Mobile security app privacy ratings
Android and iOS apps that improve privacy and security.
21 mobile security apps are rated against 4 public criteria, and 21 have enough evidence for a letter grade. Of the 5 with a known jurisdiction, 1 is based in a Five Eyes country, and 4 in the wider Fourteen Eyes.
Open-source mobile security apps only · Criteria for this category · Suggest an addition · Markdown
| Name | Grade | Score | Data | Jurisdiction | Open source | No trackers or telemetry | No ads or data sales | Independent audit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AFWall+ is an iptables front end for rooted Android devices that controls which apps can reach the network over Wi-Fi, mobile data, VPN and LAN. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Open source Android package manager that shows app components, permissions, trackers and signatures, and can block trackers, freeze apps and change permissions, with more control on rooted devices or through ADB. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Android app that shows which trackers and permissions each installed app has, using reports from the Exodus Privacy database of scanned APKs. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | France Nine Eyes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Android app that turns Bluetooth off automatically after the last connected device disconnects. It is no longer maintained. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Fully open-source fork of Island that isolates Android apps in a work profile, where they can be cloned, frozen or hidden. Distributed through F-Droid. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Open source Android app that routes device traffic through Tor, encrypts DNS with DNSCrypt, and gives access to the I2P network, with a per-app firewall. Works with or without root. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
A firewall app for Android, which does not require root. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Android and iOS app from the Guardian Project that routes app traffic through the Tor network as a VPN or proxy. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Open source Android app that captures and inspects the network traffic of other apps without root, using a local VPN. It can export PCAP files and decrypt TLS, with optional paid firewall and malware detection features. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Android app that locks the screen when the accelerometer detects movement above a set threshold. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Open-source DNS-based content blocker and firewall for Android that does not require root. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Open source Android app that uses the work profile feature to run cloned or separately installed apps in an isolated space, and can freeze them when they are not in use. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Android app that scans Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular and GNSS signals, with tools for wireless security testing. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Android app that freezes all background activity of selected apps. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Android app that monitors and blocks tracking connections made by other apps, using a local VPN that needs no root. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Android and iOS app that blocks ads and trackers in all apps without root. Blokada 5 filters on the device, and Blokada 6 uses a subscription cloud DNS service. |
Grade C | 65 | 100% | Sweden Fourteen Eyes | Partial | Yes | Yes | No |
Android app that grants app permissions temporarily and revokes them after the app is closed. It is no longer available on Google Play. |
Grade D | 50 | 100% | – | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Android app that disables the device cameras system-wide so that apps, including background processes, cannot use them until access is restored. |
Grade D | 50 | 100% | Germany Fourteen Eyes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Android sandbox that uses a work profile to clone selected apps, isolate them from personal data, and freeze them when not in use. |
Grade D | 50 | 100% | – | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Cloudflare app that sends DNS queries to the 1.1.1.1 resolver over encrypted DNS, with an optional WARP VPN that encrypts all device traffic. |
Grade F | 20 | 100% | United States Five Eyes | No | No | Yes | No |
Network scanner app that lists the devices on a Wi-Fi network and runs security and speed checks. Some features need a paid plan or Fing hardware. |
Grade F | 0 | 100% | Ireland Outside Eyes | No | No | No | No |
Questions
What is the most private option among mobile security apps?
No pick has been made yet. The table above is sorted by score, based on public evidence.
How are mobile security apps rated?
Each entry answers 4 questions: open source, no trackers or telemetry, no ads or data sales and independent audit. Answers need links to evidence. See the full criteria.
Does jurisdiction matter?
Jurisdiction decides which laws can compel a provider to hand over data. Each entry shows its country and whether it is in the Five, Nine or Fourteen Eyes. The data a provider can hand over depends mostly on what it stores and who holds the keys. Read about jurisdictions and the CLOUD Act.