Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus Killing My Android Phone

[JetsetBkk]

For several months - maybe 6 or more - my old Android 6 phone had been running incredibly slowly after I first woke it up by touching the finger sensor.

It would also stop responding for 10 to 30 seconds at any time for no apparent reason. I tried to find an app that would tell me what was using all the CPU time, but couldn't find any useful ones that worked on Android 6.

I set to "On" the "Developer options" so that I could monitor the CPU usage and saw that it was getting to 20, 30 even 40 while it was very slow, but down to 7 or 8 when working normally.

It got so bad that I came very close to buying a new phone. 

Then I got a reminder for my Bitdefender Mobile Security app yearly subscription and decided to uninstall it to see if that made a difference. 

Now I have a working phone again. CPU usage is back down to 6 or 7. I guess Bitdefender was doing a very thorough job of scanning all my data - and very often - but I'd rather have a responsive phone.

If anyone can recommend an app that does a similar job to Bitdefender, but without the impact on performance, I'd give it a try.

 

[expatjustice]

Antivirus are a scam! Yes, just like you heard it. They are a scam because of the marketing, though. They're marketing makes you believe they stop everything, and you can't get hacked while using an AV, well far from it... 

They do something, and some are good at it. Things related to adware, inspecting suspicious connections, phishing websites,...  meh, OK, passable. But when it comes to actual virus....

...The truth is that, even script-kids can create an undetectable payload (virus) with some stuff they downloaded from Github and then saw a Youtube video, then infect your computer/phone with it, and the AV will know jack about it... 

So you'll judge, but I think the best antivirus you could have in your phone is literally none. Will be much faster too. And just as secure (or insecure), not much will change.

[clokwise]

Agreed. Anti-virus apps ARE the actual virus! These apps are marketed to technology novices in order to strike fear in those people. Same applies to PCs, not just phones. If you are not installing apps from outside the Google Play store you will be fine. Caveat - you must upgrade your operating system regularly to obtain security patches and bug fixes. You mentioned your phone is "Android 6" so it's likely long overdue for an update. If your phone manufacturer is no longer supporting OS updates (very possible) you might want to seriously consider buying a new phone.

[JetsetBkk]

2 hours ago, clokwise said:

You mentioned your phone is "Android 6" so it's likely long overdue for an update. If your phone manufacturer is no longer supporting OS updates (very possible) you might want to seriously consider buying a new phone.

I did investigate upgrading the OS, but my phone is a OnePlus 2 and the manufacturers have not updated the OS for it. Instead, they have brought out new phones - OnePlus 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 - which naturally peed off most OnePlus 2 owners.

Another problem I found, but need to confirm, is that a DTAC staff person told me that I need to change my SIM card from nano-type to a newer type to use newer mobiles. That would be no financial problem for me except that she also said that I would have to change my phone number.

That was a show-stopper for me.

 

 

[KhunBENQ]

Just a hint: I have seen relevant apps that will not support Android 6 anymore.
(internet banking apps e.g.)

So you might be forced to a new phone anyway.
Depends on your use.

[fdsa]

3 hours ago, clokwise said:

If your phone manufacturer is no longer supporting OS updates (very possible) you might want to seriously consider buying a new phone.

or switch to the different Android distribution

 

1 hour ago, JetsetBkk said:

I did investigate upgrading the OS, but my phone is a OnePlus 2 and the manufacturers have not updated the OS for it. Instead, they have brought out new phones - OnePlus 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 - which naturally peed off most OnePlus 2 owners.

you might try LineageOS: https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/#oneplus

[JetsetBkk]

2 hours ago, fdsa said:

3 hours ago, JetsetBkk said:

I did investigate upgrading the OS, but my phone is a OnePlus 2 and the manufacturers have not updated the OS for it. Instead, they have brought out new phones - OnePlus 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 - which naturally peed off most OnePlus 2 owners.

you might try LineageOS: https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/#oneplus

Interesting - a friend of mine (more techy than I am) also recommended LineageOS a year or so ago, but I wasn't (and still am not) experienced enough with Android to try to install a different OS, although I once did download and install a genuine version of the OnePlus2 O/S after I found built-in malware in my phone after I installed MalwareBytes. That'll teach me to buy a phone off Lazada.

Now, if it were a PC, I'd be happy to make a System Image, install a different O/S to try, and then revert back by  restoring the original Image. But my knowledge of phones isn't enough to give me confidence in doing that without losing something during the process.

I guess I should investigate Lineage.org some more. 

[dabhand]

3 hours ago, JetsetBkk said:

I did investigate upgrading the OS, but my phone is a OnePlus 2 and the manufacturers have not updated the OS for it. Instead, they have brought out new phones - OnePlus 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 - which naturally peed off most OnePlus 2 owners.

Another problem I found, but need to confirm, is that a DTAC staff person told me that I need to change my SIM card from nano-type to a newer type to use newer mobiles. That would be no financial problem for me except that she also said that I would have to change my phone number.

That was a show-stopper for me.

 

 

I recently changed my old Samsung mobile as it was android 6 and I was losing my banking apps.

Upgraded to a new Samsung and needed to change the SIM. I am with True and just needed to visit a True shop and they replaced the SIM, no charge, and I kept my old number. Would be surprised if DTAC were not allowing you to keep your old number.

 

[JetsetBkk]

3 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Just a hint: I have seen relevant apps that will not support Android 6 anymore.
(internet banking apps e.g.)

So you might be forced to a new phone anyway.
Depends on your use.

There are a few issues with using a phone to do internet banking. Firstly, I don't have a data plan so the phone only uses Wi-Fi. That means one banking app that I tried insisted I use the mobile data to register using the app. It wouldn't accept a Wi-Fi connection probably because it needs to see my phone number.

Also, I tried to get a data plan that I could pay for yearly, and the DTAC staff said that I had to change the SIM in my phone and also change my number because my old number couldn't be transferred to the new SIM. (This is what I remember from a year or so ago, so I might be wrong). This, of course, peed me off no end so I didn't bother pursuing it.

BTW, a girl friend of mine had a BenQ flip phone years ago. ????

[JetsetBkk]

13 minutes ago, dabhand said:

Upgraded to a new Samsung and needed to change the SIM. I am with True and just needed to visit a True shop and they replaced the SIM, no charge, and I kept my old number. Would be surprised if DTAC were not allowing you to keep your old number

Thanks for this. Maybe something got lost in translation? I'll go back to a different DTAC shop and see what they say. Maybe the situation has changed.

Also, I seem to recall someone saying at that time that they also changed their phone at True and that it should be possible to change your phone provider AND keep your number. So if DTAC won't or can't do what I want, I wonder if I could change to True, keep my number and then upgrade the phone and still keep my number? ????

A bit of a tortuous route to get to a new phone with the old number! I'll see what DTAC have to say, hopefully tomorrow or Saturday.

Edit: Also, see what True have to say.

Edited March 18, 2021 by JetsetBkk

[fdsa]

Yes, it is possible to change providers while keeping the same number. You should come to the new provider's office first to ask how to do that, because if you come to the old provider first they will try to keep you as a customer and might tell some bs that it is impossible to keep the same number.

[pacovl46]

20 hours ago, JetsetBkk said:

I did investigate upgrading the OS, but my phone is a OnePlus 2 and the manufacturers have not updated the OS for it. Instead, they have brought out new phones - OnePlus 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 - which naturally peed off most OnePlus 2 owners.

Another problem I found, but need to confirm, is that a DTAC staff person told me that I need to change my SIM card from nano-type to a newer type to use newer mobiles. That would be no financial problem for me except that she also said that I would have to change my phone number.

That was a show-stopper for me.

 

 

I find I hard to believe that you would’ve to get a new number because you’re getting a more recent type of SIM card! I’ve changed SIM card types numerous times over the decades and I’ve always kept the same number! 

[AlQaholic]

On 3/17/2021 at 11:12 PM, JetsetBkk said:

If anyone can recommend an app that does a similar job to Bitdefender, but without the impact on performance, I'd give it a try.

I've been using Avast since they started in the 1990's. Then they were the only one providing antivirus for 64 bit systems. (Windows provided a free 64bit OS for download back then, beta of course but worked perfectly). So I use it for all my systems, desktop, laptop, and my Android. Very un-intrusive. They keep popping up warnings that invites you to buy additional security features now and then, but I just ignore that, otherwise it works fine. Be aware about CPU monitors, most mobile devices nowadays have multiple CPUs, the cheaper having at least two CPUs, one with extremely low power consumption for routine simpler tasks and another for high demand apps. 

On the other hand, an Android 6 device is trash, just throw it away and buy any cheap device from any brand with at least Android 9 and you will be better of, no matter the quality of the phone you buy.

Edited March 19, 2021 by AlQaholic

[AlQaholic]

1 hour ago, pacovl46 said:

and I’ve always kept the same number!

Same here!