You don't really need an antivirus app for your Android phone: Google

New Delhi: Most of you may have an antivirus app installed on your Android phone, but you actually don't need one.

Explaining how secure Android devices have become, Google's lead engineer for Android security, Adrian Ludwig, says that the company often scans for malware and has become so proficient at spotting them that there are now less than 1 per cent of Android devices with a malware problem.

The Register, citing Ludwig, reports, "I'm conflicted about antivirus [for mobile]. It's tremendously valuable that all these security companies are doing this research, but for the end user the potential increase in value from a security standpoint is very small relative to the costs of space and storage and battery.

"That said, some people really want to run it and if it makes you feel better then by all means do it," he adds.

He further says that the company's security systems scan every Android device at least once a week.