# Looking for app advice



## ryrhino (Jul 28, 2013)

Hello,

I have a hydro reach phone that is no longer being made. Carrier is Virgin Mobile.

I only want to use FREE apps.

I do not want any apps that start free and then want money in order to keep using the app. 

I was using the ShouldIAnswer app but a new app has been made for it that is not compatible with my phone. 

Would you please tell me which free call block and robocall block app that is free and would be compatible with my phone you would recommend using and why.

Here are a few articles that I found about others suggestions.

https://www.lifewire.com/top-call-blocking-app-for-smartphones-4050085

https://www.pcmag.com/feature/362120/how-to-block-robocalls-and-spam-calls/1

https://askbobrankin.com/shaken_or_stirred_blocking_phone_scams_and_robocalls.html

Please also recommend any other apps that you would consider must have apps. Why do you recommend those apps?

I do not use my phone very often. 

Thanks for your help.


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## Stancestans (Apr 26, 2009)

Have you tried any of the apps featured on the pages you linked to? I don't know about the others, but Truecaller is free and of course ad-supported. The ads are not obtrusive and the occasional nag to buy the premium version is negligible. The only caveat is that the free version does not automatically update its spam caller block list. The premium version isn't that costly though, if you can't stand the limitations of the free version.

I don't think anyone is better placed to recommend "must have" apps for your use case. Maybe if you tell us what exactly you use your phone for, we might be able to make relevant and helpful suggestions. For example, I browse a lot on my phone and Firefox is my browser of choice because of add-ons support (e.g ad-blocking). In fact, this reply was posted via Firefox for android. Opera Mini is my alternative on phones with limited memory or slow Internet connections (e.g areas with poor network coverage), mostly because it's lightweight, uses less data (data is compressed by Opera servers) and has inbuilt ad-blocking. There are millions of mobile apps and several app stores/markets, so tell us what you use your phone for, which apps you use for the same and we'll be able to recommend alternatives to the same.


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## ryrhino (Jul 28, 2013)

I have used Truecaller in the past. I don't know if they still have security issues that I read they have had in the past. That is why I uninstalled it. 

I am currently using Calls Blacklist - Call Blocker that was suggested in the lifewire.com article. 

I use my phone to make phone calls, check weather at times, sometimes use the internet, and play a few simple games.

I have 5GB of data per month. I am not sure how long that lasts. According to Virgin Mobile customer support it depends on which apps are being used and for how long they are being used. If I connect to WiFi which I am able to do at home then data is not decreasing. 

I am most interested in which security apps to keep as private and secure as possible you would suggest using and why. Also if you use 2FA which app do you suggest using. Why?

Thanks.


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## Stancestans (Apr 26, 2009)

ryrhino said:


> I have used Truecaller in the past. I don't know if they still have security issues that I read they have had in the past. That is why I uninstalled it.
> 
> I am currently using Calls Blacklist - Call Blocker that was suggested in the lifewire.com article.
> 
> ...


A security product from any of the reputable authors/developers will do (Bitdefender, Kaspersky, Avast/AVG, Eset, Sophos, Webroot, Malwarebytes etc). Some have both free and commercial editions and each free edition has limitations that only you can decide whether it's worth paying for.

What I look for in a mobile security product:
1. Real-time protection against viruses, spyware and other types of malware
2. Automatic definition updates
3. Web protection with support for Firefox, Chrome and Opera/Opera Mini
4. Resource usage.

Browse through the Play Store and compare premium features vs free features. You can always try each product one at a time, then decide which one to keep. Sophos (free) includes an authenticator for your accounts that use 2FA. For standalone 2FA authenticator apps, you can use Google authenticate or Microsoft Authenticator, that is if you have no trust issues with them. Why I would recommend them? Because they just work and they do what they were designed to do. It's not as if you're looking for some bells and whistles in a 2FA app, is it?


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