Researching before installing apps

• Search for the app name on Google Play Store or Fdroid store. If there are multiple apps with similar names and icons, most of them are probably fake ones.

• Tap the developer name, and it will show you all the apps published by the developer alongside user ratings.

• Genuine developers usually write informative descriptions alongside high-quality screenshots of their app’s interface.

• Look at the number of downloads.

• Take a close look at the permissions the app is asking for.

  • Scroll down the page, past the reviews to the Additional Information section.

  • Under Permissions, tap View Details. Google Play will list all the permissions requested by the app.

  • If they are unrelated to the app’s function or what it claims to do, it could be fake or malicious. Unwanted in any case.

• Search the internet for more information on the app.

• Scan with an online virusscanner that accepts url’s before installing.

• If you decide to install an untrusted app, block internet access for the app. If it needs it, monitor its behaviour.

To report an app on Google Play Store, go to the app page, and click the three dots in the top-right corner and click Flag as inappropriate. For fake apps, you can choose copycat or impersonation as reason, and submit.

For problems related to the contents of the F-Droid repository (the apps in the app store), such as disappeared, outdated, or fake applications, please use this issue tracker.