App: Lookout Mobile Security
Cost: Free/Premium Version $2.99 month
Where ever there is electronics there will be someone to hack it, steal it, or infect it. Cell phones are no different. Lookout Mobile Security has your back. Combining three features in one, its a powerhouse of security.
1. Anti Virus/Malware Protection
Updated regularly Lookout Mobile Security scans all incoming installs for the latest Malware and Spyware. This feature is automatic so there is no need to relaunch the app when you find something new. It takes only a few extra seconds and could save you countless hours restoring your phone.
2. Phone Locator
If you've ever lost, misplaced, or had your phone stolen this is the app for you. With it's built in locator, Lookout Mobile Security can use your on board GPS to identify the exact location of your phone. Simply log on to
mylookout.com from any computer and select the "Locate Button". I found this feature to be accurate within 10-15feet. You can also set off an alarm , lock the phone to protect it from prying eyes, or if you decide your data is just too important for anyone to see it can also remotely wipe the entire phone.
3. Data Backup
In my previous post "
Preparing for an Android update" I covered backing up your data in preparation for an Android update. This is another great tool to give you that peace of mind. The free version allows for Contacts and Call history backup. Upgrading to the Premium version also allows for Photo backups as well. This is all automatic and typically is updated once a day. Should your phone go missing and is never recovered, you can add a new phone to your account, and transfer all of you contacts and pictures to your new phone.
Lookout Mobile Security - Closing thoughts
Overall this is a great app to have and takes very little thought to keep your data backed up and secure. With the ability to restore the data to a new phone it makes replacing/upgrading a breeze. I highly recommend it for any Android user.
So recently when plugging in the USB cable to my computer to take a few screen shots, I found my Android phone was no longer recognized by my computer. I spent hours updating drivers, re-installing Android SDK, restarted the phone about a dozen times and nothing seemed to help. I went so far as to clean the connectors to see if that was the issue and still nothing. I was starting to wonder if it was just not going to happen. Then I realized recently many of my apps had updated. I checked my task manager to see what all was running. First thing to stand out was the "Lookout Mobile Security" task, so I went ahead and killed it to see what would happen. Lowe and behold everything came to life. I can't seem to re-create the issue at this time, so I have a feeling that it may have been something left behind by the app when it was updated. But if you find yourself faced with the same issue, it's worth taking a look at.
