8 Best Android Apps To Improve Privacy and Security

Just to have a good anti-virus protection app in your smartphone doesn't mean a complete Security.

As Mobile Device Security is comprised of security of different features, such as:

• Data privacy and security features
• Permission restrictions for snoopy apps
• A blacklist for undesired calls
• An excellent backup capability, in case your smartphone gets deteriorated.
• As well as encryption functionality.

Google's Android is a very flexible mobile operating system that can fulfill all these mobile device security challenges if you select the right security applications from Google Play Store.

No doubt, Google Play Store has an abundance of suitable options, and it's quite difficult for you to select the ones that meet all your expectations.

So, I decided to help you by making a short list of the best mobile device security applications that I always carry in my Android smartphone.

Here are the best security apps you must have in your Android smartphone; have a look:

TextSecure Private Messenger (Free)

There are vast number of secure messaging apps available in Play Store, but the trouble part is that most of them work only if both the parties use the same application for encryption to work.

TextSecure breaks that barrier and works with standard SMS text messages as well, which means you can add an extra layer of security to regular texting even if the client you are messaging is not using TextSecure.

TextSecure Private Messenger is a free secure text messaging app developed by Open Whisper Systems. It is completely open-source and supports end-to-end encryption for secure text messages, means nothing is stored on its server.

Your private conversations will be even safer if both parties are chatting directly through the TextSecure app, but the ability to encrypt your standard SMS messages makes it different from other secure messaging apps.

Download & Install TextSecure Private Messenger.

RedPhone: Private Calls (Free)

RedPhone is a free secure call app that provides end-to-end encryption for your private calls, securing your phone conversations in a way that nobody can listen in.

The purpose for which I use the Red Phone app is that it's very easy to use. Red phone uses your standard phone number to make and receive phone calls, so there is no need for any other identifier.

The Red phone app, created by Open Whisper Systems, is completely open source and free to download from Google Play Store.

Crypt4All Lite (AES) - (Free File Encryption Software)

Crypt4All Lite (AES) is the popular app for mobile device encryption that is being used to encrypt and decrypt files with 256 bit AES algorithm (AES Crypt version 2).

It has been developed by codewell4 keeping data privacy and security in mind. You can install Crypt4All Lite (AES) for free from Google Play Store.

This mobile device encryption app is being used to encrypt your sensitive files before moving them to online cloud services and store the encrypted files on your Android smartphones.

Nobody except you can access and read those files that have been protected by a Unicode as your password, until or unless you don't share your password with the second person.

Orbot: Proxy with Tor (Free Privacy and Online Anonymity)

Orbot is a mobile phone app that allows users to access the Internet, email and instant messaging without being threatened to be monitored or blocked. Orbot brings the functionality and features of Tor directly to the Android OS.

Tor is a free, open source software project that helps you defend against network surveillance. Orbot is a tool used to protect online privacy by using Tor to encrypt your Internet traffic and pass your traffic through a series of computers around the world, maintaining your anonymity.

Orbot is developed by the team of privacy lover people, The Tor Project, so you can safely use it for data protection and confidentiality.

You can Download Orbot app for Free from Google Play Store.

AppLock (Free Application Lock Utility)

AppLock is used to protect your personal data to be accessed by anyone. You can put lock to your SMS, Contacts, Gallery, Gmail, Settings, Facebook, Calls and any other app you want to keep away from outsiders.

Do not confuse AppLock with your phone in-built lock feature, as the in-built feature of your smartphone only allows you to put lock on your phone, but not on the selected apps you want.

With AppLock, you don't need to worry about a friend borrow your phone to play games again or they get your smartphone to have a look. Your private data in certain apps is secured by the app, protecting your privacy.

You can Download AppLock for Free from Google Play Store.

App Ops (Free App Permission Manager)

App Ops is an Android app that allows you to block permissions to individual apps. This is a great app that allow me to block unnecessary app permissions of certain apps that do not have anything to do with the main function of the apps.

Generally, Android OS is built with an in-built app permission system and when you install any app from Play Store you are asked to grant the permissions that the app requests. If you decline to agree, the app is not installed. It's an all or nothing situation.

App Ops solves this issue and allows you to change the app permissions. So if, for example, you don't want your flashlight app to collect your location-based data, which is being used by ad agencies, then you can revoke that permission for that particular app.

App Ops is available for free in Google Play Store and supports Android 5.0.

However, App Ops is still accessible on Android 4.3, 4.4.0 or 4.4.1 if your device is rooted. If you have upgraded your Smartphone to Android 4.4.2 then you need to first launch a root authentication and then reboot your device.

LastPass Password Manager Premium (Free)

Unless you are a human supercomputer, remembering password is a tough job nowadays when we have numerous online accounts on different websites and have a different password for each site.

But luckily to make the whole process very easy, there is a growing market of best password manager out there which offers you to manage different and unique passwords for your different online accounts with extra layers of security.

LastPass is one of the effective password manager apps for Android that has made life easier for Millions of people worldwide.

With the help of LastPass, you can store your logins, create online shopping profiles, generate strong passwords storage, keep track of personal information, and many more. You can securely and easily access your personal data from every computer and mobile device.

LastPass stores your sensitive data all in one place, protected at LastPass account and encrypted by a secret master password. So, you just have to remember one LastPass password.

You can Download LastPass for Free from Google Play Store.

K-9 Mail (Free Secure Email Encryption Software)

Emails contains the most sensitive data as it's related to both our personal as well as professional life. K-9 Mail meets your expectations by providing you a secure email encryption service.

K-9 Mail is a free and open source email encryption software for Android that allows you to securely send and receive email from one or more email accounts when used with Android Privacy Guard (APG) to encrypt the contents.

K-9 Mail is based on the original Android mail client by Google and is distributed under the open source Apache license, although it has a whole pile of additional features.

K-9 Mail supports IMAP IDLE for push messaging.

You can Download K-9 Mail for Free from Google Play Store. If you wish to download installable packages of more recent builds, you can head on to the K-9 download page.