AVG’s malware scanner uses machine learning, heuristics, and an online malware database in order to identify emerging threats. It scored highly in our tests with top advanced scanning look at this site and deep scanning performance. But it lags behind some competitors in its ability to detect new and unknown «zero-day» malware.
After a quick install and a quick launch, the program will start its «Smart Scan», which is an overall check of your system to look for threats and malware. It takes about 35 minutes to complete, and looks at 430,167 files in our test systems. This is less than other tools, but it’s quite a large number of files.
The program’s clean and modern interface makes launching a scan or navigating its other key features easy. It’s got recognizable thumbnails as well as headings, along with other elements that help you quickly understand what each feature does. Its settings menu is also well-organized and offers a few choices for customization, including the ability to adjust the degree of security a deep-scan is, or to set up a data shredder, which adds a choice to Windows’ right-click menu.
Premium subscribers receive a few extra features not included in the free version. These include «Webcam Protection» is a feature that blocks access to your camera and makes video calls more secure, as well as «Sensitive Data Shield», encrypting your private files. Fancy extras like a password manager or a performance tuning aren’t available, however they’re available because AVG offers other paid applications which offer these capabilities.
AVG’s mobile app offers many benefits, including the ability to remotely lock or wipe an Android device (Android only) and a photo vault that lets you securely share files. The most useful feature for mobile users is its anti-theft function. This helps you track down a lost phone or tablet, and may even sound a siren to scare it off.