Fake apps

Software is increasingly available via app stores, like the App Store on Apple Mac computers or the Microsoft Store on Windows. On the iPhone and iPad, the App Store is the default way to install apps; while Android phones and tablets typically have the Google Play store.

Developers must meet certain conditions to make their apps available this way, and the stores perform checks on the apps they deliver. But the curation process isn’t perfect, and it’s not uncommon to find apps that:

• Show unwanted or excessive advertising.
• Try to steal your private information.

Broadly speaking, these apps either:

• Impersonate a popular app, hoping you’ll install them by mistake.
• Claim to offer a utility, like a calculator or torch.

A fake or rogue app will often ‘work’, in the sense that it will do the job you expect, in addition to causing annoyance or harm. There may be no overt signs that anything is wrong. So, your best defence is to avoid such apps in the first place.

Before installing an app, check:

• The name. A fake app might use different or extra words, like ‘Wikipedia Search’ rather than ‘Wikipedia’.
• The developer’s name. For example, the App Store page for WhatsApp shows it is made by WhatsApp Inc. It’s unlikely that a bogus developer could have registered this name.
• Reviews and ratings. For example, at the time of writing, WhatsApp has been rated an average of four-and-a-half stars by 200 million users of the Google Play store. It’s unlikely a fake version would have achieved that.

Finally, when using an app you’ve installed, be cautious if it requests permissions that don’t make sense. One great thing about modern operating systems is that they can grant access to specific data, like documents or pictures, and specific abilities, like taking photos or making calls, on a per-app basis. So, if your phone suddenly tells you your Soduko app wants permission to read your text messages, you can become suspicious, say no, and get rid of it!