AppLovin Nonconsensual Installs

Re:AppLovin Nonconsensual Installs by lukec11 on Tuesday October 14, 2025 @08:33PM (#45586677)

I looked through the AppHub APK last year after a friend told me they'd found unknown apps installed on their flagship Samsung, and I was very surprised to find some of the same "direct download" references you did.

I've known for a long time that T-Mobile shipped junk apps upon initial setup, but seeing them loaded OTA after a single click on an ad (even a few pixels off of the "x" button) is very concerning. Even putting aside the moral issues with practices like this, that's a huge security hole in a very large percentage of Android phones.

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Re:AppLovin Nonconsensual Installs by bedelman on Tuesday October 14, 2025 @08:45PM (#45586741)

lukec11, I would enjoy chatting with you about methods and findings. Send a note? https://www.benedelman.org/mail/

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Re:AppLovin Nonconsensual Installs by w-ll on Tuesday October 14, 2025 @10:48PM (#45587580)

ADB can show you what package install'd a package. I've been running a setup but I gernally buy a bunch of the same phone, but after they get wifi they install masive amounts of junk.

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Re:AppLovin Nonconsensual Installs by bedelman on Wednesday October 15, 2025 @01:17AM (#45588320)

Yup, can see what package installed a package both via ADB and even in the Settings > Apps GUI. Of course that's a slightly different question from whether the install was nonconsensual.

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