To install K7 on my test Android, I logged in to my account and sent an installation link via email. Authentication isn’t baked into the link, but at least the email included my registration code. Full activation requires both that code and your login credentials. You can also just install the free K7 Mobile Security from the Play Store. As soon as you tap for a non-free feature like anti-theft, you’ll be prompted to go through the activation process.
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As part of the installation process, K7 requests a raft of permissions, including TKTK. It requests a few others, such as TKTK, when you first use a feature that requires them. I appreciated getting a bunch of permissions out of the way from the start.
Mobile Security Dashboard Features
The app’s main dashboard window is divided into four sections representing Call Blocking, K7 Mobitrack (anti-theft), Malware Protection, and Web Protection. A simple Scan Device button is at the top. Tapping the hamburger menu at the top left brings up more feature choices.
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K7’s scan ran quickly and, unsurprisingly, reported no malware. Tapping the Malware Protection panel brings up a settings page that lets you control scheduled scanning. By default, K7 runs a weekly scan, but you can set it to daily or monthly, or turn off scheduling. This page also controls what K7 scans. Out of the box, it scans new apps on installation, scans the device’s storage, and includes user apps in its manual scan. You can extend its coverage to system apps and optionally have it run a scan after any system update. It’s fine to turn on those optional scans, but don’t turn off any of the defaults.
Web Protection aims to protect browsers and other apps from malware-hosting sites and phishing fraud. On Windows, the corresponding feature earned a good score against malware-hosting URLs but tanked my phishing protection test. I verified that the feature works on Android.
For mobile devices, loss or theft is as much or more of a danger than malware infestations. At the premium level, K7 offers a full-scale anti-theft and tracking system. You can remotely locate, lock, or wipe your phone, as expected. If you’ve just misplaced it around the house, a remote-triggered alarm helps you find it. It doesn’t automatically snap pictures of a device thief the way Bitdefender Total Security does, but you can call for a photo op remotely.
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The Android device I use for testing isn’t provisioned for cellular connectivity, so I couldn’t test the Call Blocking feature. It looks simple enough. You add unwanted phone numbers to a list, and it blocks calls from those numbers.
Android Features Reached From the Menu
K7 puts essential features like malware protection and anti-theft on the dashboard, but those prominent components aren’t its only security weapons. Tapping the hamburger menu at top left brings up another set of features: App Resource Management, Application Overview, Backup / Restore, Scan Now, and Wi-Fi Checker. Scan Now duplicates the button at the top of the dashboard, but the rest provide insights and security for your Android.
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Application Overview lists permission types with potential for abuse, such as determining your location, managing SMS messages, and making calls. For each type, it reports the number of apps with this permission. You can dig into each permission type for a full app list, and open any app to see its recent activity. Do scan the list for anomalies such as a flashlight app with SMS permissions.
There’s some overlap with the App Resource Management feature. Selecting this one simply lists all apps, without regard for what permissions they may have. Tapping an app from the list goes to the same activity page that you can reach from Application Overview.
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Chances are good your contacts are stored in the cloud, not just on your phone. For suspenders-and-belt assurance that you won’t lose those, you can invoke K7’s simple backup and restore system for contacts. The Wi-Fi Checker rounds out this app’s features. It’s meant to manage a list of trusted Wi-Fi sources, but I couldn’t figure out how to add to the list.
Before you consider expending one of your K7 Ultimate Security licenses on an Android installation, note that the Android app alone costs just $12 per year. With a five-device suite license, you pay about $16 on a per-device basis, while subscriptions for fewer devices cost more for each device.
