Some dangerous apps on the Play Store that have been downloaded millions of times are attempting to illegally obtain people's personal information, according to security research company Bitdefender.

These apps span a wide range of categories that are popular among phone users, such as GPS apps, photo filters, and wallpapers. Each app has been downloaded tens to hundreds of thousands of times and uses underhanded tactics to avoid detection. If you have any of these malicious apps installed on your phone, you must uninstall them immediately.

Some Android apps use their own framework to serve ads, which also means they could be unknowingly serving malware to users. According to Bitdefender, some of these apps may try to conceal their presence by changing their name and app icon after installation.

Beware of these 35 apps:

  1. Walls light - Wallpapers Pack
  2. Big Emoji - Keyboard
  3. Grad Wallpapers - 3D Backdrops
  4. Engine Wallpapers - Live & 3D
  5. Stock Wallpapers - 4K & HD
  6. EffectMania - Photo Editor
  7. Art Filter - Deep Photo effect
  8. Fast Emoji Keyboard
  9. Create a Sticker for Whatsapp
  10. Math Solver - Camera Helper
  11. Photopic Effects - Art Filter
  12. Led Theme - Colorful Keyboard
  13. Keyboard - Fun Emoji, Sticker
  14. Smart Wifi
  15. My GPS Location
  16. Image Warp Camera
  17. Art Girls Wallpaper HD
  18. Cat Simulator
  19. Smart QR Creator
  20. Colorize Old Photo
  21. GPS Location Finder
  22. Girls Art Wallpaper
  23. Smart QR Scanner
  24. GPS Location Maps
  25. Volume Control
  26. Secret Horoscope
  27. Smart GPS Location
  28. Animated Sticker Master
  29. Personality Charging Show
  30. Sleep Sounds
  31. QR Creator
  32. Media Volume Slider
  33. Secret Astrology
  34. Colorize Photos
  35. Phi 4K Wallpaper - Anime HD

Is it safe to install apps from unknown sources?

Installing an app from a reputable source is generally considered safe. However, it could be risky if you're trying to install apps from an unknown source.

There are a few things you can do to help mitigate the risk when installing apps from unknown sources.

First, make sure you have a good antivirus program installed on your device. This will help protect your device from any malicious code the app may contain.

Secondly, only install apps from sources you genuinely trust. If you're doubtful about a particular source, do some research to make sure it's reputable.

Finally, read reviews of the app before hitting the download button. This will help you get a better idea of whether the app is safe to install or not.

How to protect your phone from malware?

There are a few simple measures users can take to protect their phones from malware. First, keep your operating system and all your apps up to date. This will help close any security gaps that could be exploited by malware.

Also, install a reputable security app on your phone. This will help detect and remove any malware that manages to get on your device.

Malware
Malware