Apps randomly downloading from play store

[Abunny]

Anybody also having apps randomly downloaded to their phone periodically? Sometimes I go to my phone and there's an update that an app installation is complete - an app that I've never heard of too. Right now, seems all money-related apps - cryptocurrency apps, money games apps, etc.

Seems like a server security breach to me, but I don't if it has happened to anyone else, and how they got it to stop. Please let me know. Thanks!

[MrGhoul]

I have never had that issue happen to me. It's normal to occasionally see Google(android core)apps randomly downloaded in the Play Store. What you are experiencing shouldn't be happening.

[realaud]

It sounds like you may have, at some point, downloaded a sketchy app that planted seeds or visited a bad website.  See if you can identify that app by backtracking to when this started happening and what app you downloaded about that time.  Turn on app protection and run a scan to see if anything can be rooted out.

[Abunny]

Thanks, that's what I'm thinking but every app scan I've done (through play protect, and antivirus) says my installed apps are fine.

I'll work on backtracking based on timing.

[realaud]

Normally I would ay if you have a carrier locked phone, it's the carrier downloading mystery apps. But they usually only download games and it's usually done during an update. They don't download sketchy finance apps. If you have an unlicked phone, nothing would be coming from them. Download Malwarebytes and run a scan. The free version is sufficient for this. See if that comes up with anything. Best bet is to uninstall any recent apps from just before this started happening.

[RichardBernardHolden]

Maybe update your device if possible? There should be a patch to install

[meself]

In settings there's a option to auto download updates or never

[Abunny]

Yea, I saw that, thanks. But this isn't an update issue, instead a whole new app downloads.

[codename]

It only does this to me when I get samsung security updates, every time I've gotten an update it downloads 2 or 3 games/apps to my s23 i just delete them but I've only ever seen them download directly after a samsung issued security update/patch

[realaud]

You must have a carrier locked/branded phone.  Carriers add stuff to the updates on locked phones (even if you later unlock it)