Emsisoft Mobile Security is a security app for Android phones and tablets that checks applications for malware, filters dangerous links and provides controls for protecting a lost device. It uses cloud services to assess apps and webpages, so its scanning and online checks depend on an internet connection. The app offers a free trial followed by a paid license, with subscription options for one device or three devices using shared or separate Google Play accounts.
How Emsisoft Mobile Security scans apps
Installing or updating an app triggers an automatic malware scan. If Emsisoft Mobile Security identifies a malicious application, it displays an alert with an Uninstall action that opens Android’s removal screen.
You can also start a scan of the apps already on the device and stop it while it runs. The Scan Storage control extends checking to internal storage and a mounted SD card, including potentially harmful apps stored there. Alongside these scans, App Anomaly Detection monitors application behavior and alerts when it finds abnormal activity.
Dangerous links
Web Protection checks the pages you visit against Emsisoft’s cloud services and blocks malicious or fraudulent destinations. Supported browsers include Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave and Samsung Internet. The module requires permission to establish a VPN connection so it can monitor network traffic.
Scam Alert addresses links before they reach the browser. It checks incoming SMS messages and Android notifications for dangerous URLs. With Chat Protection enabled, those checks extend to links sent and received in WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram and Discord. Notification access enables notification checks, while chat-link checking uses Android’s Accessibility service.
Account exposure
Account Privacy checks whether an email address appears in known data breaches. When you add an address, Emsisoft Mobile Security sends a validation code to that mailbox before showing its private breach information. Validated addresses remain available for automatic background checks, with alerts when another breach is found; you can also run a manual check.
Each affected account has a breach status. After changing the account’s security details yourself, you can mark the relevant breach as Solved. Once all its detected breaches have been marked as resolved, the account stops appearing as breached until another breach is detected.
App Lock
App Lock restricts access to selected installed apps using a PIN or supported biometric authentication. You choose when another unlock is needed: every time the app opens, after the screen turns off, or after 30 seconds away from the app. Smart Unlock can keep the selected apps accessible while the phone is connected to a trusted Wi-Fi network.
The lock controls also include a randomized numeric keypad and optional Snap Photo capture. After repeated incorrect unlock attempts, Snap Photo uses the front camera to take a picture and records its time and reason. The two most recent pictures can be viewed in the app or through the account portal, and photo uploading can be disabled.
Lost devices
Emsisoft Mobile Security links Anti-Theft controls to Emsisoft Central, a browser-based account portal. Once Anti-Theft has been enabled on the phone, you can use the portal to locate it on a map, lock its screen, erase personal data, display a message or play a loud sound. A message can give a finder return details, while the sound can help locate a misplaced phone nearby.
Remote commands require the device to be switched on and connected to the internet. Map accuracy depends on the available GPS, Wi-Fi or mobile-network information. Anti-Theft also needs Android Device Administrator permission for operations such as remote locking and wiping.
Parental controls
The parental module uses child profiles to associate rules with a child’s devices. A parent can allow or block website categories, add exceptions for specific sites or supported app platforms, and set a daily allowance for internet use. Family time, Focus time and Bedtime routines apply scheduled restrictions, and a separate pause control can stop internet access immediately.
These rules require a companion parental-control app on the child’s device. The parent-facing controls manage the profile and its assigned devices, while the child app applies the restrictions and shows the internet time allowance and usage.
VPN connection
The VPN module routes internet traffic through a separate server and encrypts the connection. You can connect or disconnect it and choose a server location. Its status page shows whether the VPN is connected, along with connection time, secured traffic and the connection’s IP address.
Dashboard and security reports
The dashboard displays the device’s protection state and cards for issues that need attention. Reports retain scanning events and other security activity, with weekly reports covering recent protection tasks. Emsisoft Central also shows connected devices and their protection states, and lets you request a remote scan and inspect its latest report.
