Despite stricter rules, the Google Play Store is still full of malware apps. A new flood of malicious Android apps has just been discovered on the Play Store that is riddled with malware and spyware. Worst of all, Android users have already downloaded these apps 10 million times. Should we be worried about Android 13?
The apps used to spread malware often pose as image-editing tools, virtual keyboards, wallpaper changers and image filters. Many of these apps might even deliver the bare minimum of what they promise. However, their underlying goal is to push ads, subscribe unknowing users to premium services, steal social media account details and engage in other harmful activities.
The Dr Web antivirus team discovered these apps and highlighted these threats in a report. Google followed up by removing many of these malicious apps from the Play Store. However, a few of them remain. If you installed any of these apps, even if they’re already removed from the Play Store, you’ll have to uninstall them manually and run an AV scan to clear any remaining fragments that can still cause harm.
Here is the full list of the most recent malicious apps discovered on the Google Play Store:
- Photo Editor: Beauty Filter
- Photo Editor: Retouch & Cutout
- Photo Editor: Art Filters
- Photo Editor – Design Maker
- Photo Editor & Background Eraser
- Photo & Exif Editor
- Photo Editor – Filters Effects
- Photo Filters & Effects
- Photo Editor: Blur Image
- Photo Editor: Cut, Paste
- Emoji Keyboard: Stickers & GIF
- Neon Theme Keyboard
- Neon Theme – Android Keyboard
- Cashe Cleaner
- Fancy Charging
- FastCleaner: Cashe Cleaner
- Call Skins – Caller Themes
- Funny Caller
- CallMe Phone Themes
- InCall: Contact Background
- MyCall – Call Personalization
- Caller Theme
- Funny Wallpapers – Live Screen
- 4K Wallpapers Auto Changer
- NewScrean: 4D Wallpapers
- Stock Wallpapers & Backgrounds
- Notes – reminders and lists
Hopefully, the optimizations planned for Android tablets will include stricter app security. For now, it’s important to remain cautious of any apps you install. While Google tries to screen them all, sometimes they still slip through. We recommend reviewing the rating and reviews before installing any app.
