It's Easy to Check for Spying Apps on Your Android Phone
Originally posted on July 20, 2019 when this publication was hosted on WordPress.
I recently read an article from Bleeping Computer about a number of spyware apps on the Google Play store that have over 130,000 installs (you can read the original article here). While 130,000 isn’t huge when compared to the number of Android devices out there that’s still 130,000 devices that are leaking private information about their users including location data, text messages, keystrokes, and more. While there is an argument to be made for these types of apps as parental control tools or to help keep track of elderly family members who might wander off, there are equally valid concerns over violations of individual privacy and the breaking of trust between parent and child. However, these apps can also be used to spy on one’s significant other, or worse lead an abusive partner to someone trying to get away from them.
Google has since removed these apps from the Play Store so no one else can install them, but what about those 130,000 installs that are already in the wild? What if YOU are one of those 130,000 installs? Pulling the apps from the store doesn’t shut them down, it just de-lists them. That’s why I wanted to give you four simple and quick steps to make sure you don’t have spyware, or stalkerware apps, installed on your phone or tablet.
I know that there are a ton of people out there using iOS devices and perhaps I’ll do a write up for iPhone/iPad later on, but since these apps were specifically for Android and Apple is much better about who and what they allow in their App Store I’m only going to touch on Android for now.
HOW TO CHECK FOR SPYING APPS/STALKERWARE ON ANDROID
Now there isn’t one straight answer to this. The tl;dr reason is because there are so many manufacturers of Android devices that implement their own version of the operating system and they haven’t settled on an industry standard of how their phones operate. That doesn’t mean that this won’t help you, it just means it may look a little different on your device. With that said, here’s what you do:
STEP 1: OPEN YOUR APP SETTINGS APP ON THE PHONE OR TABLET IN QUESTION
This step is self-explanatory. In your app drawer find the Settings app with the search function or just look for the “cog” icon. Once you’re in the Settings, scroll down and select apps. If your phone gives you the option to show hidden apps, make sure it’s selected
STEP 2: IDENTIFY ANY QUESTIONABLE APPS YOU DON’T RECALL INSTALLING
There will likely be quite a few apps you don’t remember installing, because there will be a lot of apps you didn’t install sitting in this list. Some are apps that came pre-installed from the device manufacturer, some are system utilities that run in the background and make your phone work. Others are promotional apps that came on the phone that maybe you just never noticed (like the obnoxious corporate partner apps that you can’t uninstall without rooting your device).
Looking through this list is a good opportunity for you to learn a bit more about what’s running on your device and what it does. A quick web search will give you a good indication of whether it should be there or not and if you can do without it.
STEP 3: UNINSTALL MALICIOUS APPS
Now that you’ve looked up what these questionable apps are, you’ve discovered which ones should be there and which ones shouldn’t. I use the term malicious here, because in practice these stalkerware apps are malicious. If you see anything that comes up in your research as malicious, uninstall it right away.
STEP 4: GET ANSWERS AND GET HELP
There are any number of reasons why spying apps can be on your device. It may be that you downloaded it to try it and didn’t realize what it was going to be doing in the background. It could have been installed at or before the manufacture date as part of a supply chain attack. Hopefully this isn’t the case, but it could have been put there by somebody trying to find you or gather dirt on you. If this is the case, be sure to contact the authorities and get help to make sure you aren’t targeted again.