Android warning over 230 apps that can BREAK your phone – delete them now
THE GOOGLE Play Store has had to remove a number of popular apps after they were found to contain well-hidden advertising 'plugins', which forcibily display ads on your lock screen.
The constant adverts, which display outside of the affected apps and pop up even when the phone is sleeping, can make your phone unusable.
discovered the phone breaking plugin, called BeiTaAd, in 238 apps in the Google Play Store.
A plugin is just a piece of software, which adds specific features and customisation to computer programs like apps.
The software company reported the malicious apps to Google and the dangerous plugin has now been removed.
However, if you still have an old version of the app on your phone then it can still affect you so users will either need to delete or update any of the affected programs.
Lookout estimated that these apps have been downloaded 440 million times in total.
All of the apps were published by mobile internet company, CooTek, which is best known for its TouchPal keyboard themes.
Most of the apps in question are keyboard themes but a range of health and fitness apps and a document scanner app also made the list.
One angry user commented on the : "Just downloaded this app and it is nothing but ads ads ads. Don't waste your time. As far as I'm concerned, it probably is ran by a bunch of damn scammers! Uninstalling!!! if i could give it a zero, I would."
Tom Davison, EMEA Technical Director at Lookout told The Sun: "The advice is to delete the affected apps, or to upgrade to newer versions without the BeiTa plugin where available. This is because of the persistence of the ads which can interfere with normal device usage.
"Users have reported being unable to answer calls or interact with other apps, due to the persistent and pervasive nature of the ads displayed."
How to delete apps from an Android phone
- Open "Settings" and scroll to "Apps"
- Tap on the app you want to remove
- Then click "Uninstall"
Below are all the affected apps that we found that you should update or install.
Apps affected by the BeiTaAd plugin
Here are the apps that you need to update or delete from your phone...
- TouchPal Keyboard Pro
- Abs Workout
- Phone Color Screen
- Cupid Arrpw Caller Screen
- Color Phone
- TouchPal Emoji Keyboard Fun
- Laugh Fly TouchPal Boomtext
- Love TouchPal Boomtext
- Boston dictionary - TouchPal
- New York dictionary - TouchPal
- Seattle dictionary - TouchPal
- Emojidex for TouchPal Plugin
- Emoji One TouchPal Plugin
- Twitter Emoji TouchPal Plugin
- Free Federant Medium Cool Font
- Lobster Free Keyboard Font
- Parisish Keyboard Font
- TouchPal Emoji Keyboard-Stock
- Arabic for TouchPal Keyboard
- Assamese for TouchPal Keyboard
- Bengali for TouchPal Keyboard
- Burmese for TouchPal Keyboard
- TouchPal English (GB) Keyboard
- TouchPal English (US) Keyboard
- French for TouchPal Keyboard
- German for TouchPal Keyboard
- Greek for TouchPal Keyboard
- Gujarati for TouchPal Keyboard
- Hindi for TouchPal Keyboard
- Hungarian for TouchPal Keyboard
- Indonesian for TouchPal Keyboard
- Korean for TouchPal Keyboard
- Marathi for TouchPal Keyboard
- Persian for TouchPal Keyboard
- Polish for TouchPal Keyboard
- Russian for TouchPal Keyboard
- Tagalog for TouchPal Keyboard
- Tamil for TouchPal Keyboard
- Turkish for TouchPal Keyboard
- Urdu for TouchPal Keyboard
- TouchPal Coffee Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Greyish White Theme
- 3D Blue Cool Tech Keyboard Theme
- 3D Gold Keyboard Theme
- 3D Metal Piano Keys Keyboard Theme
- Black Death Skull Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Black Gold Theme
- TouchPal Black Leather Theme
- Fashion Keyboard Theme - Simple Black Red Style
- TouchPal Blue Balloon Theme
- Live 3D Animated Blue Light Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Blue Machine Theme
- Blue Keyboard Theme 6.6.2.2019
- Orchid TouchPal Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Blue Rain Theme
- Blue Water Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Bright Blue Theme
- Business Black Red Keyboard Theme 6.4.26.2019
- Charm TouchPal Keyboard Theme
- Colorful Water Drop Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Comet Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Cool Summer Theme
- Cute Emoji Keyboard Theme
- Cute Koi Fish Keyboard Theme
- Lovely Cuteness Pink Unicorn Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Dark Glass Theme
- Moonlight Fox Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Doodle Memo keyboard
- TouchPal Drop Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Emoji Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Fall Keyboard Theme
- Water Droplets Keyboard Theme
- Live Floating Love Heart Valentine Keyboard Theme
- Fluorescent Flashy Neon Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Freeze Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Fresh Green Theme
- New 11 Simple Style Keyboard Theme
- Galaxy Classic Purple Keyboard Theme
- Black Cute Glitter Unicorn Keyboard Theme
- Glory TouchPal Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Gold Keyboard Theme
- Gold Black Metal Keyboard Theme
- Gold Butterfly Keyboard Theme
- Luxury Gold Keyboard Theme
- Gold Tattoo Keyboard Theme
- Green Life FREE Keyboard Theme
- Green Rasta Weed Stylish Reading
- TouchPal Halloween Theme
- Happy Mother's Day Keyboard Theme
- Holiday Shore Keyboard Theme
- Hologram Neon Keyboard Theme
- Classic Black Stylish Reading
- TouchPal Icy Blue Theme
- Indian Independence Day Keyboard Theme
- Fantasy Galaxy Keyboard Theme
- Pink Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Ivory Keyboard Theme
- Live Jamaican Rasta Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Lemon Tree Theme
- TouchPal Lime Keyboard Theme
- Liquid Galaxy Droplets Keyboard Theme
- Live TouchPal Keyboard Theme
- Live 3D Blooming Flower Keyboard Theme
- Live 3D Cool Red Soccer Player Keyboard Theme
- Live 3D Green Football Game Keyboard Theme
- Live 3D Swimming Fish Keyboard Theme
- Live 3D Blue Water Keyboard Theme
- Live Flowing Water Keyboard Theme
- Live Love Lover Keyboard Theme
- Live 3D Neon Blue Love Heart Keyboard Theme
- Live Neon Red Heart Keyboard Theme
- Lovely Parrots Keyboard Theme
- Lovely Bear Keyboard Theme
- Lovely Water Star Unicorn Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Luxury Diamond Theme
- Matte Color Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Mechanical Pink Theme
- TouchPal Mermaid Keyboard Skin
- TouchPal Moon Night Keyboard
- Music Notes Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Music Pool Keyboard
- Navy Tinge Keyboard Theme
- Neon Blue Power Button Keyboard Theme
- Colorful Glitter Neon Butterfly Keyboard Theme
- Glitter Neon Purple Butterfly Keyboard Theme
- Neon Galaxy Heart Keyboard Theme
- Gold Dragon Keyboard Theme
- Neon Weed Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Neon Purple Theme
- Glitter Neon Purple Butterfly Keyboard Theme
- Neon Sports Car Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Amour Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Ninja Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Keyboard Theme for OPPO F3 Plus (Black/Orange)
- Pearl White Keyboard
- Pink Butterfly Keyboard Theme
- Pink Diamond Princess Keyboard Theme
- Pink Sparkling Diamond Princess Keyboard Theme
- Pink Flamingo And Rose Keyboard Theme
- Pink Rose Garden Keyboard Theme
- Pink Sakura Flower Stylish Reading
- TouchPal Pink Sexy Keyboard
- Pink Water Sakura Keyboard Theme
- Plum Blossom Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Pop Art Aqua Theme
- TouchPal Pride Day Keyboard
- TouchPal PurpleButterfly Theme
- Purple Butterfly Keyboard Theme
- Purple Neon Butterfly Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Purple Rose Theme
- TouchPal Rainbow keyboard
- Rainbow Rose Galaxy Unicorn Cat Keyboard Theme
- Raindrop Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Red And Black Theme
- Red Heart Keyboard Theme
- Red Metal Keyboard Theme
- Live 3D Red Neon Heart Keyboard Theme
- Romantic Love Red Rose Keyboard Theme
- Romantic Red Rose Flower Keyboard Theme
- Love Romantic Couple Keyboard Theme
- Simple Rose Gold Keyboard Theme
- Rose Gold Keyboard Theme
- Rose Gold Water Droplets Stylish Reading
- TouchPal Sakura Spring Theme
- 3D Simple Business Black Keyboard Theme
- Business Simple Black Red Keyboard Theme
- White Style Keyboard Theme
- Sparkling Heart Keyboard Theme
- Sparkling Purple Heart Keyboard Theme
- Special Green Keyboard Theme
- Animated Cute Fish Keyboard Theme
- Live Clown Fish Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Tiger Keyboard Theme
- Twinkle Minny Bowknot
- Vampire Bats Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Summer Vanilla Theme
- Vigour TouchPal Keyboard Theme
- Glass Water Keyboard Theme
- Water Keyboard - Blue Glass Water Keyboard Theme
- 3D Blue Water Screen Droplets Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Watermelon Theme
- TouchPal Winter Keyboard Theme
- Wild Wolf Keyboard Theme
- Wood Physical Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Bright Yogurt Theme
- Zombie Skull Graffiti Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Zoo Giraffe Theme
- TouchPal Kraft emoji Theme
- TouchPal Smartisan T1 Theme
- TouchPal Stamp Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Candy Icecream Theme
- TouchPal Spring Garden Theme
- TouchPal Black Key Theme
- TouchPal Cool V5 Emoji Theme
- Simple Style Stylish Reading
- Simple Neon Blue Future Tech Keyboard Theme
- TouchPal Fun Technology Theme
- TouchPal Jack-O-Lanterns Theme
- TouchPal Love Chocolate Theme
- TouchPal Simple Love Theme
- TouchPal Sweet Candy Theme
- TouchPal Love Heartbeat Theme
- TouchPal Magic Love Boy Theme
- TouchPal Magic Love Girl Theme
- TouchPal Christmas Theme
- Boom Text Keyboard Sticker
- Gold Emoji Keyboard Sticker
- Happy Emoji Keyboard Sticker
- Cat Word Keyboard Sticker
- Free TouchPal Sticker - Party
- TouchPal Big Emoji Sticker
- Breeze - Meditation & Sleep Music, White Noise
- Doc Scanner - PDF Scanner & QR Reader
- TouchPal Emoji Keyboard: AvatarMoji, 3DTheme, GIFs
- Messenger for Social App
- Horoscope - Horoscope Secret & Palm Reader
- Drink Water Reminder – Water Diet Tracker & Alarm
- Horoscope Prediction - Zodiac Signs Astrology
- Smart Radio FM - Free Music, Internet & FM radio
- Melody Radio - Live radio, Music & Free FM
- Messengers in one
- Tinkle Music Player
- Period App Cherry - Menstrual Calendar&Tracker
- Horoscope Pro - Free Zodiac Sign Reading
- Smart Scan, QR code, Bar-Code-Scanner & tag reader
- Coreader- QR Code & Barcode Scanner
- Vallpaper
- Daily Water Tracker
- HiFit – Abs & Butt Workout, Home Workout Plan
- ManFIT – Muscle building Exercise, Home Workout
- Man Workouts - Abs Workout & Building Muscle
- Step Counter - Pedometer Free & Calorie Counter
- Step Tracker - Pedometer & Daily Walking Tracker
- Walking Tracker
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In other news, a huge iPhone iOS 13 update will add Dark Mode, ‘swipe to type’ text and secret emails to iPhones.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 ‘will come with no buttons or headphone jack’.
And, here's how to get early access to the upcoming Dark Mode for iPhone.
Do you have any of these apps on your phone? Let us know in the comments...
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