So in perusing my apps in the Play Store the other day, I noticed an app called SystemUpdates by chondong. I've never installed this app and there is no option to uninstall it.
It was created and forced into my phone on June 15.
I don't buy for one second that this is a system update app as the phone had the ability to search for and receive OTA updates prior to this being installed. The only description in English says "Update update the internal system of the application" (yes, it says update twice).
This is a Chinese phone and I'm very skeptical of what this app is.
Permissions are intrusive as well; see screenshots.
Any thoughts on this? Reading the feedback on the app, I'm not the only one concerned about this and it appears it doesn't only apply to ZTE, but other Chinese phones as well.
Let's keep this thread alive until someone can answer...
I just noticed the same app on my Axon A1R. One difference though - mine says it is produced by ZZte.
I have no idea when the app was installed (for sure less than 3 weeks ago - I know I went though all my apps because I was having WiFi issues and wanted to make sure it wasn't caused by a random app I'd downloaded). There is no way to uninstall it. I managed to disable it - but that just made the 'System updates' section disappear in the Settings>About Phone menu.
I'm starting to think that installing a mod OS published by some random person might be safer than using the Google approved, ZTE modified and FIDO distributed OS.
TX-Brad said:
So in perusing my apps in the Play Store the other day, I noticed an app called SystemUpdates by chondong. I've never installed this app and there is no option to uninstall it.
It was created and forced into my phone on June 15.
I don't buy for one second that this is a system update app as the phone had the ability to search for and receive OTA updates prior to this being installed. The only description in English says "Update update the internal system of the application" (yes, it says update twice).
This is a Chinese phone and I'm very skeptical of what this app is.
Permissions are intrusive as well; see screenshots.
Any thoughts on this? Reading the feedback on the app, I'm not the only one concerned about this and it appears it doesn't only apply to ZTE, but other Chinese phones as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It looks to me that you need to do a factory reset, and discontinue installing non-play store apps.
If you did indeed get it from the Play Store, then report it to Google, so it won't be there anymore.
But I find it really hard to believe it came from the Play Store, as Google does a lot of testing of new apps.
Related
Hi,
So I recently traveled out of the US to China for vacation, and when I was there I decided to check/download some updates for my Downloaded apps in the Android Market. Notably I could not see the Android Market Front Page when connected in China (must be Google block?), however I could see which of my apps had updates.
However, I'm back in the US now and when I go into the Market to update my apps, none of the downloaded apps are showing. I tried using Appbrain to update them, but that failed as well, and now the only apps that show up in my Market are the ones Appbrain listed as having updates. I tried using an app like Market History Delete but that didn't work either.
I figure it must be some Market sync issue or something, but is there anything that can be done short of doing a complete factory wipe? Thanks.
My wife and I came back from a 6 month stay in China last year. I had a similar issue. I think I has to go under manage applications, filer for "All", and force stop the app then uninstall updates. I then rebooted the phone and it worked for me. My wifes phone had the same problem but my solution did not work for hers. So I dont want to say it will work for you, but its did for me. I'm afraid I dont know what else to tell you. Let me know if it works for you.
Hi
Up until yesterday, apps, whether paid or free would download fine on my device. Nothing has changed my end, but today, paid apps will no longer download (free apps download fine). There are two issues, the authorising payment page takes eons (used to be instant), and the phone sits on the 'starting download' or 'downloading...' pages for ever without ever actually downloading the app that I have paid for. Issue is present whether I initiate the download from the phone or from a PC.
Obviously, this makes the phone next to useless. I have no time to wipe/re-install the phone - especially since this may not even fix the issue!
I can find no 'report an issue' link at google's market to get support on this issue. The apps purchased are past the refund window.
I have tried all the various fixes I found on google (start google talk, kill cache/app settings for market and downloader), try another internet connection, restart phone blah blah, nothing has worked.
Anyone got any suggestions?
Nigel
Paid apps that had previously been installed and then removed will re-install fine... I can only assume that its the authorisation thats failing (nothing wrong with any of the cards on my google wallet account).
Nigel
Go to setting - application - manage - All - market - clear cache n Data
do same for talk (google talk)
first login to talk then market
In market application - check setting - accout - Fix default if you have multiple acc
Hi
As mentioned in my original post. I already tried that. I just tried it again with the same result.
After having done the above, I tried to buy the app from my PC, Got the following message 'Your order is still being processed. Your item will become available as soon as your order is complete. If you'd like, you can check your order status at anytime.' which is not the norm. Clicking the link within the message takes me to the transaction in google wallet which is listed as 'complete' unfortunately, the download does not auto-start (like it used to) on the phone, and when I force it to manually start, It goes to the 'starting download...' message. The app never does download, market app just displays this message forever more until I go and 'clear data' for the market app.
I give up! Looks like I am stuck with what I have on the phone + whatever I can get for free.
Have emailed google, will update thread should they bother to respond.
Market version is 3.4.4 | Download Manager is 2.3.5
Have you vosited web version of market?
Market.android.com login with google acc.
You will see your purchased appl there, if u can see there, click on install from there, it will start installing to ur device remotely
Try it
Hi
Yep, tried that - does not work. I can initiate the installation of free apps from the market on a pc, but not paid apps. The paid app I am trying to install is listed as having been successfully purchased. Looks like a bug/glitch, but one I am going to have to wait for google to fix.
Do you have the Amazon app market installed?
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
This issue seems to be with KL3 onwards and region or could be csc dependent, the only fix for this is to use the older market version the 2.6.x
try going into recovery mode and choose fix permission
Hi
Well, I got an auto response from google 'we are looking into it', but no emails since. Tried again this morning, and everything just started working again. Whether this was an issue with the market, my market account, my google wallet account etc is unknown.
I'd like to know the reason so I can fix it if it happens again, but at least its now working again.
@ericshmerick: Nope, no amazon app market. I don't believe this works in the UK
Nigel
The exact same thing is happening to me were you able to eventually get the apps you purchased its been about two days and the problem persists I have filed a support case with Google happening on two phones and a tablet ans the web market through a PC isn't working either. It seems to get stuck at authorizing the payment .
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
This was a big problem two weeks ago. I think the CheckROM guys figured out how to fix it. Their forum has a nice FAQ at the start. Have a look there. If that doesn't help then wade through the Rocket forum.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
HTC Dot View App
HTC Gallery App
HTC Guide App
HTC Sense TV App
HTC Service Pack
ZOE
Odd.. I notice these having updates, but they don't get listed in with the available updates in the "My apps" section in Google Play.
If you go to the apps individually in Google Play though, it shows an "update" button (clicking the other apps by this developer link is helpful in finding the others BTW).
This sounds familiar for some system apps, but not others (many Google apps auto-updated when I first activated the phone, even before I could get to the UI to turn off auto-updating). Anyone found a way to actually find -all- apps that have updates?
gbritton said:
Odd.. I notice these having updates, but they don't get listed in with the available updates in the "My apps" section in Google Play.
If you go to the apps individually in Google Play though, it shows an "update" button (clicking the other apps by this developer link is helpful in finding the others BTW).
This sounds familiar for some system apps, but not others (many Google apps auto-updated when I first activated the phone, even before I could get to the UI to turn off auto-updating). Anyone found a way to actually find -all- apps that have updates?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh man I hate the autoupdating, I always turn that off, I like to be in control of that. I don't know why that setting doesnt save when you get a new phone or wipe your device.
The updates may be rolling out in phases. I recipes those updates yesterday afternoon while I was setting g the phone up for the first time.
Restart your phone and you'll get them
XT1097 - AT&T Version. When I go to My Apps in Play Store it only shows an update for an app if I've previously downloaded that app manually. Otherwise I have to search out the app, but when I find it it does show an update available in both the search list and when I click on the app. Example, I had not previously downloaded Hangouts and so it did not show under the update available section or all section under my apps, but when I search "Hangouts" it shows update instead of free in search list, and update and open as options when I click on it.
Finding this weird, I reset the phone and logged into another google account where I had never downloaded any android apps.... and the phone showed exactly zero updates available. Same thing happens whether I check immediately on reset phone (before new version of play store is installed) and after play store has been updated.
I ended up just manually searching through all apps by name, and then every google made and motorola made apps and it found 40 total updates (up from 13 from my first account, and zero with my second account)
Any idea whats going on here? Shouldn't all apps that have updates available show under my apps whether I have ever manually downloaded them or not?
So let me reduce my question then: if an android phone comes pre installed with an app that your google account has never downloaded, should the phone show an update for that app under my apps without manually searching?
njs05 said:
So let me reduce my question then: if an android phone comes pre installed with an app that your google account has never downloaded, should the phone show an update for that app under my apps without manually searching?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it should... BUT... It seems that all of moto's apps are strangely exempt from that rule.
Idol 4 6055u hidden update last week and File Manager is now like a 'Clean Master' clone with all the clean-your-phone and boost-your-phone notifications spam. And since there's no way to root it the app is not removable.
Anyone had any luck stabbing this one to death?
Sucks right? Mentioned it in a thread I made a few weeks back:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/idol-4s/help/alcatel-phone-t3634870
If possible, uninstalling updates or disabling the app should revert the app to its pre-spam state. If not, disabling the apps and using a less invasive file manager app is an option.
Alternatively a factory reset will return all system apps to their pre-spammy state if I recall correctly. From there, you can just avoid updating that individual app.
macallik said:
Sucks right? Mentioned it in a thread I made a few weeks back:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/idol-4s/help/alcatel-phone-t3634870
If possible, uninstalling updates or disabling the app should revert the app to its pre-spam state. If not, disabling the apps and using a less invasive file manager app is an option.
Alternatively a factory reset will return all system apps to their pre-spammy state if I recall correctly. From there, you can just avoid updating that individual app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately you can't disable the app, even though it appears you can under dev options (tried that, it just updates itself in the background again). Have tried uninstalling (updates) but it updates itself again and the spam reappears. It also places a perma-notification (can't slide off) at the top of the notifications.
BUT: The latest update to File Manager allows you to turn off notifications. Problem solved.
NOTE: You do have to give permissions for storage before you can get into the settings that allow turning off notifications/shortcuts.
This is well-known problem, ads presents in all latest preinstalled Acatel's apps updates: File Manager, Sound Recorder, Weather, Launcher and others. All of them puts notifications with spam-news and in some cases tries to change default homepage of Google Chrome browser. To prevent this need to do the following things:
1. Uninstall all updates of these apps to revert it to stock-state.
2. Deny auto update of these apps in Google Play.
3. Deny auto update of system apps in standart Update application.
DeckerSU said:
This is well-known problem, ads presents in all latest preinstalled Acatel's apps updates: File Manager, Sound Recorder, Weather, Launcher and others. All of them puts notifications with spam-news and in some cases tries to change default homepage of Google Chrome browser. To prevent this need to do the following things:
1. Uninstall all updates of these apps to revert it to stock-state.
2. Deny auto update of these apps in Google Play.
3. Deny auto update of system apps in standart Update application.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, following these steps I think I got them tamed. Not all the apps show up in Google Play but disabling auto-update in 'Updates' (Alcatel's version) should take care of those...
yosemite610 said:
Thanks, following these steps I think I got them tamed. Not all the apps show up in Google Play but disabling auto-update in 'Updates' (Alcatel's version) should take care of those...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Several of Alcatel's Apps updates throught Google Play and other via Updates app. For example, sound recorder updates via Google Play. If it's already updated - just remove updates and Google Play app for Sound Recorder and forbid / deny future updates. In 'Updates' need to forbid updates of system apps too. I already done all of this steps for each preinstalled app which tries to update - all fine. There is no any unwanted push notifications.
Rip ._. I hate this phone so much.
They are pathetic. Updating all apps and adding ads to them.
DeckerSU said:
Several of Alcatel's Apps updates throught Google Play and other via Updates app. For example, sound recorder updates via Google Play. If it's already updated - just remove updates and Google Play app for Sound Recorder and forbid / deny future updates. In 'Updates' need to forbid updates of system apps too. I already done all of this steps for each preinstalled app which tries to update - all fine. There is no any unwanted push notifications.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tips and detailed info @DeckerSU. I had begun to prepare to unlock, root, and flash a custom ROM due to this adware and push notification nonsense. Up until the recent app updates, I had truly enjoyed the clean, stock android UI experience on my idol3 ... now I can relax again, the aggravation of those push notifications is gone!
DeckerSU said:
This is well-known problem, ads presents in all latest preinstalled Acatel's apps updates: File Manager, Sound Recorder, Weather, Launcher and others. All of them puts notifications with spam-news and in some cases tries to change default homepage of Google Chrome browser. To prevent this need to do the following things:
1. Uninstall all updates of these apps to revert it to stock-state.
2. Deny auto update of these apps in Google Play.
3. Deny auto update of system apps in standart Update application.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you, I hadn't thought of step 3
I signed in just to thank you
edit: just realized this thread is for idol 4s, but it applied to my idol 3..
I didn't realize this is a problem on later phones.. so messed up
Very bad, all those spamming programs on a phone we paid for. They beter come out with a recent
Android update. Its a Shame for the alcatel brand.
DeckerSU said:
This is well-known problem, ads presents in all latest preinstalled Acatel's apps updates: File Manager, Sound Recorder, Weather, Launcher and others. All of them puts notifications with spam-news and in some cases tries to change default homepage of Google Chrome browser. To prevent this need to do the following things:
1. Uninstall all updates of these apps to revert it to stock-state.
2. Deny auto update of these apps in Google Play.
3. Deny auto update of system apps in standart Update application.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tips! I was starting to think I would have to root the device... Very dissapointing to see this kind of behaviour from Alcatel
Cheers
It may be worse than you think!
It's bad enough for a SYSTEM app to be serving up potentially malicious advertising that could Pwn your device, but it ventures deep into dark waters if that SYSTEM app has the Facebook "Graph" API inside of it that could allow a developer (or in this case your Chinese phone manufacturer) to use your Facebook access token to pillage through your Facebook account and look through your photos, tags, pages visited, URL's, or even create Facebook posts or messages on your behalf!
Sound crazy?
Take a look at the Facebook "Graph" developer site for yourself:
https://developers.facebook.com/docs/graph-api/using-graph-api/
And if someone was familiar with some open source tools that could allow them to look inside an Android app:
https://github.com/iBotPeaches/Apktool
https://github.com/pxb1988/dex2jar
https://github.com/sreenivasmula/JDGUI
http://www.7-zip.org/download.html
That person might look to see if the app has the Facebook Graph API inside of it:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jrdcom.filemanager&hl=en
Any one have a custom rom? Like Lineage or CM or AOSP any other one except the crapy stock rom?
Not good enough!
I no longer trust ANYTHING that is installed on my Alcatel device after the recent adware/spyware "upgrades"!
I installed TWRP and the (unofficial) Lineage ROM until I get a different phone all together.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/id...ficial-lineageos-14-1-idol36045x-5-5-t3615700
I will NEVER purchase another Alcatel device as long as I live and I will advise all my friends and family and anyone else that will listen to avoid Alcatel as well.
I also suggest that anyone with a stock Alcatel device not to use any "widgets" that create shortcuts that may use your access tokens for Facebook and/or Twitter until we know what is going on.
The Facebook Graph API on a native app has a greater access level than a web application and the token(s) don't expire for 60 days and can be extended.
I advise people to avoid logging in to apps or websites with their social media and/or Google credentials and to change your passwords and set up 2 factor authentication and remove any apps associated with your social media accounts.
Wtf
yosemite610 said:
Idol 4 6055u hidden update last week and File Manager is now like a 'Clean Master' clone with all the clean-your-phone and boost-your-phone notifications spam. And since there's no way to root it the app is not removable.
Anyone had any luck stabbing this one to death?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That update is from google play store! Not from alcatel.... Uninstall updates and don't let google play do whatever it wants in your phone!
That update is from google play store! Not from alcatel....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The update may have come the Google Play Store but is every bit Alcatel!
The "boost" function comes from TCL (Alcatel) owned Hawk app's "Super Cleaner" and the antivirus function comes from Hawk's Hi Security app that uses McAfee technology.
http://www.ehawk.com/en/
Can you help me to unlock a sharp phone?
DeckerSU said:
This is well-known problem, ads presents in all latest preinstalled Acatel's apps updates: File Manager, Sound Recorder, Weather, Launcher and others. All of them puts notifications with spam-news and in some cases tries to change default homepage of Google Chrome browser. To prevent this need to do the following things:
1. Uninstall all updates of these apps to revert it to stock-state.
2. Deny auto update of these apps in Google Play.
3. Deny auto update of system apps in standart Update application.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you help me to unlock a sharp phone?
I have the modem.elf file.
Following the advice on this thread, I was able to revert to the old versions of these apps back in October, and my phone stayed usable from then until about 2 weeks ago. Suddenly, the "updates" installed themselves (as part of a "critical system update" that I was notified my phone needed, and now, I don't have the option to uninstall the updates (or rather, it uninstalls to another spammy, bloatware version, not to the factory original).
Any ideas on what I can do now? Or is it time to throw this phone in the trash, and get one from a company that doesn't do this?
critical system update
Following the advice on this thread, I was able to revert to the old versions of these apps back in October, and my phone stayed usable from then until about 2 weeks ago. Suddenly, the "updates" installed themselves (as part of a "critical system update" that I was notified my phone needed, and now, I don't have the option to uninstall the updates (or rather, it uninstalls to another spammy, bloatware version, not to the factory original).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have got to be kidding me!
Now Alcatel and McAfee are tricking users into installing their adware/spyware through the use of fake "critical update" patches?
I think it is high time to do a complete breakdown/inspection of the app and do a full public disclosure.
It isn't surprising that Alcatel would infect a users phone with adware/spyware but for a so-called "security" company like McAfee to be involved is both frightening and disturbing.