Detecting and Avoiding Counterfeit Android Programs: Insights by MalwareFox

Android is one of the most popular operating systems in the world. It holds more than 70% of the smartphone market , with the second-best iOS being around 26%. It’s no wonder when you take a look at all of the amazing features that they’re coming with. With popularity comes imitators, and many users are fooled into downloading fake apps that they think are legitimate. The downside to owning an Android phone is that there are more fake apps available than on any other platform; this means it can be difficult to weed out the fakes from the real thing.

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The good news is that there are some ways to spot the fakes before you download them!

In this post, we will discuss the best ways to spot fake android apps and how to keep Android devices safe from them.

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links

If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

What are Fake Apps?

Fake apps are applications that have been duplicated by developers in order to trick users into believing they’re the real thing. They may look exactly like a legitimate app, but when you install it on your phone, there will usually be some sort of malicious function included with it. This could range from sending premium SMS text messages to stealing personal information or even placing ads within other installed apps. Most Spyware enters your device in the form of fake apps only. Fake Apps can be found anywhere on the internet, but they are most commonly found on third-party app stores and on untrustworthy websites.

Apart from that, a fake app might also not have the right permissions that a normal app would require. For example, it might ask for access to personal data or your contacts even if it doesn’t need them – this is definitely something you should be wary of!

How to Spot Fake Android Apps?

There are a few telltale signs that can help you identify fake Android apps before you download them. Here are some aspects to ponder before downloading a suspicious app:

Check the App’s Size: One way to tell if an app is fake is by checking its file size. A real app will usually be around 50MB in size, while a fake one could be as small as just a few KBs. This is because the creators of fakes often compress their apps to make them look legitimate.
Check the App Permissions: A real app is only going to ask for permissions that it actually needs in order to function correctly. Fake apps will often have strange and unrelated app permissions requests such as asking for your contact list when they don’t even need access to contacts or messages. A simple torch app, asking permission for accessing your camera is obviously a fake one.
Look at the Developer’s Name: It is also wise to check who developed an android application before you download it since fake ones are usually made by developers with no prior experience or standing in the community, while legitimate apps are created by reputable software companies. By looking at a developer’s name alone can tell you whether an app has been faked!
Check the App Icon: The icon of a fake app is often very different from that of a legitimate one. Fake apps will usually have low-quality or poorly designed icons, while real ones are going to be made by known companies and should look professional.
Read Reviews from Users: If you think an app might be suspicious, it’s always wise to read reviews from other users before downloading it! This can tell you whether other people faced similar problems when using this application. The more reviews an app has, the more popular it is likely to be! This means that if the amount of reviews is low, there’s no way this application could be legitimate. By reading these reviews beforehand, you’ll know what to expect if you download the app yourself.
Check the number of downloads: Another way to tell if an app is a fake one is by checking the number of downloads it has. If a developer created a high-quality app, then people would have downloaded it and left reviews. A real app will usually have many downloads, while a fake one may only appear to be downloaded by just a few users.
Check for Official Links: A real application will always link back to its official website and social media profiles, and these details should be available in the app’s description. If no such links are present in the app’s description, then it is likely that it is a fake one.
Lack of updates: Fake applications are not likely to be updated often so if the app you’re using is not frequently updated, it may have been discontinued by its developers. This means that all of your data will become vulnerable so use this kind of apps cautiously!

What are the dangers of using Fake Apps?

Aside from the obvious lack of real content in a fake app, there are some other dangers you need to be aware of.

Here are the top dangers of using fake apps:

Malware/Viruses: Fake apps may contain viruses or malware which could prove to be a real threat to your device and your security.
Delete Apps: Fake applications might also delete other installed apps on your device or even tamper with the default settings of your smartphone without you knowing. These kinds of activities can cause serious damage to both the internal storage and the operating system of your Android phone, leading to a complete breakdown of its functionality.
Inappropriate Content: In some cases, fake apps might also have inappropriate content such as pornography. Since you don’t really know what’s inside these fake apps, it is best not to download them at all costs.
High Prices: Fake apps cannot provide you with the real services they offer. Instead of providing you with real content, many of them end up charging high prices for additional features such as unlocking levels and removing advertisements. Still, if the app itself is free, it can be a sign of suspicious behavior.
Increased Data Usage: Fake app with advertisements can cause your device to use more data than usual. If there is a lot of advertising content within the application such as banners and pop-ups, they will consume most of your data which you end up paying for.
Damage to the device: Since such apps are not created by trustworthy software developers, they can damage the internal components of your device which may hurt its performance or even lead to total failure.
Battery Drain: Since these kinds of applications usually contain more advertisements than content, they increase power consumption and can cause your Android phone’s battery to drain too quickly. Some people might also experience lagging issues on their smartphones after installing a fake application.

How to Check if an Android App is Safe to Install

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How do fake apps got listed in official App Stores?

While the official apps stores like Google Play Store and Apple App Store claim to thoroughly review and test the apps before listing them, you will still find plenty of dubious apps in these stores.

Fake applications usually get listed in the official app stores when a developer manages to successfully upload an application that is somewhat similar to their original version. As you might know, most of these app listings don’t get checked out by human reviewers—which means that once an app is available for download, it can easily be shared with others even if its quality is not up to par.

Since these fake applications are created by developers with malicious intent, they would do everything in their power to make it look like an authentic app. They could even pay for ads that will help them get featured on top of the search results. This means that if you’re not careful enough, you may end up downloading a fake application without knowing.

How to protect yourself against Fake Apps?

Now that you know the dangers of using fake android apps, let’s take a look at how you can protect yourself from getting scammed:

Only use the official app stores: Since most fake applications are available on third-party sources, make sure to only download apps from trusted and secure sources like Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Read user reviews: Before downloading an application, you should also check its user reviews and feedback. By doing this, you will be able to find out the opinion of other users who have downloaded it before you.
Install robust antimalware on your device: Make sure that your device is equipped with a robust antimalware app such as MalwareFox , which can scan any app before installing it. If there are viruses or malware inside fake android apps, they will automatically get detected by these applications.
Pay for the Apps: Some users might go for unofficial sources for getting the paid apps for free. It is advised never to get paid apps for free from untrusted third-party sources as they might be fake and contain malware.

How to Prevent Malware on Android

Summing Up

Cybercriminals always look for a popular medium to quickly spread their malware programs and currently there is nothing popular than Android in the operating systems. This has increased the number of fake apps on the internet, even on the official stores.

It is essential to stay away from such apps as they can be too dangerous after infiltrating the device. The tips listed in this post will help you to spot the fake android apps and stay away from them.

Does Play Store contain fake apps?

Though there are pretty rare chances of it, Play Store might list some fake/malicious apps on its platform. However, Google periodically removes such apps from the store.

Is the X-Ray app on the Play Store fake?

No Android devices till now have hardware components to produce X-rays, so all the x-ray apps on the Play Store are fake.

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Detecting and Avoiding Counterfeit Android Programs: Insights by MalwareFox