Is Samsung Knox Free? [Everything You Will Want to Know]
If you have a Samsung device you are probably wondering what Samsung Knox is all about. In fact, you’re probably wondering “Is Samsung Knox free?”. You might also be wondering if you need to invest in an Antivirus to bolster your security on top of this feature. Well, this article will tell you everything you need to know about the Samsung Knox free security feature plus the alternatives you can go for.
1 What is Samsung Knox?
Samsung Knox is a built-in data security feature on Samsung Galaxy mobile phones and tablets. It is a multi-layered technology comprising both hardware and software authentication that helps protect your Samsung device from unauthorized data access and malware attacks from various sources.
This technology ensures that your confidential and sensitive data on every layer of your Samsung Galaxy remains safe. It does this by strictly controlling what the processes can do and what data they can access.
Whether your device runs for days without a reboot or not, Samsung Knox ensures that your data and operating system remain private and safe.
Main Features of Samsung Knox
Samsung Knox has been evolving to meet the changing customer needs and has transitioned from being a security platform to a fully Unified Endpoint Management solution. Some of the key features of Samsung Knox include:
● Secure Folder- A secure folder, as the name suggests, is an encrypted space provided by Samsung Knox in your device. You can transfer sensitive or confidential information including photos, videos, apps, and data to this folder so that they can be protected from malicious attacks and accessed by unauthorized users.
● Knox for kids- Knox for kids is a feature that allows parents to customize their kids’ phones to kids-friendly devices. It is like parental controls because it helps parents brand their kids' phones to suit them. This customization is possible with the help of Knox Configure, a friendly solution that doesn’t need extra coding.
● Knox Manage- As the name suggests, Knox Manage provides a platform to remotely manage, track, and configure devices. This is a cloud-based platform and useful for IT admins in an enterprise setup where multiple devices are monitored and managed remotely.
● KPE- Knox Platform for Enterprise (KPE) is a layer that provides APIs and extra features needed for the management and security of enterprises. It is useful for those highly regular enterprises and covers major aspects of Android management and security including kiosk configurations, firewall and email apps, VPN reconfiguration, and granular device configuration among others.
● Knox Vault- This layer provides a separate processor and storage for sensitive data such as passwords, biometrics, and services like Samsung Pay.
2 Is Samsung Knox Free?
You now know that Samsung Knox is a powerful security platform with several features. The next thing you probably want to know is whether Samsung Knox is free or not. The simple answer is that it all depends on your needs as illustrated in the following scenarios.
For Personal:
If your Samsung device supports Knox and you are using it for personal needs, then Samsung Knox in this instance is free. You don’t have to pay to unlock anything because you are simply using the features that came with your device.
These features that fall under personal use cases include the secure folder feature and Knox for kids.
For Business:
If you are using the Knox management platform to manage your enterprise devices remotely, you will need to pay. You can purchase a one-year or two-year license depending on your needs. The pricing also varies based on the number of seats included.
● If you are an MDM provider, and you want to add the Knox (Knox Platform for Enterprises) to your MDM solution, it is free. All the features provided by the KPE (Knox Platform for Enterprises) are licensed at no cost and available through MDM products and apps that are built using Samsung Knox SDK. You will just need to apply the Knox platform for enterprise permission.
● Some users would want to use Knox features in the third-party MDM solution to manage their devices. In this case, you are not directly using Knox services but rather through a third party. Therefore, it is the third-party MDM solution supplier that determines the price.
3Find Out Samsung Knox Alternative
While Samsung Knox is a useful feature, there are several instances you will be obliged to find an alternative. Maybe you are an Android user and your phone does not support Knox or you simply want to manage the security of a fleet of Android devices more conveniently.
In this regard, here are some of the best Samsung Knox alternatives for both personal and Business use.
For Business-AirDroid Business
Android Business is a powerful device management solution for different types and sizes of enterprises. This tool is designed with several excellent features that help IT teams and admins to manage, monitor, and remotely troubleshoot incidents on Android and Windows devices. AirDroid Business offers a device dashboard where you can see all connected devices from a single screen and manage them accordingly.
The beauty of AirDroid Business is that you can easily configure devices and send policies/updates simultaneously.
Key Features
- MDM policies allows you to restrict users using the only authorized functions on managed devices.
- It has remote access and monitoring features help users to troubleshoot issues remotely.
- It supports custom alerts and remote data wiping especially in the event of device loss or theft.
- You can manage apps, restrict users from downloading apps that are unrelated with works, distribute you company-owned apps to devices in bulk and more with its App Management function.
- It allows you to lock down devices into certain apps for specific need with kiosk mode feature.
For Personal:
1Folder Lock
This is a file lock and encryption software for personal use. As the name implies, this software lets you lock files and folders with AES 256-bit encryption. You can use it to protect files, videos, photos, documents, and recordings on your Android phones. It also provides password protection, secured wallets, decoy mode, data recovery, hack attempt monitoring, and data recovery among others.
Pros
- It provides good extra features such as backup and shredding.
- The wallet feature is nice and convenient for security.
- It has multiple features yet it is free.
Cons
- Users complain that the data recovery feature is problematic.
- The interface is a bit odd.
2Easy Vault
Easy Vault by KewlApps is one of the best personal apps for Android to hide personal files like photos, videos, and documents. This app lets you hide these files by creating a strong password. However, you can unlock or unhide these files anytime based on your needs. Easy Vault evolved and added other useful security features including fingerprint authentication, intruder detection, forgot pin recovery, and shuffle pin pad among others.
Pros
- It provides an enhanced user interface.
- It supports various authentication options.
- It offers the flexibility to unlock or unhide the files.
Cons
- Its backup is complicated.
- It is not designed to store a vast range of data types.
3Private Photo Vault
Private Photo Vault as the name suggests is an Android app that lets you hide your personal files in a secure vault. It makes it easy to hide sensitive videos and photos in a more organized and protected manner. Private Photo Vault also lets you take photos directly without necessarily opening the camera roll first. This makes it ideal for taking photos that you don’t want anyone to see in the camera roll.
One of the best features of this tool is that it provides a break-in report. This means that if someone tries to access your Private Photo Vault, it secretly takes a snapshot of the perpetrator, making it easier to know who tried to break into your phone.
Pros
- It allows users to lock videos and photos using a pin or pattern.
- It provides a break-in report including the GPS location of where the intrusion happened.
- This app lets you take photos directly from the app.
- It supports decoy passwords.
Cons
- It has limited security features.
- It only supports the hiding of photos and videos.
4Summary
In a nutshell, Samsung Knox is an excellent security feature for Samsung devices and has evolved to address various user needs. However, depending on your needs, Samsung Knox can be available for free or with some payments. Samsung Knox also has some limitations and you might need to seek an alternative to meet your needs. In this case, you can simply pick a suitable Samsung Knox alternative depending on your use case.
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