Antivirus for Android

[Filippo]

Hi,

Antivirus app are dangerous for programmers.
I have already twice the case that someone can not install my app or that only a white screen is displayed at startup.
After several e-mails with the customer to find the cause, I found that an installed antivirus was the cause of the problem.
So antivirus uninstalled and the app works as it should.

 

[Sandman]

That's interesting. Did you figure out in what way it did interfere with your app, causing the white screen?

And on a sidenote: Do antivirus apps have special privileges from Google that gives them power to interfere?

 

[Filippo]

That's interesting. Did you figure out in what way it did interfere with your app, causing the white screen?

And on a sidenote: Do antivirus apps have special privileges from Google that gives them power to interfere?

For example, this:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cleanmaster.security
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.avast.android.mobilesecurity

 

[Sandman]

Well, that didn't really answer any of my questions. But it's interesting to see their permissions. They do have some fairly brutal ones that I imagine would be helpful if you're making an antivirus.

But they both also had some that makes me feel like they themselves are bad actors. Just to pick a few that doesn't seem to relate at all to doing antivirus things:

• read your Web bookmarks and history
• take pictures and videos
• record audio
• add or remove accounts
• add or modify calendar events and send email to guests without owners' knowledge
• read your contacts
• modify your contacts
• directly call phone numbers

 

[Filippo]

The app cleanmaster.security, for example, has prevented my app from being able to save its score online, meaning that it has blocked the Internet for my game.

 

[Sandman]

That's interesting. And knowing that, I suppose we should all code extra defensively so we can handle situations like this. Just because a previous check verified that we do have access to Internet, obviously doesn't mean we actually can access resources out there.

 

[Filippo]

That's interesting. And knowing that, I suppose we should all code extra defensively so we can handle situations like this. Just because a previous check verified that we do have access to Internet, obviously doesn't mean we actually can access resources out there.

Yes, exactly, more and more tests.

The fact is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to program an app. The new Android versions are getting more and more complex and now these so-called antivirus apps.
An antivirus is totally unnecessary in Android, but most users do not know and even buy or the app is already preinstalled.

 

[Filippo]

Avast AntiVirus responded to my Recession in Play Store.

My Recession:

Antiviren-Apps sind für Android total unnötig!
Anti-virus apps are totally unnecessary for Android!

Answer by Avast:

Antwort des Entwicklers:
Vielen Dank für Ihren Kommentar! Das Android-System ist natürlich geschützt und es gibt zahlreiche Sicherheitsvorkehrungen, andererseits tauchen täglich neue bösartige Apps für Android auf. Wenn Sie sehen möchten, wie viel Malware wir täglich entdecken, besuchen Sie diese Seite: https://goo.gl/PsFsQz Tereza*Avast

Developer's reply:
Thanks for your comment! The Android system is of course protected and there are numerous security precautions, on the other hand, daily new malicious apps for Android emerge. If you want to see how much malware we discover daily, visit this page: https://goo.gl/PsFsQz Tereza*Avast

 

[Filippo]

Can an app remove another app after it has been granted permission from User?
I'm asking because Avast responded to my review.

My review:

Hello people, there are no viruses on Android and even if Avast should detect a virus, so the app can not remove it, this must manually remove itself, because NO app has the permission to remove another app.

Avast answer:

We can remove it - with an initial authorization of a user.

 

[LucaMs]

It does not seem to me that I have read what in your app can detect it as if it were a virus.

Furthermore, Google is very meticulous with regard to really irrelevant things but, evidently, it doesn't run tests with antiviruses!

 

[Erel]

Can an app remove another app after it has been granted permission from User?

Yes. Its similar to the way that one app can install another one: Version safe APK installation

You just need to change the intent action: https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/t...atically-by-packagemanager.19277/#post-111037