Fake Chrome app slipped onto the Play Store and passed 100,000 downloads

[Seb93]

A fake Google Chrome app got past Google's review, appeared above the real browser in search results, and was downloaded more than 100,000 times before it was removed. Android Authority's Akshay Gangwar has the story, which was first spotted on Reddit and reported by PiunikaWeb

The app's history is telling. It was first uploaded on 22 August as a game called Ball Bounce by a developer listed as Hizbartech. On 30 September, it changed its name and icon to Google Chrome. Android Authority says the listing paid for its top spot, because Google allowed it to advertise in search results for Chrome

According to a Reddit commenter, the app was not a game or a browser at all. It was a simple chat app with canned replies. It is not clear what the developer hoped to gain, but taking over the name of one of the world's most popular apps clearly drew in a lot of people

The writer contrasts this with Google's push to tighten sideloading rules, which the company has justified by pointing to the risk of fake apps outside the Play Store. Here, a fake app got through on the official store itself. Android Authority asked Google for comment but had not received a reply at the time of publication

The practical advice is simple. Before installing an app, check the developer name and, if you can, the package name. Google's own apps are always published by Google LLC. A quick glance would have caught this one

How did this get through review? And do you check the developer name before you install an app?

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