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List of Apps using AirPush

mjschmidt

mjschmidt

Android Expert
For those unfamiliar with AirPush, it is a technology that allows devs to serve ads directly to your notification tray, and by placing icons on your screen!!!!

Here is what AirPush does: Airpush - Developers

To be clear: I (and many of us) completely support the right/ability of devs to earn a living, or at least make some money, off of their hard work! < < < (Please read that again before flaming me about.)

That said, many (most?) of us do NOT want ads in our notification tray.

The purpose of this thread is to start/maintain a list of apps that use AirPush so that users can stay away from them.

If you know of an app that uses AirPush, post about it here, but we should verify that the app in question actually uses AirPush. It would be unfair to list an app that doesn't use it.

We will be happy to remove an app from the list if/when a developer lets us know that they've removed push notifications.

This thread is NOT for discussing how much we dislike AirPush. To do that, go here: http://androidforums.com/android-lounge/328149-airpush-do-you-want-ads-your-notification-tray.html

If you want to let Devs know what you think of AirPush, go here: http://androidforums.com/application-development/328152-airpush-note-devs.html

I will try to update this first post regularly with the apps people submit (once they are verified) and any that I find.

-----------------------------------------------------------

As per a request, here is a list of the apps identified so far. If an app is listed here in error, please let me know.

(Submitted by eyebeam)
LeadBolt
Appenda
IAC

(Submitted by GrenW)
Music Junk

(Submitted by RyanB)
Zombie Farm

(Submitted by Beaver King)
Mp3 Music Download Pro (v3)by Yu Liu

(Submitted by Matt Rushmore)
Brightest Flashlight Free

(Submitted by Green1)
Canada Traffic Cameras

(Submitted by Mr. Lucky)
Total SMS Control

(Submitted by Snapcase)
Blood & Glory (Glu Mobile)

(Submitted by DizBiz49)
Free MP3 Downloader

(Submitted by GregOu812)
Real Time Stock Streamer

(Submitted by JoTheVeteran)
Smart TV Remote Control + DLNA

(Submitted by Matzah Man)
Neon blue go launcher ex theme

(submitted by scmemory)
Photovault (airpush, leadbolt)
Relaxing rain sounds (airpush)

Also, here is a list from Reddit:
List of known Airpush enabled (infested) apps. : Android

Apps:

Games:

  • Fake Electric Sleep game
  • Gun Bros (being debated)
  • CK Zombies (being debated)
  • Zombie Tower Defense
  • Sudoku Puzzles

Live Wallpapers:

  • Night Beach Live Wallpaper
  • All Live Wallpapers from Developer Jason Allen
Soundboards:



!!!UPDATE!!!

See this article on Phandroid:
Say goodbye to AirPush: you can now disable notifications in Android 4.1 Jelly Beans

Edit (06/07/13): The developer of the app "Would YOU Rather" (which was formerly on this list) contacted me to say that he had removed the "LeadBolt" ads from his app, so I have removed it from the list. It's great if devs are listening to us! :-)
 
Great thread idea, MJS. I'd been thinking of doing the same thing myself. A couple of thoughts here -

IMO, the thread title, and this list should include apps with push notifications of all kinds, not just Airpush. Some others that I know of are -

LeadBolt, Appenda & IAC

Also, I think you should note in the first post that you'll happily remove an app from the list if/when a developer lets you know that they've removed push notifications.
 
I found that I received adverts in my notification bar when I was using one of the free iPhone keyboard apps. I can't remember the name of it maybe you would be able to verify?
 
Latest version of Music Junk. Started getting notifications (a red star) about winning stuff and this was one of 2 apps I'd installed recently.

Airpush detector told me which app it was. Uninstalled for now
 
Hope this isn't like opt-out for phones or faxes... seems it just gives them a real number to send cr@p to. Looking at the rating of that app, it probably doesn't do much good.

I think this thread with a list of apps to avoid is a great idea! You're getting "something for nothing" with most apps, so you need to beware, but reading the reviews will usually keep you safe.

Ellison5 said:
Airpush has a permanent optout that will block your device from receiving any of their ads no matter which app you download - Android Ad Network | Push Notification ad network | Mobile Ad network | Android app monetization

There's an optout app and a manual option.
Click to expand...
 
@Mr.Lucky - There appear to be multiple "Mobango" apps by different devs. Can you be more specific? A link to the app in the market would help.

Thanks!
 
The optout app is fairly pointless as a) it only works for airpush when there are now several other push ad services b) it still rewards apps who use airpush, etc.
Much better idea to use addons detector or airpush detector to see which apps of yours use it then not install those apps. There is guranteed to be an app that does the same thing without airpush.
 
I'd say we need more of the equivalent of a firewall or hosts file since it's more like nagware than spy or malware. Unless it also has all the permissions of the App that it came with. Then it is Spyware and you should be able to ban it. If you do uninstall the app, make sure you tell them it's due to the airpush ads.

Opt out doesn't always work and just confirms an address of any kind.
 
zuben el genub said:
I'd say we need more of the equivalent of a firewall or hosts file since it's more like nagware than spy or malware.

. . .

Opt out doesn't always work and just confirms an address of any kind.
Click to expand...
Firewall, maybe... but a hosts file won't do anything (Android actually has a hosts file), because it works by intercepting outbound requests and redirecting them to your own device. AirPush and the like are "push" technology (i.e., inbound, not outbound).

If you are rooted, you can install the excellent (and free!) AdFree app. It won't stop AirPush, LeadBolt, etc., but it's a start. I'm with you on the opt-out. Not only does it confirm, but it gives them your IMEI, which remains constant even if you change carriers or phone number.
 
Brightest Flashlight installs a infospace search icon on your homescreen. Cant figure out how to remove it. I have addons detector and airpush detector and while they say Brightest Flashlight may have ads they do nothing to remove the infospace search icon. Also cant find what file it made using androzip. And of course removing the app does nothing to remove the adware.
 
Matt, if deleting the app doesn't remove the ads, are you sure that Brightest Flashlight put them there? The entire point of Air Push (and it's ilk) is that the ads show up well after installation, even days later, for the expressed purpose of confusing you as to which app is the "offending" one. Looking at the Market page for it, I don't see anyone else complaining of air push.
 
Harry2 pointed out the obvious to me in another thread to drag it to the trash and it turns out I was being a noob. I was in the mindset of removing malware from the source but this isn't a pc. Totally my bad. It still really did not show up under any processes or anything and removing the app didnt delete it.

I am assuming that moving the icon to the trash removes the whole program and that these are not malicious. If I am incorrect please let me know. Removing the search icon did give me control of my browser again.

I am positive it was from Brightest Flashlight Free as my only other non default app is Netflix. Period. *edit: until I started downloading apps to get rid of it (Addons detector, etc.)*

Great site with quick (and much appreciated) responses.
Sorry for being a douche.
 
No, I'm not %100 sure that dragging an icon into the trash will delete the entire app. If you didn't get a confirmation about deleting it, you likely only removed the icon from your home screen. if you go into your settings, applications, manage applications, and take what I believe to be the to left tab, scroll through your list of apps to ensure that it's gone
 
Unfortunately the search adware never showed up as an app to begin with. I removed the flashlight app through the manage menu but all I could do for the search stuff was drag it to the trash.

The search stuff has not come back yet since the flashlight app has been removed so I am hoping that I'm good to go.

I do feel better after reading a recent article about a main guy at google talking about how virus protection on androids was just a marketing ploy because of the fact that with the way the kernels work there have never been any key loggers or anything too awful or malicious on droids (*yet).

Thanks again for the responses.
 
Here's on of the devs of addonsdetector. We are planning to have a upload function for the scanresults, so we'll be able to provide a extensive list of apps that got detected with push notifications. :)

However, apps that don't get detected are ofcourse not turning op there. :) So please post them here!
We have some users now that have notifications that are not getting detected.
 
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