42 "dangerous" Chinese smartphone apps you should delete right now

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Cleaners & Boosters

1. Clean Master
2. Virus Cleaner (Hi Security Lab)
3. DU Battery Saver
4. Cache Clear
5. DU apps studio
6. DU Cleaner
7. DU Privacy

Antivirus

1. 360 Security
2. QQ Security Centre.

Browsers & Launchers

1. UC Browser
2. CM Browser
3. DU Browser
4. QQ Launcher

Photo & Video Editors

1. Viva Video (QU Video Inc)
2. DU Recorder
3. Vault-Hide
4. You Cam Makeup
5. Beauty Plus
6. Perfect Corp
7. Wonder Camera
8. Photo Wonder
9. Selfie City

File Managers

1. ES File Explorer
2. SHAREit
3. WeSync

Chat

1. WeChat
2. Weibo

Xiaomi Apps

1. Mi Community
2. Mi Store
3. Mi Video Call

News

1. UC News,
2. News Dog
3. QQ News Feed

Miscellaneous

1. Truecaller
2. Parallel Space app
3. Baidu Translate
4. Baidu Map
5. QQ International
6. QQ Music
7. QQ Mail
8. QQ Player
9. Mail Master

How to stay safe?

1. Do not install these apps. If you have already installed, remove them.
2. If you must have one or more of these apps, then disable internet access to these apps under:
Settings/ Apps/ Application List - choose the app and disable data usage completely.

Even if they spy on you, they cannot send your data outside your device.

42 "dangerous" Chinese smartphone apps you should delete right now

Get replacement apps directly from XDA, free open source much amaze.
Ex Mix file manager

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I just read somewhere that many Chinese companies have many of the above apps installed in their phones which cannot be removed without root.

billubakra said:
I just read somewhere that many Chinese companies have many of the above apps installed in their phones which cannot be removed without root.

Most OEMs include such bloatware, not just Chinese ones.

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SaiyanGoku said:
Most OEMs include such bloatware, not just Chinese ones.

Companies like Samsung, OP etc. don't include the above mentioned apps in bloatware.

Isnt this 3 month old news?
Government reportedly lists 42 Chinese apps as dangerous, including TrueCaller, UC Browser, Mi Store: Check if your phone has any of them

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Flash said:
Isnt this 3 month old news?
Government reportedly lists 42 Chinese apps as dangerous, including TrueCaller, UC Browser, Mi Store: Check if your phone has any of them

Yes, but it wasn't posted here. Hope no rules are broken.

W

News is news irrespective of date as long as it is not a repost.

billubakra said:
Companies like Samsung, OP etc. don't include the above mentioned apps in bloatware.

One plus is worse regarding this, Oxygen OS had inbuilt data analytics without explicit user permission.

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Nerevarine said:
One plus is worse regarding this, Oxygen OS had inbuilt data analytics without explicit user permission.

"Had" + they "were" also faking benchmark tests.

Doesnt matter if they "had", without people in XDA discovering it, it would still be running to this day.
Wiping out stock rom is the only way to ensure you are analytics free.

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Nerevarine said:
Doesnt matter if they "had", without people in XDA discovering it, it would still be running to this day.
Wiping out stock rom is the only way to ensure you are analytics free.

I am not taking any sides but they have stopped. This matter has highlighted as our great Army has advised to stay away from the above apps.

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In my opinion use of social networking sites itself should be banned & made a punishable act for all armed forces personnel whether on or off duty.Who needs these "apps" when some ISI agent posing as "Miss Brittany" can trap officers over facebook?

Armed Forces Personel should be trained in cyberwarfare, malware and network security. They shouldn't be banned from anything. Commiting a critical leak should be punished like any regular organization, though etc, provided sufficient traning had been given to them prior to such leaks.

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I am not talking about "cyber warfare,malware & network security". I am talking about "socializing with strangers online" on a world class website using a fully secure "hackproof" device.Armed forces personnel do not need to use facebook/instagram/twitter etc at all on any device owned by them whether on duty or off duty(their family members are free to create accounts & use them but no proxy using of these sites through them).In fact there are many members here(civilians so to speak) who do not use any such sites at all so I don't see why armed forces personnel can't do the same especially when they already surrendered some rights enjoyed by civilians when joining the forces(aka some fundamental rights do not apply to armed forces personnel like right to form union etc).

Not to sound like a knowitall, or nit picking but Truecaller AB is a *Scandinavian* company, not a chinese one. Which one of my fellow sarcasm/ "brilliant" /sarcasm compatriots thought it fit to include it in "Chinese" smarphone apps? This is just sensational scandal mongering intended to whip up popular reaction, unless the news can be proven by a reliable third party source unconnected with either the indian or chinese governments.

Facebook et al are far more dangerous to your privacy and security than any of the listed apps in mine opinion.

Disclaimer: I don't work for or have any personal interests in Truecaller or *any* of the apps/companies listed above.

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maheshn said:
Not to sound like a knowitall, or nit picking but Truecaller AB is a *Scandinavian* company, not a chinese one. Which one of my fellow sarcasm/ "brilliant" /sarcasm compatriots thought it fit to include it in "Chinese" smarphone apps? This is just sensational scandal mongering intended to whip up popular reaction, unless the news can be proven by a reliable third party source unconnected with either the indian or chinese governments.

Facebook et al are far more dangerous to your privacy and security than any of the listed apps in mine opinion.

Disclaimer: I don't work for or have any personal interests in Truecaller or *any* of the apps/companies listed above.

I know and I was going to delete those last few apps but Army is saying to stay away from these too so posted the whole list here.

billubakra said:
Cleaners & Boosters

1. Clean Master
2. Virus Cleaner (Hi Security Lab)
3. DU Battery Saver
4. Cache Clear
5. DU apps studio
6. DU Cleaner
7. DU Privacy

Antivirus

1. 360 Security
2. QQ Security Centre.

Browsers & Launchers

1. UC Browser
2. CM Browser
3. DU Browser
4. QQ Launcher

News

1. UC News,
2. News Dog
3. QQ News Feed

These apps are pure trash without a doubt, especially the "Antivirus" and "cleaner" ones.

billubakra said:
Photo & Video Editors

1. Viva Video (QU Video Inc)
2. DU Recorder
3. Vault-Hide
4. You Cam Makeup
5. Beauty Plus
6. Perfect Corp
7. Wonder Camera
8. Photo Wonder
9. Selfie City

File Managers
3. WeSync

Chat

1. WeChat
2. Weibo

Miscellaneous

1. Truecaller
2. Parallel Space app
3. Baidu Translate
4. Baidu Map
5. QQ International
6. QQ Music
7. QQ Mail
8. QQ Player
9. Mail Master

Have never used these ones and probably never will.
On the other hand, Xiaomi's Mi Store and Community apps are kind of required, store for making purchases and community for Bootloader Unlocking.

ShareIt is very popular file sharing app....how come it dangerous

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Zangetsu said:
ShareIt is very popular file sharing app....how come it dangerous

What did the Defense Ministry say? "A number of Android/iOS apps developed by Chinese developers...are reportedly either spyware or other malicious ware. Use of these apps by our force personnel can be detrimental to data security having implications on the force and national security," read a previous Defense Ministry order.

What is the use of this advice by Govt. as of now?
Even after uninstalling and deleting the above apps,the chinese has extensively data mined from us whatever they wanted.

The chinese phones can also have hardware level telemetry who knows...

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chimera201 said:
The chinese phones can also have hardware level telemetry who knows...

kg11sgbg said:
What is the use of this advice by Govt. as of now?
Even after uninstalling and deleting the above apps,the chinese has extensively data mined from us whatever they wanted.

Don't forget their modems/routers.

^Yeah,the D-Link or Tp-Link modems or Mi(XIAOMI) devices are very good devices for data mining.
In fact,the day from when we are the NETIZENS in this World, all our so called "private" info were already gathered and databased to the various powerful corps. / companies/ govt. agencies, etc.
No Place to run, No Place to hide, No Place to go.

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kg11sgbg said:
^Yeah,the D-Link or Tp-Link modems or Mi(XIAOMI) devices are very good devices for data mining.
In fact,the day from when we are the NETIZENS in this World, all our so called "private" info were already gathered and databased to the various powerful corps. / companies/ govt. agencies, etc.
No Place to run, No Place to hide, No Place to go.

Chinese Ching pang chongs will find songs and movies in my system along with some games, no offence to anyone.

billubakra said:
Chinese Ching pang chongs will find songs and movies in my system along with some games, no offence to anyone.

Same here, chinese ching pangs will find some games & movies in my system and nothing else.

TDF has gone to shit

Nerevarine said:
TDF has gone to shit

why???
what happened???

To @billubakra and @bssunilreddy ,guys do you thing that the chinese ching pangs are entirely harmless?
Even if you watch a harmless youtube movie for canon printer configuration or issue resolving aspect,you are onto their radar!!!!!!!!!!!!
They are pretty advanced compared to us not only in the world of hardwares,but also in systems hacking,backdoor trespassing,phising,etc,however great we may be on the software side of I.T.

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kg11sgbg said:
To @billubakra and @bssunilreddy ,guys do you thing that the chinese ching pangs are entirely harmless?
Even if you watch a harmless youtube movie for canon printer configuration or issue resolving aspect,you are onto their radar!!!!!!!!!!!!
They are pretty advanced compared to us not only in the world of hardwares,but also in systems hacking,backdoor trespassing,phising,etc,however great we may be on the software side of I.T.

You are right brother. But what the heck are they gonna get from someone like me. I am no Bill Gates ha ha.

Nerevarine said:
Get replacement apps directly from XDA, free open source much amaze.
Ex Mix file manager

Link please?

Paavni Sethi said:
Link please?

Download official XDA Labs app and you'll get said replacements on it.

Forget about Chinese.
Google is the biggest data tracker who is sniffing your data and knows what u do when u go online...I remember there was video by Mozilla of how our data is captured and we are not safe
and now the latest Whistle-blower of Facebook data security of Apps

billubakra said:
You are right brother. But what the heck are they gonna get from someone like me. I am no Bill Gates ha ha.

None of us are Bill gates here,in fact some of us here (NOT ME OBVIOUSLY)may be more knowledgeable than Mr. Gates himself.That is not the point.
Point is we the human beings are merely seen as products by the Tech Corporates,as a result of which Data Mining has come into being. We are valuable data for the companies out there,who themselves are in a wide connected nexus amongst themselves in a complex web.
They are only to look out for their PROFIT and BETTER SELF of themselves.

bssunilreddy said:
Same here, chinese ching pangs will find some games & movies in my system and nothing else.

it's not only games and movies that are private to you. even not only your bank details or mobile , adhar numbers. data mining programs also track what kind or internet searches you do, at what time of the day/ week/ month. what type of sites you visit, what kind of discussions you take part into, what are your interests, your histories, your location, your past life your friends family circles, your behaviours.

in simple terms, they know a lot about you than yourselves. and depending on the algos, then can predict how you are gonna behave and what course of actions you are gonna take in future. these are all your private parameters, that where previously not in the hands of others.

Exactly my thoughts as endorsed by @icebags .
I second on that.

billubakra said:
Chinese Ching pang chongs will find songs and movies in my system along with some games, no offence to anyone.

Nowadays almost every super power or would be super powers have their own super computers looking after data from around the world. Including their own country mens data.
Just to make sure that their respective mother or father lands are safe from extremists.
Ultimately they won't find anything in computers like mine.

As for the mobiles are concerned, snowden episode revealed that at any time almost 8 to 10 billion devices are on constant surveillance.

Android permission structure allowed Facebook to harvest our call and SMS logs for years- Technology News, Firstpost

Zangetsu said:
Android permission structure allowed Facebook to harvest our call and SMS logs for years- Technology News, Firstpost

That's it.
Nowhere to hide.

Mozilla saves us

This is how Mozilla is ‘containing’ Facebook’s tracking of your data | Gadgets Now

Zangetsu said:
Mozilla saves us
This is how Mozilla is ‘containing’ Facebook’s tracking of your data | Gadgets Now

Firefox(Now on Quantum,ver. 59.0.2(64-bit)) everytime...everywhere...

which alternative app are u all using instead of ShareIt ?
I need one to transfer between devices in maximum speed.

Zangetsu said:
which alternative app are u all using instead of ShareIt ?
I need one to transfer between devices in maximum speed.

After trying out numerous alternative apps including Jio switch (it was hard leaving ShareIt) I conclude Xender to be a good option.

Although I couldn't find the origin of Xender's origin. (website says nothing). It just might be another Chinese spyware.

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Vyom said:
After trying out numerous alternative apps including Jio switch (it was hard leaving ShareIt) I conclude Xender to be a good option.

Although I couldn't find the origin of Xender's origin. (website says nothing). It just might be another Chinese spyware.

Xender is Chinese. Why don't you guys share via WiFi direct?

billubakra said:
Xender is Chinese. Why don't you guys share via WiFi direct?

I want an app that allows me to select any file/app/pic/video and send it to the recipient easily. How do we use WiFi direct and how it's easier and more intuitive then an app like ShareIt or Xender?

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Vyom said:
I want an app that allows me to select any file/app/pic/video and send it to the recipient easily. How do we use WiFi direct and how it's easier and more intuitive then an app like ShareIt or Xender?

I can select any file, folder and send it via WiFi direct. I use a Samsung phone+Xplore BTW. Couldn't get easier than this. Intuitive idk as I never used those Chinese junk.

billubakra said:
I can select any file, folder and send it via WiFi direct. I use a Samsung phone+Xplore BTW. Couldn't get easier than this. Intuitive idk as I never used those Chinese junk.

Just tired Xplore. I don't think the wifi direct works without donating atleast Rs 180 to the developer. I didn't have any Android phone to test, but I did try to access the contents on web browser on PC. I couldn't, unless I donate the app developer.

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Vyom said:
Just tired Xplore. I don't think the wifi direct works without donating atleast Rs 180 to the developer. I didn't have any Android phone to test, but I did try to access the contents on web browser on PC. I couldn't, unless I donate the app developer.

WiFi direct is an inbuilt feature in Samsung and in all Android phones I think. I use xplore to select files and folders that I want to send.

billubakra said:
Companies like Samsung, OP etc. don't include the above mentioned apps in bloatware.

They do.
Samsung's Device Maintenance app/feature is totally based on Clean Master, and so are the respective apps of many other OEMs.

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E|e<tr0|!0n said:
They do.
Samsung's Device Maintenance app/feature is totally based on Clean Master, and so are the respective apps of many other OEMs.

Nope Samsung can't afford a public backlash if they were sending stuff in the background. I take my words back for OP though, complete junk.

@Vyom
Even Motorola phones have that wifi direct feature. Check wifi file transfer if you want to transfer between a computer and a phone.

Just wondering, why there are no Indian alternatives ?

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meetdilip said:
Just wondering, why there are no Indian alternatives ?

There are. But full of ads, no issues with ads but sex etc. one's are there too.

Let's make one. Digit is a great resource.

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meetdilip said:
Let's make one. Digit is a great resource.

Not my cup of tea bro. Tag all the great minds here.

Is there any safe & reliable Clean Master alternatives ?

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meetdilip said:
Is there any safe & reliable Clean Master alternatives ?

Use 4-5 year old version of Cleanmaster. Disable access to the internet in the background option in the app manager and you are good to go. If you still think it is leaking data, use no root firewall if you have an unrooted device.

Most OEMs nowadays include device and storage maintenance features, so Clean Master shouldn't be needed for modern phones.
For alternatives to ShareIt, I'd suggest Google's 'Files Go'.

meetdilip said:
Is there any safe & reliable Clean Master alternatives ?

Using SD Maid pro version (courtesy of the rewards app)

SD Maid is excellent app for cleaning junk files

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E|e<tr0|!0n said:
Most OEMs nowadays include device and storage maintenance features, so Clean Master shouldn't be needed for modern phones.
For alternatives to ShareIt, I'd suggest Google's 'Files Go'.

SaiyanGoku said:
Using SD Maid pro version (courtesy of the rewards app)

Zangetsu said:
SD Maid is excellent app for cleaning junk files

OEM apps are based on clean master only. Cm>SD maid. Compare a 4-5 year old version of Cm with SD maid and you will see the difference.

*uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180402/60579f025c2adeaf3af0c0fce757bb50.jpg

billubakra said:
OEM apps are based on clean master only. Cm>SD maid. Compare a 4-5 year old version of Cm with SD maid and you will see the difference.

*uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180402/60579f025c2adeaf3af0c0fce757bb50.jpg

Why use that much old version? "Cleaning" the ram isn't a wise thing to do, especially if you are multitasking.

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SaiyanGoku said:
Why use that much old version? "Cleaning" the ram isn't a wise thing to do, especially if you are multitasking.

Because the old version has no ads and it does not send anything to the servers in the background. That photo was just for reference.

billubakra said:
OEM apps are based on clean master only. Cm>SD maid. Compare a 4-5 year old version of Cm with SD maid and you will see the difference.

*uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180402/60579f025c2adeaf3af0c0fce757bb50.jpg

You got a 4GB RAM phone and still worrying about RAM usage and cleaning it?

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Flash said:
You got a 4GB RAM phone and still worrying about RAM usage and cleaning it?

Reference photo dear. I never use this inbuilt function, just used it to take that ss.

RAM cleaning will not help much. As Android is smart enough to do that for you.
only thing you have to worry about is the Junk files left behind.
If u are annoyed by Ads then just purchase the license of SD Maid and Njoy

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Zangetsu said:
RAM cleaning will not help much. As Android is smart enough to do that for you.
only thing you have to worry about is the Junk files left behind.
If u are annoyed by Ads then just purchase the license of SD Maid and Njoy

Guys I cleared that ram just because I opened that feature, period. Don't use any junk cleaner for a week and then use cm. Again don't use anything for the next week and use SD maid and you will see the difference.
To each its own.

Samsung has a feature called SClean which clears cache junk. Is it based on CM ?

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meetdilip said:
Samsung has a feature called SClean which clears cache junk. Is it based on CM ?

Yes. It is known by some different name in Galaxy series, device maintenance or something.