Tag: apps

  • Google Duo transforms in Google Meet

    Google Duo transforms in Google Meet

    Google Duo transforms in Google Meet

    Only a few days have passed since we gave you an update on the conversion of Google Duo into Google Meet, and we already have another. Google informs us today that the Google Duo symbol and name change, which transforms it into Google Meet, is beginning today.

    We recently informed you that Google would rename Duo to Meet by the end of the year after integrating all of Google Meet’s capabilities into Google Duo. Google claims that the change will begin to take effect immediately and that it may take several weeks to fully implement. The full deployment should take place by September, at which point all users should notice a change in icon and name.

    If it hasn’t already, the old Google Meet app you presently have on your phone will also be renamed to “Meet (original)” in addition to the move from Duo to Meet. I’ve already changed, as you can see in the example above.

    Google is also replacing the branding on duo.google.com with Google Meet as of today. That will redirect to meet.google.com/calling in the “coming few months.”

    Get Google Meet

  • These Pro versions are currently free – apps and games

    These Pro versions are currently free – apps and games

    apps and games

    For a limited time only, Android apps and games are available to download for free this week. We will explain to you how to obtain these priceless downloads.

    If you have been following Droid Tools for some time, you will be familiar with what to anticipate from this article: Both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store frequently run sales and promotions where you may get paid content for nothing for a brief period of time.

    Unlike our list of the five best applications of the week, we have not intentionally tried any of the downloads we have compiled for you.

    Hence, be a little bit careful before you fall into a money pit as some apps may still include microtransactions.

    Tip: Do you want to secure a free app for the future? If so, download it once and uninstall it if necessary. This way, it will be added to your list of purchased apps and you can download it again in the future once you need it.

    These apps are free in the Google Play Store

    • Measuring Center ($4.49): Do you want to perform a makeover in your home this summer? Then download this app and make sure your DIY projects will not run from the required measurements!
    • Equalizer Bass Booster Pro ($1.99): This app sports a volume booster that alters the global sound and improves sound quality, making your music sound more pleasant and loud. Of course, it might even make your earbuds experience better.

    These games are free in the Google Play Store

    • Sword Knights: Idle RPG (Magic) ($1.49): If you love collecting all kinds of weapons and basically leveling up and becoming the most badass knight ever, then this game is perfect for you.
    • Assassin Lord: Idle RPG (Buff) ($1.99): Yet another self-playing RPG that cannot be affected by the player, but you are able to kill time with it.
    • Word Search 600 Pro ($1.99): Love tickling your brain? Then you will certainly be able to figure out just how smart you are by hunting down every single word.
    • Fastar VIP ($0.99): This is a rhythm game that tests your reflexes that pays homage to Beatmania and other old-school rhythm games.
    • DungeonMon! ($0.99): Train monsters and have them compete in battles to emerge as the victor. Does this sound familiar? 
    • SLOC ($1.99): This 2D Rubik’s Cube puzzle is a great way to pass the time in a beneficial manner whenever you want to squeeze your brain juice.
    • MR RACER ($4.99): Challenge your friends or the AI in fast-paced races. The road is simply straight without any curves, but it is still fun.
    • Bottle Breaker 3D ($1.99): This master bottle shooting game simulator from 2021 will make you feel like a professional glass breaker. Perfect for releasing stress in a mindless manner that features stunning graphics and smooth shooting control.
  • Droid Tools’s free apps and games for this week.

    Droid Tools’s free apps and games for this week.

    If you’ve been following Droid Tools for a long, you’ll be familiar with the following information: Both the Google Play Store and the Apple AppStore frequently host sales events where you may receive paid content for nothing for a brief period of time. Unlike our list of the five greatest applications of the week, we don’t explicitly try out the content when we compile these downloads and offer them for you. Therefore, use caution to avoid getting caught in a cost trap since some apps may still offer in-app purchases.

    Tip: Do you want to secure a free app for the future? Then download it once and delete it again if necessary. This way it will be added to your list of purchased apps and you can download it again in the future once you need it.

    free apps and games on Play Store

    Free apps for your Android phone

    These apps are free in the Google Play Store

    • Home Workout Pro ($1.49): Funny, I installed this app when it was free last time—and I’m still not more muscular. I’ll be sure to start this app sometime!
    • Video Gallery – HD Video Live Wallpapers ($0.99): For the most part, I don’t need live wallpapers on my smartphone. If you’re different and need some new fodder for your homescreen, this might be your app.

    These games are free in the Google Play Store

    • Peppa Pig Sports Day ($2.99): Peppa Pig games are always fun, aren’t they? Well, not for us adults, but kids celebrate Peppa frenetically, of course. As always, this is a collection of various mini-games.
    • Rogue Hearts ($0.99): Nice dungeon crawler that likes to force you into in-app purchases, though. You can also pick up weapons, treasures, etc. in the game.
    • Klocki ($1.99) No time limits, no ads, but chilled out music. That’s the way to enjoy a puzzle game, isn’t it?
    • Mr Racer($4.99): Challenge your friends or the AI in fast races. Goes straight ahead, but it’s still fun.
    • Neo Monsters ($0.99): Catch and train monsters and have them compete in battles – sounds like that one game, what was it called again?
    • Cartoon Craft ($1.99): Real-time strategy game in which you logically have to decimate your enemies’ troops.
    • Cyber Fighters: Offline Game ($1.09): Action RPG where you are immersed in a world right after the end of World War III – in the year 2077! Can be played offline, as the title suggests.
    • Superhero War Premium ($0.99):Action RPG, where you fight your way through many levels to collect gold and diamonds.
  • The best YouTube Vanced alternatives

    The best YouTube Vanced alternatives

    Without a doubt, YouTube Vanced was one of the greatest technologies in recent memory. It provided the same functionality as YouTube but without the annoying commercials, frequent UI changes, and dubious improvements like the elimination of the hate counter. In addition to resolving all of these problems, Vanced also introduced new features that completely altered how you consume material.

    One of the best features that Vanced offered was and is the SponsorBlock API. You could watch videos for far shorter periods of time because it essentially skipped all sponsor portions and self-promotions. Additionally, Vanced included a full AMOLED black theme that was very popular. Unfortunately, a Google notice forced Vanced to stop doing business.

    While there aren’t any options that are as smooth and flawless as YouTube Vanced, there are a few that let you watch without ads and even let you download movies to your phone. Therefore, unwind as you read about some of the top YouTube Vanced options you ought to employ in 2022.

    Best YouTube Vanced Alternatives in 2022

    1. LibreTube

    vanced alternative

    Kicking the list off, we have LibreTube, which is a beautiful YouTube client that provides an ad-free video-watching experience. The app allows you to customize playback controls and is completely open-source, meaning features can be added to it quite easily in the long run. The only downside for now is the fact that LibreTube is still in beta and is missing a lot of features, including the option to sign into a Google account. That said, the app is fast, fluid, and works as advertised.

    2. NewPipe

    ezgif.com gif maker 3 1

    NewPipe is a solid alternative to YouTube Vanced. It does not depend on any of the Google Frameworks to function and is instead based on another API that doesn’t require you to have a Google account to enjoy watching videos ad-free. The app has a simple interface with not much going on. While you can import your subscription feed from an existing Google account, you still cannot simply sign into one using the app. NewPipe also lets you download videos in a slew of different quality options.

    3. SkyTube

    SkyTube is similar to NewPipe in a lot of ways, and we only really recommend one over the other if you’re facing troubles using either of them. Just like NewPipe, SkyTube doesn’t run on top of YouTube’s API and thus allows for a seamless ad-free video-watching experience. You can import your subscriptions to avoid starting from scratch, although the app doesn’t have support for logging into a Google account as of yet.

    4. Kiwi Browser with Extensions

    kiwi browser

    If you really miss the great SponsorBlock integration that YouTube Vanced had in store, we have got a workaround! Kiwi Browser is a chromium-based web browser available on the Play Store that you can use to watch videos on YouTube using the mobile website. While this might seem obvious, you can install extensions such as an adblocker and SponsorBlock to enjoy an experience similar to that of YouTube Vanced. The only downside to using this method is the rather clumsy and unintuitive interface of the YouTube web app.

    5. YouTube Premium

    ezgif.com gif maker 4 1

    As much as we hate to admit it, the best video-watching experience is offered by YouTube itself. While it still lacks features like SponsorBlock and the dislike counter, there is no denying that the official YouTube app will provide you with the smoothest and fastest experience while consuming content. YouTube Premium gets rid of all the ads for you, unlocks Premium content, and allows you to watch videos in the picture-in-picture (PIP) mode. YouTube Premium has pretty attractive pricing with its family plan, so you might want to check that out.

    Conclusion

    We hope our article on some of the best YouTube Vanced alternatives provided you with some much-needed insight. If you have suggestions for Vanced alternatives other than what we’ve mentioned, do let the other readers know in the comments below! If you have any queries regarding the article, feel free to contact us, we’d be happy to help!

  • Debloat any Huawei device using ADB

    Debloat any Huawei device using ADB

    Bloatware consumes storage on your smartphone. The worst part is that you can’t immediately uninstall them from your Huawei smartphone; they go by the name of tools. This bloatware typically comes preinstalled on your device. However, occasionally they do originate from different places, such as downloading dangerous links or third-party apps. Here is a simple tutorial on how to use ADB commands to debloat or remove bloatware from Huawei.

    You must be sick and tired of the bloatware that comes pre-installed on your Huawei smartphones. And as you would have guessed, the majority of them serve no purpose other than to promote Huawei and occasionally steal your data.

    debloat huawei devices

    Why You Should Remove Bloatware Apps

    Bloatware is generally in your device to consume a lot of valuable resources, including battery juice. While it is running in the background of your device, it affects your device’s performance. It could fill your lock screen with Ads, or even your internet browser.

    How To Debloat Or Remove Bloatware From Huawei Using ADB

    Below mentioned steps are there to help you in removing the bloatware from the device. You need to follow these steps very thoroughly and successfully remove the bloatware from the device.

    Step 1: Download and install Android SDK

    The baby step toward this guide is to download the Android SDK tool from this link. This is the official tool provided by Google. The Android SDK tool is a software development kit used to develop Android applications.

    Here is how you can install the Android SDK platform Packages and tool

    • Start the Android Studio
    • Select Configure>SDK Manager
    • In the default setting dialog box, click these tabs to install Android SDK platform packages.
    • Click apply and then click OK.

    Or you can just download it directly from this link.

    Step 2: Enable USB debugging

    The next step is making your device readable by the ADB software to make changes in the ADB mode. Head on to the settings>about and enable developer mode by tapping on the build number seven times.

    Your smartphone’s developer option will be turned on.

    Now go to Settings > System > Advanced > Developer Option, scroll down and look for the USB debugging and turn it on.

    Step 3: Make sure to establish the ADB shell Connection

    The ADB command does a variety of device actions, such as installing and debugging an App and when you are about to debloat your smartphone from all the bloatware preset, Establishing an ADB shell connection is a must; here is how you can do it.

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    • Connect your smartphone with the PC using the USB cable.
    • Now look for the platform tool folder in the Android Studio SDK manager, in the path android_sdk/platform-tools
    • In the platform tool folder, launch the Command Prompt, by typing the CMD in the address bar
    • Now type “adb devices” in the command window to verify the ADB connection.
    • You will get the device ID (If not, try again with correct spellings). Now type “adb shell” to establish the shell environment.
    • Your device codename will be listed, which means the shell connection is established.

    Step 4: Type in the ADB commands to remove bloatware from Huawei phone

    Now you can start removing bloatware apps from your device follow the below commands.

    Type “pm list packages” in the command line. This will give the list of all the available packages and apps on your Huawei device.

    Type “pm uninstall – –user 0 PackagenName” command for removing the bloatware from the Huawei device, the command is generic.

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    You can replace the PackageName with the actual package name. If you want to uninstall the Huawei stock app market, just type in “pm uninstall – –user 0 com.Huawei.appmarket” to uninstall the app market application.

    List of Huawei Bloatware Packages

    Below is the list of all the packages in your Huawei phone in the form of bloatware. You can remove all these applications and packages by just typing the package name.

    Huawei Built in Application Package

    com.huawei.android.tips | Huawei Tips/Tricks
    com.huawei.android.totemweather | Huawei Weather
    com.huawei.arengine.service | Augmented reality service
    com.huawei.browser | Huawei Browser
    com.huawei.contactscamcard | Business card reader
    com.huawei.compass | Huawei Compass
    com.huawei.desktop.explorer | Desktop Service
    com.huawei.fido.uafclient | Fast ID Online function
    com.huawei.gameassistant | Huawei Game Suite (HiGame)
    com.huawei.geofence | Geofence service
    com.baidu.input_huawei | Built in keyboard
    com.huawei.appmarket | Huawei Market
    com.huawei.android.chr | HwChrService
    com.huawei.android.FloatTasks | Floating dock
    com.huawei.android.hsf | Huawei own Services Framework
    com.huawei.android.hwpay | Huawei Payement app
    com.huawei.android.karaoke | karaoke entertainment app
    com.huawei.android.mirrorshare | MirrorShare from Huawei
    com.huawei.android.remotecontroller | Huawei Smart Controller
    com.huawei.search | HiSearch app
    com.huawei.stylus.floatmenu | Floating menu
    com.huawei.hdiw | Huawei ID app
    com.huawei.hifolder | Huawei Online Cloud folder service
    com.huawei.himovie.overseas | Huawei Videos App
    com.huawei.hitouch | Floating dock by Huawei
    com.huawei.hwdetectrepair | Huawei Smart diagnosis app
    com.huawei.iaware | Huawei info app
    com.huawei.livewallpaper.paradise | Live wallpaper service
    com.huawei.parentcontrol | Parental controls functions
    com.huawei.pcassistant | HiSuite service
    com.huawei.phoneservice | HiCare app
    com.huawei.mirror  | Huawei Mirror app
    com.huawei.screenrecorder | Huawei Screen recorder feature
    com.huawei.vassistant | Huawei Voice Assistant
    com.huawei.videoeditor | Video editor function
    com.huawei.wallet | Huawei Wallet
    com.huawei.watch.sync | Huawei Watch sync function
    com.iflytek.speechsuite | Default voice input method

    Bloatware Package  List

    com.android.bips | Print Service
    com.android.calculator2 | Calculator app
    com.android.calendar | Calendar app
    com.android.carrierconfig | Carrier-specific configuration
    com.android.cellbroadcastreceiver | Cell Broadcast
    com.android.dreams.basic | Screensaver mode
    com.android.dreams.phototable | Photo screensaver
    com.android.egg |Android build’s easter egg feature
    com.android.email | Stock email app
    com.android.emergency | Emergency Contacts
    com.android.exchange | Non-Gmail email support
    com.android.gallery3d | Gallery
    com.android.htmlviewer | In-built HTML viewer
    com.android.hotwordenrollment.okgoogle | OK Google detection service
    com.android.magicsmoke | Live wallpaper
    com.android.managedprovisioning | Managing App
    com.android.mediacenter | Huawei Music app
    com.android.mms | SMS app
    com.android.mms.service | MMS app
    com.android.noisefield | Live wallpaper
    com.android.phasebeam | Wallpaper
    com.android.printservice.reccomendation | Mobile Printing service
    com.android.pacprocessor | Proxy auto-configuration
    com.android.phone.recorder | Call recorder
    com.android.providers.blockednumber | Storage of blocked numbers
    com.android.providers.calendar | Calendar sync
    com.android.providers.partnerbookmarks | bookmarking service
    com.android.providers.userdictionary | Dictionary
    com.android.quicksearchbox | Quick Search box
    com.android.soundrecorder | Sound recorder
    com.android.stk | SIM Toolkit
    com.android.vending | Google Play Store
    com.android.voicedialer | Voice search
    com.android.vpndialogs | VPN system
    com.android.wallpaper.holospiral | Live wallpaper
    com.android.wallpaper.livepicker | Wallpaper picker
    com.android.wallpapercropper | Wallpaper cropper
    com.example.android.notepad | Notepad

    Apps from Google in Huawei smartphone

    com.google.android.apps.books | Google Books
    com.google.android.apps.cloudprint | Cloud print
    com.google.android.apps.currents | Currents
    com.google.android.apps.docs | Google Drive
    com.google.android.apps.fitness | Google Fit
    com.google.android.apps.mapps | Google Maps
    com.google.android.apps.photos | Google Photos
    com.google.android.apps.tachyon | Google Duo
    com.google.android.apps.wallpaper | Google Wallpapers
    com.google.android.apps.wellbeing | Digital Wellbeing
    com.google.android.feedback | Google Feedback
    com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox | Google Search
    com.google.android.gm | Gmail
    com.google.ar.core | Google ARCore
    com.google.marvin.talkback | Talkback
    com.google.android.play.games | Google Play Games
    com.google.android.street | Google Street View
    com.google.android.videos | Google Play Movies
    com.google.android.youtube | YouTube
    com.google.tango.measure | Google Measure

    Unwanted 3rd Party app bloatware

    com.amazon.aa | Amazon
    com.amazon.aa.attribution | Amazon Attribution
    com.booking – Booking.com | Booking App
    com.ebay.mobile – eBay | Ebay SHopping
    com.facebook.appmanager |Facebook manager
    com.facebook.system |
    com.facebook.orca |Facebook
    com.facebook.katana |
    com.facebook.services |
    com.instagram.android |Instagram
    com.netflix.mediaclient | Netflix App
    com.netflix.partner.activation |
    com.microsoft.translator | Tarnslator from Microsoft
    com.snapchat.android | Snapchat
    com.swiftkey.swiftkeyconfigurator | SwiftKey Keyboard
    com.touchtype.swiftkey |Swiftkey Keayboard
    com.twitter.android |Twitter
    org.smsalliance.openmobileapi.service | SmartcardService

    Summing up all

    These days, bloatware is a common feature on Huawei devices, thus you should debloat or uninstall bloatware apps from your cellphone to free up space or simply to safeguard your privacy. You may quickly remove the bloatware from your Huawei smartphone if you complete all of these procedures and type all of the commands.

  • Download and install Google Camera for Xiaomi Poco F4 | GCam APK

    Download and install Google Camera for Xiaomi Poco F4 | GCam APK

    Xiaomi Poco F4

    With a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC and a 6.67-inch full-HD+ AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, the Poco F4 5G was introduced in India. The gadget is powered by MIUI 13 on top of Android 12. Triple rear cameras on the Poco F4 include a 64 MP primary sensor, an 8 MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2 MP macro camera.

    We will share the most recent Google Camera for the Poco F4 with you in this article. The Google Pixel’s default camera app is called Google Camera. The camera uses the most recent HDR+ technology, which enhances image quality, particularly on low- and mid-end smartphones. The app also offers slow motion, lens blur, 60 frames per second video, portrait mode, motion photographs, and Night Sight.

    This tutorial is for you if you want to install the Google Camera on your Poco F4. Thank you to a few talented and dedicated developers, namely Arnova8G2, BSG, and Urnyx05, who are working hard to port GCam APK files to the majority of devices out there. The Poco F4 devices now support the Google Camera port.

    Xiaomi Poco F4 Device Overview

    The 6.67-inch AMOLED display on the Xiaomi Poco F4 has a refresh rate of 120 Hz. It has a 20:9 aspect ratio and an FHD+ display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. Peak brightness for the screen is 1300 nits. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor is housed inside and was created using a 7nm manufacturing technique. One Kryo 585 core runs at 3.2 GHz, three Kryo 585 cores run at 2.42 GHz, and four Kryo 585 cores run at 1.8 GHz, making it an octa-core CPU. We have the Adreno 650 to handle activities that require a lot of graphics. The smartphone comes pre-installed with the MIUI 13 skin over Android 12.

    In terms of optics, we have a single selfie camera up front and a triple camera arrangement at the back. The 64 MP primary sensor and f/1.8 lens on the triple rear camera system are joined by an 8 MP ultrawide sensor and f/2.2 lens, and a 2 MP macro sensor and f/2.4 lens. The front-facing selfie camera has a 20 MP main sensor and an f/2.5 lens. The front camera can only record videos in 1080p while the rear camera arrangement can shoot 4K videos at 60 frames per second.

    The smartphone comes in four storage options: 128GB internal storage + 6GB RAM, 128GB internal storage + 8GB RAM, 256GB internal storage + 8GB RAM, and 256GB internal storage + 12GB RAM. We do not get a MicroSD slot for storage expansion. In terms of communications, we get Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, NFC, Infrared port, and USB Type-C 2.0. And for sensors, we get a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, and compass.

    Powering it all is a 4500 mAh battery that can be topped up quickly using a 67W power adapter. The company claims that the phone can go from 0% to 100% in just 38 mins. The smartphone is available in three color options: Moonlight Silver, Night Black, and Nebula Green.

    Download Google Camera Port for Poco F4

    Also Read: Download Google Camera 8.0 APK from Pixel 5 | GCam 8.0 APK Mod

    Steps to install Google Camera on Poco F4

    The Google Camera APK file installation process is as simple as installing any other third-party APK file. You don’t have to root your device for this.

    • Download the GCam APK file from the download link above and tap on it.
    • Make sure that the Unknown Sources option is enabled on your device. To do this, go to the device Settings menu > Security/Privacy > enable it. [If already enabled, skip to the installation]
    • It will launch the package installer and tap on the Install button.
    • Once the installation is done, open and use it.
    • Enjoy!

    Still, if the camera app doesn’t work, enable the Camera2api by using build.prop (Not for every device)

    Persist.vender.camera.HAL3.enable=1

    I hope this guide will help you a lot, and you have now successfully installed the Google Camera ported app on your Poco F4 handset. If you’re facing any trouble, feel free to write it down in the comments below.

  • Free apps for Android, these Pro versions are currently free

    Free apps for Android, these Pro versions are currently free

    Every week, Droid Tools provides you with a selection of excellent deals for Android games and applications that are often purchased but are currently on sale for free on Google Play Store.

    This list of free apps is updated weekly with at least two weekly editions, on Tuesday and Saturday. Between the publication and the moment you consult this article, it is possible that some applications have become paid again. Google Play Store promos on apps are fairly easy to predict, but it’s more complicated with App Store promos since Apple doesn’t specify how long the discount is valid.

    Quick tip: When you find an interesting app, but you can’t really use it yet, install the app anyway, then delete it from your device. This way, the app will become part of your app library and you can install it again for free when you need it. It’s a good way not to miss a short-lived promotion.

    google play apps free

    Temporarily free Android apps on the Google Play Store

    Android productivity/lifestyle apps temporarily free on the Google Play Store

    • Task Destroyer ($1.99): Create tasks by entering the title (or image), health, color-coding, size and type of task. You can then place them anywhere in the space to better organize your to-do list.
    • Los tiempos verbales en inglés ($1.19): A useful tool when learning Spanish or English, using this application you will be able to learn all the active and passive tenses of English with useful tables in English, translations in Russian and Spanish and with zero advertising.
    • Ringtone Scheduler ($.69): Ringtone scheduler allows you to change your ringtone automatically depending on the time and your mood. It also has a nice explorer that helps you quickly create lists of ringtones.
    • Quick Volume Control ($.79 ): A simple tool that allows you to control volume via the notification bar.
    • Memorize: Learn TOEFL Vocabulary ($4.99): Same as the previous one, this application allows you to learn and memorize TOEFL vocabulary.
    • Number to word converter offline ($.69): Have you ever needed to convert numbers into English words, i.e. “929” into “nine hundred and twenty-nine”? This application was designed for that.

    Android mobile games temporarily free on the Google Play Store

    • Dead Bunker 2 HD ($.59): A 3D shooting game in which you have to fight zombies.
    • Kamikazee Dice Score Card ($1,19): A strange dice game.
    • Coin Princess ($.99)A game with a retro look and sound where your goal is to help the kidnapped princess escape from the monsters.
    • Everybody’s RPG ($.99): PvP and single player battles in a traditional 16-bit style RPG.
    • Live or Die: Survival Pro ($1.19): Dive into the heart of this apocalyptic world, complete quests and get fantastic rewards.
    • Pirate Defender Premium ($.59): A tower defense game where you play as a pirate captain and must defend your ship from waves of other… pirates.
  • Autolycos installed 3 million times from Google Play Store

    Autolycos installed 3 million times from Google Play Store

    Over 3,000,000 people downloaded a new Android malware family from the Google Play Store that discreetly subscribes users to premium services.

    Maxime Ingrao, an Evina security researcher, found the malware, known as “Autolycos,” in at least eight Android applications, of which two are still downloadable from the Google Play Store as of this writing.

    The two apps still available are named ‘Funny Camera’ by KellyTech, which has over 500,000 installations, and ‘Razer Keyboard & Theme’ by rxcheldiolola, which counts over 50,000 installs on the Play Store.

    Autolycos android malware

    The remaining six applications have been removed from the Google Play Store, but those who still have them installed risk being charged with costly subscriptions by the malware’s activities.

    • Vlog Star Video Editor (com.vlog.star.video.editor) – 1 million downloads
    • Creative 3D Launcher (app.launcher.creative3d) – 1 million downloads
    • Wow Beauty Camera (com.wowbeauty.camera) – 100,000 downloads
    • Gif Emoji Keyboard (com.gif.emoji.keyboard) – 100,000 downloads
    • Freeglow Camera 1.0.0 (com.glow.camera.open) – 5,000 downloads
    • Coco Camera v1.1 (com.toomore.cool.camera) –1,000 downloads

    During a discussion with Ingrao, the researcher told Droid Tools that he discovered the apps in June 2021 and reported his findings to Google at the time.

    Although Google acknowledged receiving the report, it took the company six months to remove the set of six, while two malicious apps remain on the Play Store to this day.

    After so much time had passed since the initial reporting, the researcher disclosed his findings publicly.

    In place of using Webview, Autolycos uses stealthy malicious behavior to execute URLs on remote browsers and then include the results in HTTP requests.

    This behavior is intended to hide its actions from users of infected devices so that they won’t be noticed.

    When malicious apps were installed on a smartphone, they frequently asked for authorization to view SMS content, which gave them access to a victim’s SMS text messages.

    The Autolycos owners launched various social media advertising campaigns to draw in new users to the apps. Ingrao discovered 74 Facebook ad campaigns for the Razer Keyboard & Theme alone.

    Additionally, while some fraudulent apps on the Play Store received unavoidably bad reviews, some with less downloads continue to have positive user ratings thanks to fake reviews.

    Android users should have Play Protect activated, monitor background internet data and battery usage, and attempt to install the fewest number of apps possible on their handsets in order to protect themselves against these attacks.

  • Improved incremental builds in Gradle 7.0

    Improved incremental builds in Gradle 7.0

    The most recent version of the well-known software build tool used in Android development and other areas, Gradle 7.0, provides support for Java 16 and faster incremental builds.

    To speed up incremental builds, file system watching is now enabled by default in the Gradle 7.0 version, which was released on April 9. Gradle 6.5 offered the functionality as an opt-in feature, and Gradle 6.7 declared it production-ready.

    When file system watching is enabled, Gradle keeps its knowledge of the file system in memory between builds instead of reading it during each build. The input and output files are examined during an incremental build to determine what needs to be rebuilt. The I/O overhead added by this capability, which typically saves a significant amount of time but also adds some, can be felt in large projects when little has changed since the previous build.

    gradle 7.0

    To upgrade to Gradle 7.0, developers can update their wrapper:

    ./gradlew wrapper --gradle-version=7.0

    Developers can access the Gradle upgrade guide and compatibility notes to learn about breaking changes, deprecations, and other considerations.

    Also in Gradle 7.0:

    • For Android, performance has been improved for incremental changes in projects, especially those using the Jetifer tool to migrate libraries.
    • Gradle now supports running on and building with Java 16, or Java Development Kit (JDK) 16, which was released on March 16. To support JDK 16, Gradle has been upgraded to use the Groovy 3 language in Groovy DSL build scripts.
    • Native support is offered for Apple Silicon systems, with every feature now supported using a native Arm JDK. Previous Gradle versions could run on Apple Silicon Macs but there were disadvantages, such as some Arm JDK features had to be disabled while an Intel JDK would run at about half speed through the Rosetta2 compatibility layer.
    • Version catalogs are introduced as an experimental capability, enabling build authors to centralize dependency coordinates (group, artifact, versions) of their third-party dependencies in a conventional configuration file and declare dependencies in a type-safe way.
    • An experimental feature for project assessors provides type safety and enables code completion in IDEs.
    • Build reliability improvements have been made, such as now executing a task without the benefit of parallel execution if a task is failing input/output validation.
    • Dependency locking, a mechanism to ensure reproducible builds when using dynamic dependency versions, has been improved. The release defaults to the improved dependency locking file format that results in fewer lock files in most projects.
  • 42 Chinese Spying Android Apps

    42 Chinese Spying Android Apps

    Android Apps

    The Intelligence Bureau (IB), India’s domestic spy agency, issued a warning to soldiers not to use certain Chinese eavesdropping Android apps as a matter of national security.

    42 Chinese Android apps, including some well-known ones like We Chat, True Caller, UC Browser, and UC News, have been listed by the IB as purportedly gathering crucial data about the Indian security installations.

    According to the report, the Intelligence Bureau in a November 24th advisory directed the soldiers assigned on Line of Actual Control (LAC) to uninstall these Chinese spying Android apps from their smartphones and also format the device after uninstallation as it may compromise national security.

    Chinese Spying Android Apps:

    1. Weibo
    2. WeChat
    3. ShareIt
    4. TrueCaller
    5. UC News
    6. UC Browser
    7. BeautyPlus
    8. NewsDog
    9. Viva Video – QU Video Inc.
    10. Parallel Space
    11. Apus Browser
    12. Perfect Corp
    13. Virus Cleaner – Hi Security Lab
    14. CM Browser
    15. Mi Community
    16. Mi Store
    17. Mi Video call
    18. Vault Hide – NQ Mobile Security
    19. YouCam Makeup
    20. CacheCleaner – DU Apps Studio
    21. DU Recorder
    22. DU Battery Saver
    23. DU Cleaner
    24. DU Privacy
    25. DU Browser
    26. 360 Security
    27. Clean Master – Cheetah Mobile
    28. Baidu Translate
    29. Baidu Map
    30. Wonder Camera – Baidu Inc
    31. ES File Explorer
    32. Photo Wonder
    33. QQ International
    34. QQ Music
    35. QQ Mail
    36. QQ Player
    37. QQ Newsfeed
    38. QQ Launcher
    39. QQ Security Center
    40. WeSync
    41. Selfie City
    42. Mail Master

    However, China has a history of snooping on people using Android apps. Many complaints were made in the past concerning UC Browser’s dubious methods for gathering user data and sending it back to China. Now that the issue has received considerable attention, the administration has advised the troops to delete these risky apps in order to prevent eavesdropping by Chinese eyes.

    Just keep in mind that by using these apps, you might unwittingly turn against your country because you never know what information these terrible Chinese espionage applications are sending to China.