I don't know what wonderful gadgets we'll be using in our future. But at present, we are being ruled by our smartphones, aren't we? For most of us, smartphone has become the first thing we use in the morning and the last thing before we sleep.
However, as smartphones get more and more popular, they are also getting more and more attacks by cyber criminals. As as per Trendmicro's report about the malware trends, India appears to be most vulnerable and a favourite target of cyber criminals. Although, even iOS devices are no longer safe, Android devices are more at risk.
If our smartphones get attacked, they may lead to major harm. Therefore it is essential to keep them safe. Never download pirated apps and media. And even when you download apps from Google Play, make sure they are the genuine ones and not fake apps. You can make sure the apps are genuine by taking note of the number of installs, the review and the website of the developer.
It is also a good idea to protect your phone by downloading a security app. Several security apps are now available for free on Google Play now.
One such app is 360 Security - Antivirus. It offers not just several essential security features but also comes equipped with phone optimization features. Android devices tend to get slow over time. But the optimization features of apps like 360 security help in keeping the phone running smoothly.
However, not everyone uses or wants the features like theft-protection, call blocking etc. And there are many users whose devices don't have sufficient memory to support big apps. Targeting such users, 360 Security has now launched a lighter version of the app. This is called, 360 Security Lite Speed Boost. While the full-featured 360 Security app is 11 MB in size, 360 Security Lite app is only 3.8 MB. (The sizes are as per mentioned by the app pages on Google Play. In the app manager of my phone, the total weight of both apps is higher.)
Although the app is a lighter version of the full-featured 360 Security, it is fully equipped with all the essential features. These include Antivirus and phone boosting and junk cleaning features. The app, being lightweight, does not add too much load to the phone. It has easy and simple user interface and pleasant colours.
Boost: The homescreen of the app has three tabs on top. The first tab is Boost. It helps in boosting the phone by managing the apps that are needlessly running in background or consuming excess battery. To boost the phone, users just need to tap the big Boost button with the image of rocket on it.
Clean: The second tab is Clean. It is to be used to remove junk like cache files, empty folders etc. in the phone. This feature can be operated by pressing the big Scan button with a broom painted on it. I have been using a cache cleaner on my phone since long. But I had been experiencing since past couple of months that my songs were not playing as smoothly as before. I thought that maybe my microSD card was getting corrupted. However, since I cleaned the junk using 360 Security Lite, my songs are playing normally now
Antivirus: The third tab is Antivirus. The above two were the optimization features. Antivirus has the security features. It scans the device for infections, removes the malware, protects against vulnerabilities and takes care of the privacy risks. After scanning the device, it even gives option to scan and clean the SD card.
Constant Care: The 360 Security Lite app ensures constant security by its Real-Time Protection capability. It also alerts the phone user of every new app that is installed. This can help in case something gets installed without the user's permission or knowledge. To ensure optimum performance and timely optimization, the app gives periodic Clean Up reminders. It also reminds the user to clean up the junk left behind whenever an app gets uninstalled. All these features can be toggled on and off in the Settings of the app that can be accessed by tapping at the three small lines at the top left corner of the home screen.
360 Security vs. 360 Security Lite: Are you wondering what 360 Security has that 360 Security Lite does not have? Well, the features are AppLock (to make certain apps private), Find My Phone (to help track a lost phone), App Manager (to help the user conveniently uninstall the apps or move them to SD card.), Call and SMS Filter and Data Monitor (to control data usage.)
In Conclusion: Of course, all these features are very useful and make 360 Security one of the most popular smartphone security and optimization apps. However, as I said before, not every one wants or uses all these features. I don't either. Moreover, not many users have sufficient free memory in their smartphones to accommodate many apps. And they prefer the apps that meets out their most essential requirements without consuming too much of the precious memory space. For such users, 360 Security Lite is a perfect app. It works great in keeping the device optimized and safe from malware. I was actually thinking of buying a new phone because my phone had become too sluggish. But since I used 360 Security Lite app to clean my phone, its performance is showing a marked improvement. And that has removed the urgency I was feeling to buy a new phone. (Although not the desire for it!). 360 Security Lite also has the convenience of a Notification panel shortcut bar and a hover widget.
Made for India: 360 Security Lite says that it has been #MadeForIndia. And that really seems to be the case. Most Indian users rely on entry-level to mid-level smartphones that are affordable. And as the buying capacity is limited, the phone's longevity is highly desirable. 360 Security Lite is lightweight enough to easily fit into the smartphones with less internal storage. And by keeping the phone optimized and safe from malware, it helps the device in giving smoother performance for longer. And, I almost forgot to mention, it is free!
Note: "I am reviewing the 360 Degree Security Lite App for the #MadeForIndia activity at BlogAdda." But the review is genuine and says only what I feel to be true.
