Android scam apps with 10 million downloads deleted by Google

Android scam apps with 10 million downloads deleted by Google — what to practise now

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Google has kicked 151 Android apps out of the Play Store for being scams, and you lot'll want to make sure none of these apps are installed on your phone.

The apps, as detailed past cybersecurity business firm Avast in a report last week, appear to exist games, custom keyboards, QR code scanners and other utilities advertised on TikTok, Instagram and other social-media platforms. But they in fact sign yous upwardly for premium-SMS subscriptions costing up to $40 per month. Altogether, these scam apps have been downloaded more than 10 million times.

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Equally Avast's Jakub Vavra put it, these scams "earn a bad thespian or actors money while ultimately leaving victims completely empty-handed."

At that place'due south no longer whatever danger that you'll be installing one of these specific apps, but it's possible that yous may accept installed one in the past. If and so, you'll want to remove it. Here's how.

How to tell whether an app has been removed from the Google Play Store

First, nosotros'll start with a link to a list that Avast put online detailing all the dodgy apps. The list is searchable: Adjacent to the little magnifying-glass icon at the beginning of the list, plug in the name of any app about which you're uncertain to see if it'south included.

If y'all do discover a matching proper noun, don't delete the app simply yet. Many Android apps have similar or identical names, so you lot'll want to brand sure y'all've got the right i.

Fortunately, Android apps all have unique "package names," which you'll see in the tertiary cavalcade of Avast's scam-app list.

Bundle names are how Android tells i app from another. Even better, bundle names are visible correct in the URL, or web address, of each app'due south listing page on the Google Play Store.

And then if you lot've found an app on your phone or Android tablet that yous remember may exist on Avast'south list, then open a new browser tab in a desktop browser and type (or copy-and-paste) this into the new tab's address bar:

              https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=

Don't striking Return or Enter just yet.

Now go to the Avast listing of scammy apps and copy-and-paste the app'south package name onto the end of the text in the accost bar.

For example, for the first app listed, Ultima Keyboard 3D Pro, the package name is "org.ultimatekey.board". Copy "org.ultimatekey.board" and put it at the stop of "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=" in your browser's accost bar so that the full text string reads:

              https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.ultimatekey.board

Now hit Enter or Return on your keyboard. If you get an error bulletin saying "We're pitiful, the requested URL was non establish on this server," and so that means that Google has removed the app from the Play Store, and yous should remove the app from your device.

How to remove an app from an Android phone or tablet

Uninstalling an app on Android is pretty easy. You'll want to beginning with the Settings app, which should exist listed amongst your installed apps. On many phones, it's besides accessed by borer the gear icon visible in the Quick Settings menu y'all become past swiping downward from the top of the screen.

One time in Settings, and then tap Apps or Apps & Notifications, then the specific app y'all want to uninstall. (On some devices, you'll accept to tap a 2nd time to see all installed apps.) On the App Info screen, you should see a button to Uninstall that app.

Practice that and you'll go a popular-up request you to confirm that you actually do want to uninstall the app. Click OK and you're washed.

How to avoid similar Android-app scams

Avast'south study said each of these scam apps asks you upon its installation to enter your phone number, including the land code, and sometimes your email address as well, so that the app can "unlock" its stated functions.

If any app asks you for such information before it lets y'all use it, beware. Avast found 151 apps that were part of this entrada, only information technology'south possible in that location are nevertheless others in the Google Play Shop.

Many of the original batch tin nonetheless be constitute in 3rd-party app markets — we randomly picked three from Avast's list and constitute them correct away on a widely used "off-road" shop.

You'll too desire to check the user reviews on each app. Avast's Vavra noted that many of these scam apps had ane-star reviews from users who said the apps didn't work as advertised.

This method isn't foolproof — every bit we saw last week in a different Android malware campaign, some skilful scammers build apps that work simply fine but infect your device anyhow.

Finally, you lot'll want to install and utilise ane of the best Android antivirus apps. These apps, some of which are partly or entirely complimentary, will scan your device for malicious apps. Android's built-in antivirus app, Google Play Protect, isn't quite upward to handling the job on its ain.

Paul Wagenseil is a senior editor at Tom's Guide focused on security and privacy. He has also been a dishwasher, fry cook, long-booty driver, code monkey and video editor. He'south been rooting around in the information-security space for more than than 15 years at FoxNews.com, SecurityNewsDaily, TechNewsDaily and Tom's Guide, has presented talks at the ShmooCon, DerbyCon and BSides Las Vegas hacker conferences, shown up in random TV news spots and even moderated a panel discussion at the CEDIA abode-technology conference. You can follow his rants on Twitter at @snd_wagenseil.