Help Security on Pixel 2XL now updates ended

[Dcsimo]

What can we do to make sure our phones a secure now that Google have stopped updating the Pixel 2XL? Is an antivirus enough?

 

[Brian706]

Unless you have the Verizon variant you can root it and install a custom rom. I upgraded my 2xl to a pixel 5 but I'm sure there are custom roms rocking the latest version of android.

As for antivirus, I can't speak personally for their effectiveness. I have never used one on any of my devices.

 

[ocnbrze]

What can we do to make sure our phones a secure now that Google have stopped updating the Pixel 2XL? Is an antivirus enough?

just use your common sense. do not visit suspicious websites. before installing an app, be aware of the permissions granted to the app. do not do banking on public wifi.

i have been with android since its inception and i have never gotten any malware, adware or viruses. nor have i used any anti-virus apps on my phones.

also setup two step verification whenever possible.....mainly your google account. if you have a fingerprint scanner i would use that on your lockscreen and any apps that lets you use it.

 

[codesplice]

You don't need antivirus apps on Android - and, for the most part, those that are available don't actually work due to the way Android runs each app in a "sandbox". One app can't peak inside another app to see its code or what it's doing. They can see the package names of other app, but most malicious apps would pretend to be a legitimate app (with a legitimate package name) and thus wouldn't necessarily get detected. Security apps may provide other useful features like permission monitoring or location tracking of a lost phone, but the antivirus portion isn't realistically be of much use.

Even after the phone no longer receives operating system updates, it still receives security updates through Google Play Services, and Play Protect still functions to protect you from known malicious apps. Don't install apps from outside of the Play Store and you'll be just fine.