Ecosystem Android It makes you feel like you are out of control for a long time. This situation also applies to the Play Store, a store where malware is occasionally detected even today, despite Google’s efforts to prevent it.

The antimalware team of Dr. Recently discovered the site a handful of Android apps published on the Play Store that were created to spread malware and adware and which have been downloaded a total of about 10 million times. These apps have been almost completely removed by Google, but it is likely that the user still has one or some of them installed on their smartphone or tablet.

As for the apps in question, they were of many types, reportedly including virtual keyboards, image editors, wallpaper changers, and more. Clearly, all of these apps did, or at least tried to do, what they advertised, but on the inside contained intrusive ads, invitations to subscribe to premium services and could even damage the system or end up with account theft their victims on social networks.

In order to remain more unnoticed by users, malicious applications took care to hide their icons or replace them with others that could cut off other system components, such as the SIM card utility. Some malicious apps apparently even crashed so the user couldn’t enter their password to uninstall them, while others harbored Joker, an old acquaintance responsible for fraudulently charging their victims’ mobile numbers in order to subscribe them to a premium. services.

Dr. The website uncovered two cases of image manipulators hiding a Facebook account theft feature. Both manipulators were concerned with applying drawing effect filters to photographs or real images (although presumably at the moment of truth the filters could be applied to any image). Together, these malicious apps were downloaded about 1.5 million times.

The list of malicious apps is long, but one of them is “Neon Theme Keyboard”, which has been downloaded more than a million times despite only having a score of 1.8 on the Play Store. Two other apps, “Water Reminder” and “Yoga – For Beginner to Advanced”, have been downloaded 100,000 times and 50,000 times, respectively. The worst is The store still lists “Neon Theme Keyboard” and “Yoga – Beginner to Advanced”..

The Play Store should be a safe place for users, but unfortunately it’s not quite the case and that Google is working hard to keep malware out of its store. In these cases, it’s a good idea to take a close look at the app’s score and read both top-rated and recent reviews to get an idea of ​​whether the app is trustworthy or not. If doubts persist even after the checks have been carried out, it is best not to install.

We leave you with a complete list of apps discovered on the Play Store with malware and adware. In case you have one or some of them installed, from MuyComputer we strongly recommend uninstalling it immediately and restoring your smartphone to factory settings to guarantee that no traces remain:

• Photo Editor: Beauty Filter (gb.artfilter.tenvarnist)
• Photo Editor: Retouch & Cutout (de.nineenergysh.quickarttwo)
• Photo Editor: Art Filters (gb.painnt.moonlightingnine)
• Photo Editor – Design Maker (gb.twentynine.redaktoridea)
• Photo editor and background eraser (de.photoground.twentysixshot)
• Photo & Exif Editor (de.xnano.photoexifeditornine)
• Photo Editor – Filter Effects (de.hitopgop.sixtyeightgx)
• Photo Filters and Effects (de.sixtyonecollice.cameraroll)
• Photo Editor: Blur Image (de.instgang.fiftyggfife)
• Photo Editor: Cut, Paste (de.fiftyninecamera.rollredactor)
• Emoji Keyboard: Stickers & GIFs (gb.crazykey.sevenboard)
• Neon Theme Keyboard (com.neonthemekeyboard.app)
• Neon Theme – Android Keyboard (com.androidneonkeyboard.app)
• Cache Cleaner (com.cachecleanereasytool.app)
• Fancy Charging (com.fancyanimatedbattery.app)
• FastCleaner: Cash Cleaner (com.fastcleanercashecleaner.app)
• Call Skins – Caller Themes (com.rockskinthemes.app)
• Funny Caller (com.funnycallercustomtheme.app)
• CallMe Phone Themes (com.callercallwallpaper.app)
• InCall: Contact Background (com.mycallcustomcallscreen.app)
• MyCall – Call Personalization (com.mycallcallpersonalization.app)
• Caller Theme (com.caller.theme.slow)
• Caller Theme (com.callertheme.firstref)
• Funny Wallpapers – Live Screen (com.funnywallpapaerslive.app)
• Auto 4K Wallpaper Changer (de.andromo.ssfiftylivesixcc)
• NewScreen: 4D Wallpapers (com.newsscreen4dwallpapers.app)
• Stock wallpapers and backgrounds (de.stockeighty.onewallpapers)
• Notes – Reminders & Lists (com.notesreminderslists.app)