Owners of Android phones and tablets should check their devices for malicious apps, security experts have warned.
UK firm Sophos has drawn up a list of 15 apps to watch out for because they are potentially harmful, according to Wales Online .
Some of the apps are able to disguise themselves as innocent - even vital - tools, despite being anything but.
One of the apps on the list, Flash On Calls & Messages, shows a fake error message when launched and re-directs you to Google Maps in the Play Store - yet the app goes on to hide itself in your phone or tablet.
Sophos has offered advice to users wanting to uninstall the apps immediately, reports The Express.
Speaking to TechRadar , a Sophos spokesperson said: “If you suspect that an app you recently installed is hiding its icon in the app tray, tap Settings (the gear menu) and then Apps & Notifications. The most recently opened apps appear in a list at the top of this page.
"If any of those apps use the generic Android icon (which looks like a little greenish-blue Android silhouette) and have generic-sounding names (‘Back Up,’ ‘Update,’ ‘Time Zone Service’) tap the generic icon and then tap ‘Force Stop’ followed by ‘Uninstall.’ A real system app will have a button named ‘Disable’ instead of ‘Uninstall’ and you don’t need to bother disabling it."
All of the apps mentioned have been removed from the Google Play Store, but they will still be on more than a million devices and Sophos has warned that other programmes could perform similar deception tactics.
The company says people should check reviews on any apps before downloading.
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