r/mildlyinfuriating • u/Panda_Fabulous • Jul 08 '26

Unskippable ad Phone update just installed 17 apps

Post image

Nothing good either

edit: frequent comments

Don't buy a budget phone/ this is what you get for buying a cheap android: this is a Samsung S25, not exactly a budget phone.

This is why I buy iPhone/ and people still slander iPhone/wouldn't happen to my Google pixel: I actually don't think I can happen to apple because they don't allow apps to download other apps BUT it's still not fully Samsungs fault for ​​Verizon installing apps, though they do allow it, unlike Apple

this is malware/virus/hacked: this is bloatware

you can go and disable ___ and it won't happen again: someone sent a tutorial link and I followed it, but it did say I might have to redo it every time I update so🤷‍♂️

you can buy phones directly from the manufacturer and this won't happen: wasn't aware. I'll consider it, though I just got this phone today so it will be awhile

____ app is good tho: maybe but I'm still deleting it

Verizon needs to be sued/ this should be illegal: I probably agreed to this in a contract I didn't read

your kid installed them: don't have children or any other people on my phone

29.0k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

1.3k comments sorted by

View all comments

7.2k

u/Tight-Platypus5231 Jul 08 '26

I had my Android do this, and I found the culprit. Apparently there's an app called "Mobile Services" that will just install shit on your device without your consent, despite your settings. I ripped the app out and scrubbed any trace of it from my device, and I haven't had nonconsensual app installs ever since.

1.6k

u/Urabraska- Jul 08 '26

Jesus christ thank you. I had to get a new phone cuz I pierced a rod through my old one on accident(work accident). The moment I cloned my phone it added like 20 random ass game apps and other garbage and just kept adding them over and over. Was getting seriously fucking annoying.

34

u/Honeybadger2198 Jul 08 '26

For anyone else experiencing this, you can find out the source of installed apps.

Settings -> Apps -> find the unwanted app -> scroll to the bottom

This is how I found which app was doing this. Once you find out, you can disable or uninstall the culprit. The process may differ depending on phone/carrier, but the information should be there. If you can't find it, just google it.

17

u/zspacekcc Jul 08 '26

Don't always trust what that says. My wife's phone gets pushes of apps like this and it always says they were installed via Google Play.

2

u/Kalphalus Jul 09 '26

I tried removing the installer thing from my dad’s phone but it said Google Play, do you know a way to figure out what actually installs it?

1

u/zspacekcc Jul 09 '26

I never figured it out strictly, but I assumed it was one of the manufacturer apps, so I crushed all of those that were not strictly required, which so far seems to have stopped it.