Items tagged with Play Store
An Android malware analyst at Kaspersky continues to expose apps in Google play that may appear legitimate at first glance, but actually have a sinister underside. Each of the nearly two dozen apps (so far) identified since late July contain a Joker trojan, which itself features a bag of devious tricks to swindle...
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Android app developers take note, Google is implementing new guidelines for how apps can be displayed and advertised in the Play Store. The new policies are aimed at preventing apps from misleading Android users with certain buzz words and graphics, like plastering a "Sale" banner across the app's icon in the Play...
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In November, Apple announced that it would reduce its App Store fees to 15 percent for the first $1 million in yearly revenue for developers following pressure from Epic Games. Like Apple before its policy change, Google took a 30 percent cut of digital goods sold through its app marketplace. Today, Google announced...
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A barcode scanning app for Android with more than 10 million downloads under its belt has been found to be the culprit of unwanted ads and pop-ups when using the default browser. This was not the case prior to the developer dishing out an update in early December. But for some stupid reason, years of goodwill went...
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App stores are imperfect places, and serving as a reminder of this, a cybersecurity firm based in France alerted Google to the discovery of over two dozen malicious Android apps hanging out in the Play Store. Fortunately, Google was quick to banish the apps. However, if you already have any of them installed, you...
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Security researchers are warning of a rise in "fleeceware" scams, a relatively new term that recently entered into the lexicon of security experts. It is a growing problem in the Play Store, whereby Android users end up being charged "excessive amounts of money for apps" for failing to cancel a subscription before a...
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Epic Games had hoped Google would reconsider taking less than a 30 percent cut from in-game app purchases if it were to make its highly popular Fortnite game available in the Play Store, but Google took a pin to the developer's balloon and said in no uncertain terms it is not going to happen—the rate would be 30...
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Earlier this week, Qualcomm announced its Snapdragon 865 Mobile Platform, which alongside the Snapdragon X55 will power next year's flagship 5G Android smartphones. While the chip itself got the bulk of the attention, Qualcomm made another announcement that has huge implications for the mobile sector.
Qualcomm...
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Mobile users can mitigate the risk of falling prey to malware by only downloading apps from reputable app stores. The Play Store is one of them, and it is the largest around for Android, though the risk is not by any means non-existent. Google realizes this, and has forged an App Defense Appliance with ESET, Lookout...
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Malware has been a common problem within the Google Play Store, and two apps that have run a malicious adware scheme have been the latest to get the boot. The apps have been raking in the cash for their authors, but have consequently been putting the people who have downloaded them through living hell.
The first of...
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There's trouble brewing in the Google Play Store... again. This time the threat comes from CamScanner, which for quite some time has been a popular app that allows Android users to create PDF documents using optical character recognition (OCR) technology. The app was developed by Chinese firm CC...
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We've simply grown accustomed to reading about Android malware on a regular basis, but this latest entry is both intriguing and incredibly dastardly in its deeds. Called Agent Smith, this malware has already infected 25 million Android devices globally with adware.
Of those 25 million devices, India has been hit...
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It is often recommended that one of the best ways to avoid malware on mobile devices is to stick with established, reputable app stores. The two big ones are Google's Play Store and Apple's App Store, for Android and iOS, respectively. But is this a foolproof way to avoid malware? The answer is no, according to a...
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Google has removed over two dozen malicious Android apps from the Play Store that were collectively downloaded millions of times. The apps, which went to great lengths to appear legitimate, sent users pornographic content, redirected them to phishing websites, and collected photos under the guise of applying filters...
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In the lead up to last year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, Google offered Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL owners Play Store credits. Fast forward to now and it appears Google is once again gifting some Pixel 3 and Pixel XL owners a $2 credit (or more) in the Play Store that can be redeemed on any app or game that costs...
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Google has just announced a slew of Play Store Cyber Week 2018 deals including one smoking deal that should help you unwind after a hectic day tomorrow eating turkey and visiting family members (either by choice or by force). The big headliner is the fact that Google will only be charging 99 cents for any of its movie...
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One way to encourage customers to make repeat purchases is by rewarding their loyalty. Most movie theaters have a points program in place, and so do many credit cards. It looks like Google will be joining the fray. There is evidence to suggest that Google is working on a Play Points loyalty program for users who make...
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Despite being a free-to-play title, Fortnite is a veritable cash cow. That's because there are in-game purchases available, and Epic Games is raking in a lot of sales from what has become the world's most popular battle royale shooter, having taken the torch from PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and run with it...
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Google is making several changes to its Play Store policies, one of which includes the ban of apps that mine cryptocurrencies on Android devices. The policy update is similar to one that exists in the iOS App Store. In both cases, apps that mine in the cloud are still permitted, but not ones that mine locally on the actual phone or tablet.
"We
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It's been an unfortunately busy few weeks for Android vulnerabilities. Earlier in the month, we wrote about SonicSpy, a grandiose piece of malware that could gain an incredible amount of control over your device - including, of course, being able to record your audio. Just last week, we followed-up with another story...
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Just last weekend, we wrote about SonicSpy, a grossly robust piece of malware that infected hundreds of apps on the Play Store. Google is always quick to remove this awful junk when it is detected, but the fact that we keep talking about the issue means it's not going away.
It was security research firm Lookout...
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Over the past handful of years, Google has really amped up its efforts to keep users safe on its Android Play Store. However, it often feels like the more protections Google puts in place, the more fierce the malware gets. Today we learn of yet another piece of malware that has managed to permeate itself throughout...
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