Here at Android Central, we don't just report the Android news and review the new gear. We actually use Android phones, so we're always searching for apps and tools that make our own phones work better for us. Lately, it seems like security issues (or overblown non-issues) are crawling out of the woodwork, so the search was on for a solution that takes care of any concerns, without getting in the way. After all was said and done, Lookout seemed to rise to the top. Not only does Lookout address any concerns you may have with malware, it turns out that it's an excellent backup and tracking solution. Follow after the break, while I take a good look at Lookout and even put it through the paces a bit. Verizon is offering the Pixel 4a for just $10/mo on new Unlimited lines

Some background Nobody cares as much about your Android phone as you do, but rest assured that we care almost as much. With the recent influx of users comes malware scares, data backup solution questions, and remote security concerns, so we decided it was time to act and try to do the homework so we can provide the answers you need. During the evil wallpaper scare that really wasn't, we got to talk to the good people at Lookout a bit. Co-founder and CTO Kevin McHaffey was quick to put everything into perspective, and it looks like a case of Bloggers gone wild was the real story in that case. When they offered to talk with us about mobile security, and help us with the resources and tools to demonstrate their excellent all-in-one security solution for Android we knew that this was something we had to do, and I hope you guys find it as useful as I did. Also I'd like to thank everyone at Lookout for taking the time to answer questions and spend time with us, and a special thanks to Erika for going the extra mile. Let's start with a video We live in the modern age of digital living, and most times a video can substitute for a whole string of words. Check it out.



YouTube link for mobile viewing Pretty cool, isn't it? I think of it as a mash-up of find my iPhone, BlackBerry desktop manager, and a full featured virus/rootkit scanner all rolled into an easy to use and lightweight package. And this is coming from a guy who has been the world's biggest skeptic when it comes to Android security, so that has to count for something. Now that we've seen an overview, let's dig into each part of Lookout a bit. Anti-Virus Easily the most visually impressive part of Lookout. There's something really satisfying about seeing a virus or other piece of malware get caught, killed, and wiped off your phone. We saw a really good demo of it in action in the video, and here's what the web interface to the virus scanner looks like.

click me and I'll expand! This is the part of Lookout we had the most questions about, and likely you do, too. Kevin and co-founder and CEO John Hering answered our questions with nary a snicker or giggle. Here's the keynote from our little meeting: The 1999 factor -- smartphones today are like desktop computers were in 1999 Think back 10 years or so ago. Computers and the Internet were in the beginning stages of what we see today. Malware and trojans were showing up with more regularity, and there were few easy solutions for the uninitiated to take charge of computer security. Come back to 2010, and mobile broadband and smartphones have taken the place of desktops and the wild west Internet of 1999. People being what they are, there's going to be more than a few who get cheap thrills at the expense of others. Even worse, there will be a few people or groups who take things to a higher level and cause financial or data loss to ordinary people like you and I. Lookout is taking what we've all learned from the desktop, and applying it to our phones before things get that bad -- and they will, no matter how much we dislike the idea. Lookout considers the Android Market's security model innovative While most people want to label it good or bad, Lookout realizes that the Marketplace is different from anything we're used to. Combined with the fact that Android attempts to educate it's users about security by being up front with all application permissions before downloading or installing them, and innovative fits pretty well. Differences between the AppStore and the Android Market, according to Lookout