Panda Dome: Free antivirus, VPN for Android

Panda Security & Antivirus does deliver good protection, as it promises, offering a Quick and a Full scanner as well as real-time monitoring and several other useful device management tools. But because of its slow scanning and landscape mode interface it may not appeal to everyone. What's more, it doesn't make it clear that it's a seven-day trial until after you've installed it.

Pros

Reliable and effective: Both the manual scanning and the real-time app and download monitoring work well, identifying threats and removing them without slowing down your system or nagging you with constant notifications.

Includes handy features: The Privacy Auditor for managing app permissions, the Task Killer, and the Anti-theft device locking help you to boost the digital, as well as physical security of your device. Not all security apps offer these features.

Cons

Lazy scanning: A quick scan on a 16GB Nexus 7 took over six minutes, while a full one lasted almost nine minutes. Many free security apps are much faster.

Landscape-mode interface: Though straightforward, the app's interface works only in landscape mode on tablets, which can be a bit awkward if you're used to portrait mode. In terms of design and accessibility, however, the interface looks and feels OK.

No scheduled scanning: We were not able to find any option for automatically performing Quick System scans regularly. While real-time monitoring does protect your device from malicious downloads, the constant system-wide scanning provided by many other similar apps can further boost your security.

Bottom Line

Panda Security & Antivirus can keep you secure, but to enjoy it for more than seven days you have to buy the full version. If you are a fan of the Panda Antivirus app for PC, you may find the investment worthwhile. But if you don't use a PC and want only a good mobile security app for your smartphone or tablet, there are many more sensible alternatives in the Google Play Store.