerts you if your email address appears on the dark web, and a vulnerability scanner that checks your network and devices for security issues.
It didn’t completely blow us away, but it’s a reasonable feature set that’s roughly on par with other free iOS security apps. For example, Panda Dome for iOS has decent parental controls and anti-theft features, but its VPN only offers 150MB per day. It makes up for it with a call blocker and a network scanner.
Bitdefender Mobile Security for iOS: Paid Extra
Bitdefender Mobile Security for iOS can be upgraded by adding web protection to block access to phishing and other malicious sites. It’s a worthwhile feature, and comes at a hefty price of $1.49 per month billed monthly, dropping to $1.25 with an annual plan.
If a limited VPN doesn’t meet your needs, you can upgrade to a premium Bitdefender VPN account for $6.99 per month or $3.33 for an annual plan. And if you can use privacy features, Bitdefender’s suite is the best value.
Bitdefender Total Security, for example, does not include a VPN, but costs just $2.92 per month for the first year, $7.92 on renewal, and a complete set covering any combination of five iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac devices. antivirus and other tools.
Bitdefender Family Pack protects up to 15 devices for $3.75/month for the first year and $10 on renewal.
Premium Security also offers a completely unlimited VPN, covering up to 10 devices for $5/month in the first year and $15 on renewal.
Bitdefender Mobile Security for iOS: Getting Started
Bitdefender Mobile Security for iOS is easy to install and asks you to sign in with your Bitdefender, Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account.
After signing up, the app recommends running a “quick scan”.not for malware (opens in new tab), but security vulnerabilities are apparent: outdated iOS versions, device configuration issues (the app doesn’t clearly explain what these are), Wi-Fi or network issues (also unclear about these) . This is a very short list. , but it turned out to be a very quick scan (3 seconds in our case) and Mobile Security successfully identified the missing iOS update on the device.
The scan completed and the app directed me to the dashboard.This is not very effective – in portrait orientation more than half the screen space of the dashboard is used for scan verdicts.[再スキャン]It was dominated by buttons – but a simple menu bar provides quick access to Mobile Security’s other features.
In case of technical problems, the support section contains links to Bitdefender’s community forums, a small number of FAQs and other items. It’s all very basic, and the 2020-dated manual didn’t even mention a quick scan feature (because it arrived in 2021). This is not a serious issue. The app is simple. Manual – But Mobile Security for iOS seems a bit neglected, suggesting we won’t see any major new features anytime soon.
Bitdefender Mobile Security for iOS: Bitdefender VPN
Connecting your device to Bitdefender’s Hotspot Shield powered VPN is easy.[VPN]then tap[接続]Tap to have it up and running in seconds and protect your web traffic from snoopers. Speeds were reasonable in our tests, and the connection was solid, with no unexpected slowdowns.
problem? It’s very basic. As we write, you can’t choose your location, switch protocols, adjust settings, or reconfigure your VPN method. (opens in new tab) Works in a useful way. If you just want the essentials of a core VPN, this might be fine. But if you’re looking for something a little more advanced, you may be disappointed.
Bitdefender is clearly aware of the issue and Mobile Security for iOS will soon be updated to use the regular standalone Bitdefender VPN (opens in new tab) app. This is good news because you get more VPN features (ad and tracker blocking, protocol selection, split tunneling, etc.). However, if a VPN is your priority, ignore mobile security and instead opt for the Bitdefender VPN for iOS app.
Bitdefender Mobile Security for iOS: Account Privacy
Bitdefender’s account privacy feature scans lists of data breaches for the required number of email addresses and raises an alarm if details are exposed.
I tried it by tapping “Account Privacy”. The app sent a code to our email address, verified that it was in our possession, and displayed a surprisingly long list of compromises with our address on it.
This isn’t as useful as it sounds. Our list included 19 of his infringements, but only four of his were dated after 2020, the most recent of which was in February 2021. was. Talks quite a lot.
It is also difficult to identify compromised accounts. While the names of some breaches (LinkedIn.com, DropBox.com, livejournal) make this clear, our email addresses are generic names such as “breachCompilation”, “collection1”, “malwaredumps”, etc. It also appeared in title infringement. The app prompted me to change my account password, but that’s not possible as there is no information about which website the source is from.
There is still value here. The list can become more relevant and you can sign up to be alerted when new violations occur. But the reality is that you can do this for free anyway at haveibeenpwned.com. No need to install anything like Bitdefender Mobile Security.
Bitdefender Mobile Security for iOS: Web Protection
Bitdefender’s web protection blocks access to phishing and other malicious sites, reducing the chances of getting caught by dangerous links in your inbox or social feeds.
It’s a very effective system. We compiled a list of 1,033 new phishing links and Web Protection blocked 88% of them. Avast also has good anti-phishing, but it can’t match Bitdefender, blocking only 83%.
AV-Comparatives’ 2022 Anti-Phishing test yielded broadly similar results. Bitdefender was evenly matched with Avira, each blocking 96% of threats.
There is one potential problem. Web protection doesn’t work when VPN is on (both require setting their own custom DNS servers, so you have to choose one or the other). (opens in new tab)Private Internet Access (opens in new tab)mole (opens in new tab) and other VPNs have built-in blocking of phishing and other malicious sites. We hope Bitdefender will offer the same functionality.
Still, if you’re just looking for anti-phishing protection for iOS, Web Protection at just $1.49/month might be a good deal. Anti-phishing specialist NovoShield has more features, but on a monthly plan he’s pricier at $6.99.
Bitdefender Mobile Security for iOS: Final Verdict
Bitdefender Mobile Security for iOS isn’t a bad product – it’s easy to use, has effective phishing protection for what you pay for, and a 200MB daily VPN allowance is better than most, but it lacks features. . It becomes difficult to recommend. Bitdefender Total Security protects iOS and other platforms for a small extra charge.
We have listed the best iPhone antivirus apps.
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