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Help Honest, I'm Not Imagining This.

J

jen2440

Member
I switched from iOS to Android about a year ago and have been very pleased. There's been a learning curve and this forum has been very helpful in answering questions.

This problem has been going on for awhile, but it happened again this morning so I thought I'd ask. Apps just seem to come and go, not frequently, but enough to be annoying. Sometimes I'll go to use an app that I've used many times before, and it's gone, and I know I didn't delete it. I'll go to Application Manager in Settings to verify that the app is gone, not just the icon. Other times I'll see an icon for an app and I have no idea what it is and I know I didn't download it.

What would cause this? Thanks.
 
What kind of security are you using to protect your phone? Like a computer - you can't buy it out of the box, set it up and just use it. You have to have some kind of protection to prevent it from being hacked or infected with malware and viruses. This could be your problem but not sure. I would start investigating here.
 
jameny5 said:
What kind of security are you using to protect your phone? Like a computer - you can't buy it out of the box, set it up and just use it. You have to have some kind of protection to prevent it from being hacked or infected with malware and viruses. This could be your problem but not sure. I would start investigating here.
Click to expand...

Jameny...Thanks for the feedback. In fact, I don't have any, other than what came with the phone (LG G3, Marshmallow) - encryption, content lock, etc. Any suggestions for the best virus/malware app?
 
jameny5 said:
What kind of security are you using to protect your phone? Like a computer - you can't buy it out of the box, set it up and just use it. You have to have some kind of protection to prevent it from being hacked or infected with malware and viruses. This could be your problem but not sure. I would start investigating here.
Click to expand...
Unlike a computer it runs Android, which means you CAN just use it out of the box. In fact many of the symptoms you describe can be caused by so called security products. Which are not needed at all.


Just make sure you don't use apps that don't come from the Google Play Store (or the Amazon app store)
 
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Security apps are not nessecary in my opinion. Safe browsing and only downloading apps from the Playstore (unless it is FOSS) Will keep you safe. Many security apps drain battery and run constantly. Some are Malware themselves. There are several adblocking browsers available to protect you when surfing.
If you want to scan for Malware try Malwarebytes.
More than likely it is your service provider taking liberties with "their" software in your phone.

Edit: Ninja'd
 
Good to know about the maleware apps. Thanks.

I'll be careful about downloads, though I don't think I've ever used anything but the Play Store, with the possible exception of music.
 
So what is causing the problem? None of you have answered the question. You are correct to download apps from Google Play. But, Why would an app disappear or uninstall itself? Something sinister is happening. That is why you protect your phone. An Android phone is a computer right? At least in a court of law it was said in an opinion that a cell phone was a considered a form of a computer. Why not treat it like a regular computer? I use Malwarebytes, CCleaner and Rkill to keep my desktop in tip top shape. Even if you don't use security apps, there are third party app stores that people will download from. They may get the same result as jen2440. So what do we do: shut them down? Or do you take the hit as it happens? I would say a good security app is better protection than having nothing.
 
Odd that apps are uninstalling themselves, and others are downloading/installing too.

You guys think this could be from some malicious app doing this? If so, @jen2440 either needs to track down the suspect app, or perhaps do a factory reset.

@psionandy, the OP's issue can be caused by "so called security products" ? Not sure what you mean by that. Security products installed outside of PlayStore such as Malwarebytes as @Bg260 mentions?
 
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Virus Historically carried over from the PC world, a “virus” is a program that replicates itself by attaching to another program. Hackers often used this method to spread their nefarious work, and virus became a popular term to refer to all types of malicious software (malware) on computers. In the case of smartphones, to date we have not seen malware that replicate itself like a PC virus can, and specifically on Android this does not exist, so technically there are no Android viruses. However, there are many other types of Android malware. Most people think of any malicious software as a virus, even though it is technically inaccurate.

Adware, or advertising-supported software, is any software package that automatically renders advertisements in order to generate revenue for its author. The advertisements may be in the user interface of the software or on a screen presented to the user during the installation process. The functions may be designed to analyze which Internet sites the user visits and to present advertising pertinent to the types of goods or services featured there. The term is sometimes used to refer to software that displays unwanted advertisements known as malware

Malware, short for malicious software, is any software used to disrupt computer or mobile operations, gather sensitive information, gain access to private computer systems, or display unwanted advertising. Malware is defined by its malicious intent, acting against the requirements of the user.
Here's a list of some:

https://forensics.spreitzenbarth.de/android-malware/
 
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Hi there.
Just sharing...
I've been using Android for 6 years and NEVER had any kind of protection software...
And NEVER had any kind of problem with malware.
AFAIK there would be no such thing as an uninstaller malware. That would be a strange objective to a malware.
Maybe you should start by saying what Apps are disappearing, because it could even be an SD card problem (if you have one).
 
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