How to Scan for Viruses on APK Files

This practical guide walks through how to scan for viruses on APK files, explains the main requirements, and highlights common issues that may appear along the way.

However, because APK files can sometimes come from floating, unknown sources on the internet (and of course not as rigorously censored as on the Play Store), the risk of them being attached to viruses, malicious code, etc. It is entirely possible to cause harm on your device. For that reason, it is advisable to scan the APK file for viruses before installing it on your system, and here are a few great apps that can help you do just that.

Metadefender

Metadefender allows you to upload an APK file so that it can be scanned by various antivirus engines. For APK files in compressed file format, they will be extracted automatically to perform a scan on each individual file inside. However, a full scan of the unextracted APK file will also be performed. Users simply drag and drop their files onto the scanning engine, and a report is compiled in seconds.

You can access the Metadefender service on your PC, and also scan files directly from your Android phone. While there is no dedicated Metadefender mobile app, you can still use the tool through your mobile browser.

Especially, not only APK files, Metadefender can be used to scan IP addresses, URLs, files and more.

2. VirusTotal

VirusTotal is another great solution that you can experience. This tool has the ability to comprehensively analyze APK files and help detect almost all popular viruses and malware on the internet today. VirusTotal is very easy to use: You just upload your files and make sure they are error free. Alternatively, you can also copy-paste the URL in VirusTotal, or use the search function to check IP addresses, domains or file hashes.

One advantage of VirusTotal over Metadefender is that it has a specialized mobile app version, which can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store.