Lookout Antivirus and Security App Review (Android)

Locator, Backups and Security Wrapped Into One

The Google App Store is filled with security apps for protecting your phone and yourself, tracking apps to locate your lost phone and antivirus options for monitoring websites and downloaded apps. The Lookout Mobile Security app brings all of these options together in a single app. Not only that, but there are plenty of backup app options to choose from, and Lookout helps you forget about this decision. I’ve used the Lookout Mobile Security app for about three years now, so it’s time to write a review and tell you all what I think.

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Our Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Google Play Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Related: Android Antivirus

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The Good

You get four huge features for backing up contacts, finding a lost phone, scanning for viruses and seeing what other apps take your info. It runs smoothly on the Android interface and the app really excels when you access it to download contacts or find the phone on a computer.

The Bad

The Lookout app drains the battery a tad and the company is known to release constant updates that mess with the interface you are used to. It also reaches into just about every piece of privacy you have on your phone. The phone finder is not always accurate.

The Bottom Line

It’s the best security and phone finder app on the market, and it’s nice that you get everything wrapped into one package. The Lookout company is quite responsive and they provide numerous support articles online. It’s understandable that the app has to access private information since it’s trying to protect this info, but this might concern some people. Overall, it works perfectly for me since I have a bad habit of leaving my phone places, and I want to know that the sites I visit are not carrying viruses.

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Getting Started Is Quick – 5 out of 5 stars

When I open up my Lookout app it’s quite quick in terms of getting set up. You simply sign up or login if you’ve already created an account. Type in your email address and this creates an in-app and online account for in the future when you have to locate your device or download a list of contacts. The setup process also explains how the app works for you, which is nice for beginners.

The home screen is also self-explanatory, with just a few large buttons that allow you to click on them and perform the stated actions. It provides a big green check mark if everything is OK and a red X if an item needs to be addressed.

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Backing It Up Now – 5 out of 5 stars

The first area I enjoy about the Lookout app is the backup feature. If you want to root your phone or perform a factory reset you may end up losing all of your contacts and apps. When you back up with Lookout you simply go to the online page and tells you what has been backed up. I like this because it backs up automatically, meaning you don’t have to remember a thing.

When you go to your online profile it gives you a list of your contacts where you can download an Excel or vCard file for importing to your phone later. Learn how to sync your contacts if this happen to you.

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Find Your Phone On The Dot – 5 out of 5 stars

I left my phone at a restaurant the other day and it was surprisingly accurate when searching for it online. Although I’ve seen some other people complain about the location accuracy, I have never had a problem. As long as your GPS is working fine on your phone it seems to accurately locate your phone with a map online. It doesn’t make much sense to have the map features on the app, since you already have the phone in your hand, but you can bring it up on a tablet or another device which is nice.

The siren is one of my favorite features. Usually if I lose my phone in the house I just tell someone else to call it, but people aren’t always around to help you out. If you’re by yourself then just go to the Lookout online dashboard and send a loud siren sound to hear where the phone is sitting.

The Lookout app even sends you a warning if the device battery is running low. It intuitively senses that the battery is about to die, so it sends out the signal before it dies and you have no other options.

If you feel trusting and think that the person with your phone will return the device, send them an email alert so they can contact you. This was actually nice when I left the phone at a restaurant, since they probably want to be nice to their patrons or have a lost and found. This feature is great if you don’t want to go pick up the phone yourself or if you are hoping a nice person picked up your phone.

It’s cool because the alert covers everything on the phone and makes sure the person in possession of the phone sees the alert. Then it gives you a field to punch in an alternate phone number or email address so they can contact you.

The Lookout app also provides an area on the online dashboard where you can see the previous locations. This is useful if someone else is in possession of your phone. It would show that the phone is on the move and it might not be the best idea to follow it (or it is a good idea if you’re feeling brave).

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Affordable Plans That Work For Everyone – 5 out of 5 stars

I only use the Free Lookout app, but I tried out the Premium version for this Lookout Antivirus and Security app review for Android. As stated below, the free version is perfect for most users. It protects your device, scans for viruses and allows you to save your contacts.

The Premium version of Lookout provides a bit more protection and backup capability for a small price of $3 per month. I like the fact that Lookout tells you which apps on your phone access your personal information. You can also lock or wipe your phone if you think it has been stolen. In addition to backing up your contacts, the premium version of Lookout lets you backup your photos, which would have been nice for me a while back when I accidentally cleared everything during a rooting session.

The final Lookout package is called Enterprise. This is more for businesses who have multiple devices that they want to protect and keep away from thieves. The Lookout company quotes different prices for all companies, so you have to contact them to get the rates.

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Browsing and App Protection: Where the Real Threats Wait – 5 out of 5 stars

Apps are usually moderated by Google before you download them, so it’s not that common to find viruses or malware through an app, but there is a possibility. The real threat comes from websites you go to while browsing. The Lookout app actively scans the websites and apps you go to and tells you which ones are potentially dangerous. This way I can immediately hit the back button when a website appears that is questionable.

I tested all of the apps on my phone and each one turned up fine. Like stated before, most apps won’t have viruses, but it’s nice to know that your phone safety is being monitored just in case. It also runs in the background so you don’t have to keep checking the apps manually.

Privacy Advisor is one of the features that comes with the premium version of Lookout. It’s quite interesting, since it tells you what type of personal information is being taken from each one of the apps on your phone. I learned two things from this feature. First, it’s ironic that Lookout does this, even though they access tons of your information. Second, just about every app on the app store accesses your information in some way.

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Professional Support Options – 5 out of 5 stars

Lookout offers support from your device and online. View FAQs and send them an email if you want online. It’s apparent that the Lookout app is run by a well-managed company. They reach out to customers and let you chat with them through various portals such as social media and forums.

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Ironic App Permissions – 3 out of 5 stars

Strangely enough, Lookout accesses more of your information than any apps I have seen. That said, it does somewhat make sense since they need access to the information in order to protect it. The only problem is that there could very well be some people working at Lookout who abuse this power.

Overall, Lookout has access to your contacts and may use your SMS services which could cost money. It can access your messages and your browsing history. Finally, the Lookout app has access to your location and even has the ability to share this information. Judging by how professional the company is, I can’t imagine they sell this information or abuse the power, but there is always a chance.

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What Lookout Customers Are Saying

The Good

“Can’t complain. With many “pay for” products out there usually taking the spotlight, Lookout is certainly a decent product and being free, makes it a no-brainer to choose when selecting antivirus if you’re on a budget. I also appreciate that it’s not full of ads being a free product so all said, there’s no excuse to not protect your Android!”

Most good reviews say that they like all of the protection features packed into one app. They also like that the app isn’t filled with ads. It’s nice knowing that you have a paid option and a free option with no ads.

The Bad

“Battery killer. I have a note 3. And after the last update, this has become a battery killer. Draining my battery in less than 12 hours after a full charge. When I am not even using my phone. Will have to uninstall until this issue is fixed.”

Some of the new updates are not always bug-free. Most bad reviews talk about how the recent update was sent to the public too soon. There are also occasional reviews about how the app sucks down your battery. I didn’t experience this, but it’s something to think about. You might also try a battery saver app if you are having problems.

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Conclusion

The Lookout mobile security app is one of a kind. There are a few other options to choose from, but none of them hold a candle to what Lookout has. The app permissions are a concern, but I enjoy the fact that I can find my phone if it’s lost and protect all my information without doing anything manually.

Let me know in the comments section below if you have any questions about this Lookout Antivirus and Security app review for Android.