Security Firm Provides Tips On How To Remove Malicious Apps From Your Android Phone

This comes as a big warning to every Android user out there. A British IT security firm revealed the full list of the popular apps on the Google Play Store that have found to contain harmful adware. Android users have been advised to remove these popular mobile apps from their phone right now.

The British security firm, Sophos, has just released a new report claiming 15 mobile apps. These popular apps have already amassed over 1.3 million downloads, which means there already reached the big crowd. According to Sophos, these mobile apps are not only filled with malicious adware, but it can also hide from the user’s device. This also means that these apps can spy on the user’s device and even get important user information, all without the user’s permission.

Fortunately, Sophos has managed to track them all and get some important details about these malicious apps. The security firm has already posted the list of these 15 dangerous apps, namely: Flash On Calls & Messages, the Read QR Code, Imagine Magic, Generate Elves, Savexpense, QR Artifact, Find Your Phone: Whistle, Scavenger - - - speed guard, Auto Cut Out Pro, Background Cut Out, Photo Background, ImageProcessing, Background Cut Out New, and Auto Cut Out. Most of the malicious apps are using generic names to make themselves harmless-looking apps.

Sophos has also detailed the Flash On Calls & Messages’ devious tactics. The security firm said that the malicious app shows a fake error message when launched. Then, it takes the Android users to the Google Maps app within the Google Play Store in an attempt to trick the user into thinking it's the source of the installation problem. The malicious app will hide its own app picture from the user’s app drawer – making it much harder for the Android user to find and remove from their mobile device.

Sophos provided some advice on how to remove these malicious apps from Android devices. In a recent conversation with TechRadar, Sophos explained and even detailed a step-by-step guide on how to find and remove those malicious apps. The first thing to do is to head to the Settings and, then, go to Apps & Notifications. The most recently opened mobile apps will, then, appear in a list.

But, if those apps use the generic Android symbol or icon like a little greenish-blue Android silhouette or have a generic-sounding name like Back Up, the Android user need to tap the "Force Stop" option followed by the "Uninstall" option. The Android system will display a button named "Disable" instead of the "Uninstall" button.

Finally, the British security firm encouraged mobile users to look for reviews for any new apps downloaded from the Google Play Store to see if there are reports of strange and malicious activities. Knowledge could still be a powerful weapon when dealing with these kinds of security threats.

Founded In 1985 and based in Abingdon, England, Sophos is an IT security software company that has a strong focus on encryption, communication endpoint, Unified threat management, network security, mobile security, and email security. The company was acquired by the U.S. private equity firm Thomas Bravo for a whopping $3.9 billion.