8 Dangerous Android Apps You Should Never Install (2022)

With malware and bloatware issues on the rise on Android, it’s more important than ever to make sure the apps you’re downloading aren’t a threat to you or your device. Google removes many adware and spyware apps from the Play Store from time to time, but what about the most popular apps that aren’t outright malware per se but can be a major privacy nightmare? ?Here are the eight most dangerous Android apps you should avoid if you value your privacy.?

Dangerous Android apps to avoid

Google Play is a great place to find great new apps, but it’s important to be careful before downloading new apps because of the potential security implications. Even old and established apps can become a privacy nightmare if you’re not careful. Some apps may collect data from your phone and share your personal information with third-party advertisers in order to make money. That’s why we’ve created a list of the 8 most dangerous Android apps you should remove from your phone right now.

1.UC Browser

Developed by UCWeb, a subsidiary of Chinese technology giant Alibaba, UC Browser is one of the most downloaded web browsers on Android. However, cybersecurity analysts say data transmissions are not adequately protected and personal data could be at risk of being intercepted by hackers or intelligence agencies. According to researchers, browsers use weak encryption, and sometimes no encryption at all, when sending keystrokes over the web. Therefore, this app is dangerous and unsafe and should be removed from your phone as soon as possible.

Alternatives: Mozilla Firefox ( free ), Google Chrome (free), DuckDuckGo browser ( free ). Privacy-minded users should also check out Firefox Focus ( free ), an open-source privacy-focused browser that uses “private” or incognito mode by default. If you are an advanced user and know what you are doing, you can also use the Tor Browser ( free ).

2.Clean knit

CLEANit claims to be a junk file cleaner with millions of downloads on Play Store. Not only does this app require a large amount of permissions, but it also advertises services that are meaningless on modern Android devices with powerful hardware. In fact, some of them can even harm your mobile phone.

For example, clearing your cache will only slow down your phone if it needs to be rebuilt, but closing background apps won’t actually affect your battery life. Unless, of course, these apps are playing music or scanning files in the background, in which case you probably don’t want to force close them anyway.

Alternatives: Greenify ( free ), CCleaner ( free )

Note: If you have a relatively new Android smartphone, you should skip these “cleaner” and “optimizer” apps completely. They do not help improve the speed of your phone and often cause complications due to things like changing core settings. That said, if you need to use such apps, you should stick to the two mentioned above.

3. Dolphin Browser

Dolphin Browser is another very popular third-party browser app that promises a lot but delivers very little. This is a browser that supports Flash and should be uninstalled immediately as it is a tracking nightmare. According to multiple reports over the years, Dolphin not only saves your incognito browsing sessions but also reveals your original IP address even when using a VPN. There are also lots of additional “features” like video players and speed boosters, but they only add bloat.

Alternatives: Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, DuckDuckGo Browser (see [1] above for download links)

4. Virus Cleaner – Phone Cleaner without Antivirus

An app that has been installed over 14 million times, Virus Cleaner – Antivirus Free and Phone Cleaner by Super Cleaner Studio is exactly what matters in the Android ecosystem. You’ll see tons of ads, many of them for services and brands with questionable reputations. What’s more, it promises to be an “efficient security master, phone junk cleaner, WIFI security, super-fast booster, battery saver, CPU cooler, and notification cleaner,” but it’s actually only about as recognizable as any software. cannot be achieved. Personally, I would skip any app that claims to be a “CPU cooler.”

Alternatives: Avast ( free ), AVG ( free ), Kaspersky ( free ).

Note: The best antivirus tool for Android is Google Play Protect, which is enabled by default on all Android smartphones, so we recommend skipping this category completely.

5. SuperVPN Free VPN Client

SuperVPN has been installed over 100 million times and is one of the most used VPN apps on Android. However, cybersecurity analysts said earlier this year that the app contained critical vulnerabilities that could allow hackers to perform MitM (man-in-the-middle) attacks, allowing users to access information such as credit card details, photos, private chats, etc. He claimed that personal information such as people could be stolen. According to reports, criminals could also exploit this vulnerability to hijack users’ connections to malicious websites, further jeopardizing users’ privacy and security.

Alternatives: Express VPN ( free ), Nord VPN ( free ), SurfShark ( free ). Also check out our detailed list of the best VPN apps for Android.

6. RT News

Russia Today (RT), which is funded by the Kremlin, is the official mouthpiece of the Russian government. The network offers an English-language news channel, blog, and multiple mobile apps aimed at Western audiences. Despite claiming to be high-quality journalistic work, it is often used as a propaganda vehicle by Vladimir Putin’s government, and by Western security agencies such as the CIA and MI6 to influence U.S. politics and politics. has been cited as a major source of disinformation about Leaving the EU. If you don’t want to be bombarded with fake news, these are the best news apps to avoid.

Alternatives: CNN ( free ), BBC ( free )

7. Super Clean – Master of Cleaners

Yet another “cleaner” app that simply had to be added to the list due to its popularity. Magic Dev’s Super Clean has over 26 million installs on the Play Store, but like most other cleaner apps, it does little in terms of actually speeding up your phone. Like other apps in this category, it promises to optimize battery usage, remove junk files, and boost memory, all of which don’t require any third-party apps. Most Android vendors bundle security/cleaner apps with their phones anyway, and that should often work.

Alternatives: Greenify and CCleaner (see [3] above for download links).

Note: As mentioned earlier, “cleaner” or “speed booster” apps can do more harm than good to your phone. To really speed up your phone, uninstall apps you don’t use and delete multimedia files to a faster Class 10/U3/V90 card if your phone supports microSD. If not, transfer them to your PC or USB drive to reclaim space on your phone.

8. Filled Music

The penultimate app on our list is Fildo. It was once an illegal music download app disguised as a local music player. The app removed its music download function after being exposed as a scanner, and is now redirecting itself as a music management app.

But we’re skeptical of apps that promise one thing and then do something else. It has also been reported to have ties to controversial Chinese entertainment company Netease, which is another red flag for users. We recommend switching to another app depending on your music playback needs.

Alternatives: VLC ( free ), AIMP (free), Poweramp ( free )

Bonus: SMTH (Send to Heaven)

Last but not least, there’s SMTH. It’s actually a cool little gaming app, but it’s harmful to your phone in unexpected ways. This app uses your smartphone’s built-in sensors to measure how high you can throw your smartphone. That’s right, you have to throw your phone high in the air for the game to work.

The app received a lot of attention when it was first released about 10 years ago. Honestly, this game is a lot of fun, but for obvious reasons, this app has ended the life of many devices. Install at your own risk, but don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Other dangerous apps you shouldn’t install

In the list above, we have only selected apps that are currently available on the Play Store. But hundreds more apps have been banned from the Play Store for reasons including click fraud, illegal data mining, and “destructive advertising.” These include Clean Master, DU Battery Saver, ES File Explorer, Quick Pic Gallery, and a host of other software, much of it developed by the notorious Chinese developer Cheetah Mobile.

Many of these are still available for download as APKs from various sites and third-party Android app stores. Therefore, if you do not know the background of a particular app or its developer, it is best not to download that app on your device.

How to distinguish between useful and potentially harmful apps

It can be difficult to distinguish between good and malicious apps. However, one tell-tale sign that should always cause concern is the number of unnecessary permissions that an app requests . Does the flashlight app need location permissions? Does the cleaning app need camera and microphone access?

Does your photo editing app ask for phone or SMS permission? If so, it’s best to avoid such software. Although asking for additional permissions is not a definitive sign that the app is dangerous, you should always do your research before installing an app on your phone.

As a rule of thumb, it’s best to avoid using cleaners, antivirus software, RAM boosters, etc. Because they almost always provide little real performance improvement. Other apps to watch out for are weather and scanner apps that may collect sensitive location and personally identifiable data from your phone.

And yes, many emoji apps and photo filter/editor apps are just glorified adware, if not more . At the end of the day, it’s best to avoid apps that request tons of permissions for things unrelated to their advertised functionality.

Avoid these apps and keep your Android safe

Despite Google’s constant efforts, you can still find thousands of dangerous apps such as malware, adware, spyware, and bloatware on the Play Store. However, we have included the aforementioned app in the list because it is one of the most widely used and dangerous apps on Android. So, if you have any of the most dangerous Android apps listed above on your phone, uninstall them now and download an alternative instead.