It’s safe to say that many of us spend a lot of time on our phones.

Whether it is texting friends and family or mindlessly scrolling through Facebook, our phones are rarely very far from us.

This begs the question, how much time are we spending looking at Reddit, Instagram, and other apps that call our phones home?

It’s fairly easy to do this on an iPhone, but what about Android?

How to check app usage time on Android

If you want to know how much time you spend on apps like Facebook, Spotify, and Twitter on your Android phone, the answer depends on which handset you own.

If you have one of Google’s Pixel range, you can use the Digital Wellbeing app to see all the stats you want about app usage, notifications, and other on-device stats.

If you own any other Android, you’ll have to use one of the third-party apps that fill the same need.

On a Google Pixel device, it’s super easy to check your app usage stats:

1. Scroll down to Digital Wellbeing and tap on it
2. Open up the Settings app
3. You’ll then see an overview of your app usage stats. Tapping on any of the names gives you a more in-depth view of your usage of that app, including when you used it most during the day.
4. The Dashboard option shows information about Unlocks, Notifications, and App Usage. You can also set timers to limit your use of a particular app during the day.
5. If you scroll down to the bottom of the Digital Wellbeing page, you can toggle a switch to show the app in your app drawer. That’ll stop you from having to scroll through the Settings app every time you want to look at your stats

How to check app usage on other Android devices

If you don’t own a Pixel, it’s time to head over to the Google Play Store, where you can find several app usage tracking apps.

Here are some of our favorites:

Quality Time

Quality Time is one of the most-downloaded time trackers (over a million installs and counting), probably because of how well everything is laid out inside the app.

You’ve got a daily timeline that shows which apps you used each hour, with total time, daily usage overviews, and individual app overviews over a longer period.

You can also set daily usage alerts, custom profiles that ban certain apps when applied, and the Take a Break mode, where your smartphone turns into a dumbphone with calls only while set.

App Usage

App Usage is also a great option, and the most like the Digital Wellbeing app for Pixel devices, with some useful additions.

It also has a chronological timeline of app usage, a “per-category” view in case you spend too much time on social media.

In addition, a handy battery history tracking screen that shows battery drain overlaid on your app usage stats.

There’s also a handy widget for your home screen, so all the stats about your app usage are just a tap away.

Things to keep in mind

Due to Android system limitations, any method you use will only be able to track usage when apps are in the foreground.

So, make sure you keep this in mind as you try to get a handle on your tech habits

That means the app has to be in use with the screen on. That makes tracking how much time you spend listening to Spotify in the background impossible.

What apps do you use to track your smartphone activity? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

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• Sony’s PSN name change service is now live – Here’s how to change it
• How to stay safe online when watching Netflix

The post How to check how much time you spend on Android apps appeared first on KnowTechie.

News of the upcoming Android app comes from Twitter user ShrimpApplePro. ShrimpApplePro has delivered accurate leaks in the past, like the dynamic island on iPhone 14 and more.

Now, the leaker claims that Apple is working on an Apple TV app specifically for Android smartphones. They say the company is testing the app internally and it will come out “soon.”

A dedicated Apple TV app will make it much easier to check out the shows and movies on the platform from an Android phone. Right now, the only option is to head to tv.apple.com in a web browser.

To be clear, there already is an Apple TV app for the Android TV operating system. That means it works with devices like Chromecast with Google TV. But that app doesn’t transfer to mobile Android devices.

Apple isn’t necessarily stingy with the app. It’s already available on several devices, including PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Roku, and many more smart TVs.

But Android mobile devices still don’t have a dedicated Apple TV app. That could all change, however, if these rumors are true.

Keep your eye out for an announcement from Apple finally bringing the app to Android smartphones.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Tumblr adds livestreaming to Android and iOS app
• Apple reportedly pulls out of talks for NFL Sunday Ticket
• How to delete Apple TV apps
• Google Chrome adds full support for passkeys

The post Apple reportedly developing an Apple TV app for Android phones appeared first on KnowTechie.

But did you also know that memes can make you smile all the way to the bank? Guess not.

But yep, they can, thanks to the new Yepp app. With Yepp, you can easily turn your funny memes (images, videos, or texts) into an additional or even primary means of income.

Yepp is one of the latest and greatest ways to monetize your memes, whether you’re an established or up-and-coming meme maker.

Let’s dive deeper into Yepp and how you can earn with memes.

Yepp: What the yepp is Yepp?

Yepp lets meme creators and consumers worldwide create, share, find, and discover thousands of funny multi-theme memes.

Most importantly, Yepp lets users earn money while at it.

Yepp’s machine learning-powered algorithm provides an endless feed of funny memes.

Users can upload, edit, remix, and reuse trending memes and earn money by viewing, creating, or sharing them.

Yepp only recently launched its beta program but already boasts more than 100,000 users and counting, with the best memes enjoying hundreds of thousands of daily views and providing income for their authors.

A closer look at Yepp

Thanks to Yepp’s robust recommendation engine, users view memes an average of 40 minutes per day, roughly 4-5x the time spent on other meme makers.

This R&D effort has been 10+ years in the making.

This also allows users to discover and explore more authors, thereby giving creators more visibility, viewership, following, subscribers, and of course, more earning potential. 

Part of Yepp’s mission is to enable millions of people to successfully monetize their sense of humor and provide tools to make content creation easy and fun.

This mission underlies everything Yepp stands for.

Key Yepp features to look out for

What makes Yepp stand out as a meme maker? If you’re wondering or asking this same question, you’re not alone.

Like other meme editors, it allows you to create memes, but unlike them, it also allows you to earn.

The following features make Yepp the go-to app for meme creators and users. 

Ease to Use In-App Studio 

Sign-up is fast and easy. Once in, you’ll find Yepp’s In-App Studio’s intuitive user interface as fun as its memes.

The app is easy to navigate, with well-defined categories that make finding your way around a breeze.

With a few clicks, you can create and share memes with your friends, followers, and hundreds of thousands of other users who share a similar passion for memes.

Face Swap

The Face Swap feature is one of the most popular features on Yepp.

As the name suggests, it allows you to swap out the face on a meme with that of your friends, family, or colleagues.

This can be a fun way of mimicking characters, including actors, athletes, footballers, comedians, and more.

Which face would you like to swap? Find out on Yepp.

Endless Smart Feed

With a robust recommendation engine, you can expect endless memes in the Yepp app, not just random memes.

The app recommends memes to you based on your user behavior.

Specifically, it picks up on your action rate and text and image recognition.

Its smart algorithm then creates a personalized custom feed for each user, considering their likes and interests.

Auto Content Suggestion and Duplicate Detection

The app’s intelligent algorithm can recognize and analyze patterns in your user behavior.

As a creator, Yepp can study and mimic your sense of humor by automatically suggesting similar texts or images to the ones you’ve used before.

And if you’re worried about your creative work being stolen, you can rest assured that it won’t happen.

This is thanks to Yepp’s neural networks, which detect clickbait memes, duplicates, and stolen content and deranks them, starving them of views.

Income Potential

If your memes make people laugh, Yepp believes they should make you smile to the bank.

To this end, Yepp has introduced an industry-leading and transparent revenue-sharing model.

Yepp’s weekly ad revenue is split 50/50 between the app and its users, who can expect to earn up to $1,750 weekly.

30% also goes to friends invited by users, 17% to creators, and 3% to users who view memes.

Analytics

Whether a meme maker or user, the Yepp app allows you to take stock of all your activities and earnings.

It lets you see how many of your friends or contacts installed the app using your link.

You can also easily view how many times your memes have been viewed over a particular period of time, plus how much you’ve amassed from such views.

It also allows you to see daily or all-time views and earnings.

Create and earn with Yepp

Thanks to its machine-learning capabilities, you don’t need to be an expert to create your own memes.

Yepp has enough built-in tools and templates to get you started in minutes. What’s more, it’s free to use.

From its ease of use to its many features, revenue-sharing formula, and earning potential, Yepp is the number one meme editor you should use along with your friends, family, and colleagues.

Go ahead, download the app, sign up, create, share, and earn. The app is available on iOS and Android.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• The girl from the burning house meme just made a cool $500,000 from it
• This website uses AI to generate memes and they are terribly wonderful
• Tesla adds Steam Games and Apple Music in latest update
• Google Play reveals its most popular apps and games of 2022

The post Yepp is a new meme-maker app that makes you money appeared first on KnowTechie.

Whether you’re simply looking for super-fast speeds or you’d like to share your data with other devices, connecting via an Ethernet cable can help.

Can I connect an ethernet cable to my phone?

Yes, but the question is, how can you do it?

Here, you’ll discover some of the best and easiest ways to connect Android devices to an ethernet connection.

Make sure you’ve got the right equipment

To connect your Android device to an ethernet connection, there are a few things you’re going to need.

It’s also worth noting that, as it stands, MAC users are unable to tether Android with USB, so the instructions here are purely for Windows users.

First and foremost, you will need an OTG to ethernet adapter. This is designed to plug into Android devices through their micro USB port.

It is important to state that not all OTG ethernet adapters are compatible with every best Android tablet.

So, you’re going to need to make sure to find one that’s compatible with your specific phone or tablet.

You can pick up quality ethernet cables and components from companies such as RS.

How to connect ethernet to mobile

Before connecting your device to the ethernet connection, you’ll need to turn your Wi-Fi off on the device.

If you’ve bought a compatible adapter, all you need to do is plug that into your Android device, then plug your ethernet cable into the Android ethernet adapter.

This should automatically work. If it doesn’t, try setting the phone into Airplane mode. Some devices require this depending on their ROM.

It really is as simple as that! Connecting a LAN cable to your mobile isn’t that hard at all. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that the ethernet cable you’ll need is ethernet to USB.

So, check to see that the ethernet cable you’re using does have a USB connection. If not, you’ll need to buy one.

Connecting ethernet on an Android phone is surprisingly easy

Once you’ve connected it, run a speed test to be sure you’re getting the best connection.

As you can see, connecting your Android phone or tablet to an ethernet connection is simple.

Provided you have the right equipment, it can be done in seconds, and you’ll soon be ready to download, share your data or upload files to your device.

Remember that it’s only possible to connect Android devices using Marshmallow or a later operating system.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations: 

• Cloudflare’s privacy-focused DNS service, 1.1.1.1., is coming to Android and iOS
• Google’s Android Dev Summit featured changes to app updates and support for foldable screens
• Google confirms (sort of) that Android’s dark mode saves battery life

The post How to connect your Android mobile device to Ethernet appeared first on KnowTechie.

Updating the Pixel Watch normally requires users to put the watch on its charger, connect it to WiFi, and wait for the battery life to increase to at least 50%.

Doing it this way means you’ll get the update when Google is ready. But you don’t have to wait for Google to decide when your watch needs to be updated.

Here’s how to force an update on your Pixel Watch or any other Android smartwatch running Wear OS 2 or Wear OS 3.

How to instantly update your Pixel Watch

Keep tapping for a few seconds. The watch screen will refresh, and you will see the update downloading. That will equip your Pixel Watch with the latest software update.

If you find you have any issues while updating, don’t panic. Holding the crown and the button next to it for 30-45 seconds will reboot the Pixel Watch. You can then try running the update again.

Again, this will work for any Android smartwatch running Wear OS 2 or Wear OS 3.

It’s interesting that Google has a hidden way to update Wear OS devices. Maybe Google should make this a less hidden feature and put an easily-found button on the update page.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

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The post This hidden Pixel Watch trick instantly forces software updates appeared first on KnowTechie.

Did you know you can change your Activity Status and appear offline on Instagram? Well, yes, you can.

Using the ‘insta offline’ trick on Instagram lets you fly under the radar and avoid unwanted interactions with other users.

The platform includes an Activity Status feature that tracks how long it’s been since you were online and lets your friends know when you’re active on the platform.

As you can imagine, that has the potential to get a little invasive. Fortunately, Instagram only shows this to users you follow or message privately.

But it’s still nice to be able to hide that Activity Status, so you don’t have to worry about everyone knowing what you’re up to at all times.

What does appearing offline on Instagram do?

As we mentioned briefly, appearing offline on Instagram does several different things. And it all revolves around the Activity Status.

First, turning off your Activity Status to appear offline on Instagram will hide your status from other users.

That means nobody can see when you actively browse images and videos on the platform.

Additionally, toggling your Activity Status off will also hide the counter that tells people how long it has been since you were last offline.

So, you can essentially hide every aspect of Instagram’s Activity Status for your profile.

However, doing it also means you can’t see anybody else’s Activity Status.

So if you want to know when others are online, you’ll have to continue to let them know you are online.

Why would you want to appear offline on Instagram?

There are several reasons why you might want to appear offline on Instagram.

Maybe you’ve got that annoying aunt who won’t leave you alone whenever they find out you’re online.

Or maybe there’s someone you’ve connected with in the past that takes advantage of your Activity Status.

Although, it might be a better idea to go ahead and block that person completely.

Whatever your reason for wanting to appear offline on Instagram, the feature can be an incredibly useful tool.

And you can always go back and toggle the feature back on if you want to show your friends you’re online again.

How to go offline on Instagram’s app

Since Instagram is primarily used on mobile devices, this will likely be the most useful section for most people.

First, we’ll look at how to toggle off your Activity Status on the Instagram mobile app for iOS or Android.

The menus might look a little different, depending on what kind of phone you have. But the processes are the same either way.

After toggling off this setting, you will begin to appear offline on Instagram.

And whenever you want to appear online again, just repeat the same steps and toggle Activity Status back on.

Here’s how to toggle Activity Status on Instagram for desktop

Meta originally focused on developing Instagram as a mobile app.

Thankfully, that’s changed as the company has added features to Instagram’s desktop site to make it work more like an app.

And fortunately, you can at least use the website to toggle your Activity Status.

How to appear Invisible on Instagram’s desktop site:

1. Click your profile picture in the top right corner

2. Select Settings

3. Click Privacy and security

4. Toggle the Show activity status box off

That’s all there is to that.

Once you toggle the Activity Status box off from that menu, your online status and history are essentially invisible to everyone.

Remember, you also can’t see other users’ Activity Status if you’ve toggled this option off.

And if you ever change your mind, you can follow the same steps to return and turn your Activity Status back on again.

Use Instagram’s Activity Status to your advantage

Tons of people like to browse Instagram to keep up with friends or their favorite creators.

But you don’t have to let everyone know that you’re online when you’re browsing the platform.

Instagram’s Activity Status lets you choose when you want people to see that you’re online.

Of course, it also means that you won’t be able to see other users’ Activity Status with yours turned off. But that’s a small price for extra privacy on the platform.

You can change your Activity Status on Instagram regularly.

So get familiar with this process and start browsing Instagram on or offline. The choice is always yours.

Are you keeping this feature turned on? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

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The post How to appear offline on Instagram appeared first on KnowTechie.

That report comes from antivirus vendor Dr. Web, who creates security software for PC and Android devices. This group of malware-containing apps pretends to be helpful software like optimizers.

Dr. Web says that the apps have been downloaded over two million times, with one having over a million installs. If you installed one of these apps — delete it ASAP.

Delete these Android apps

The first app, TubeBox, promises the user rewards for watching advertising. Once you got to the minimum withdrawal amount, however, the app would find ways to deny the user.

The only person making money from this app is the criminals that created it. Delete it immediately if you were one of the million users who downloaded it.

Another app. Fast Cleaner & Cooling Master, looked like an Android optimizing app. What it really did was install a trojan that served ads or could set up a proxy server on your device. Again, delete this.

Adware is on the rise

Dr. Web also says that apps called ‘Bluetooth device auto connect’, ‘Bluetooth & Wi-Fi & USB driver’, and ‘Volume, Music Equalizer’ contain adware. These three have been downloaded over a million times in total.

Google has removed them from the Play Store. That doesn’t remove them from your device, so if you have them installed, delete them immediately.

The security company also says that multiple loan app scams are also circulating. These all claim to have “a direct relationship with Russian banks and commodity companies.”

These all seem to be in Russian and hook users by claiming profitable investments or free stocks. Instead, they phish the user’s data for use later in other scams.

How to stay safe on your Android devices

Google’s Play Store has automated filters that catch the majority of malware. Not everything gets caught though, and cybercriminals have created more elaborate ways to avoid detection.

Even when Google’s filters fail, you can protect yourself. If an app promises rewards or lottery wins, it’s probably a scam at best.

Messaging apps are a common target, as they routinely ask for SMS access so the criminals can siphon off two-factor authentication codes. Stick to well-known developers and messaging apps.

Don’t install apps from sources outside the Play Store. That few dollars you save from a cracked version could mean losing large sums of money if it has malware to get your banking details.

And read the reviews for any new app. Skip the five-star reviews and see if phrases like “doesn’t work” or similar wording turn up. If so, the app is probably a scam or full of malware.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

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The post Android users: remove these apps ASAP, they contain malware appeared first on KnowTechie.

When you look at your phone, one of the first things you see is your wallpaper. So, you might as well choose something visually appealing, right?

Some people prefer simple, unobtrusive backgrounds, while others opt for photos of pets, family members, or celebrities.

But the image is a dying medium. Now, it’s all about video.

If you consider yourself a bit of a modernist—or just like looking at cool stuff—you can ditch that old-still background and set live wallpapers on your iPhone or Android device.

With iOS 16, Apple removed the live wallpaper feature in favor of a Dynamic Lock Screen. If, however, you’re running an older OS, you should still have the option.

Convert TikTok Videos to live photos on iPhone

When using a pre-iOS-16 iPhone, you can convert videos from TikTok to Live Photos, which you can then use as wallpapers. The process is swift and simple. Here’s how to do it.

How to convert a TikTok video to a live photo in iOS by following these steps:

1. Launch the TikTok app and locate the video you want to use

2. Tap the Share icon

3. Select Live Photo to save the video to your device

Once you’ve saved the video as a live photo, you can set it as a wallpaper via the Settings app using the standard process.

If your Android phone happens to be a Samsung Galaxy, you’re in luck. You can set a live wallpaper without downloading a third-party app.

Here’s how to set live wallpapers on a Samsung Galaxy phone

1. Launch the Gallery app and select the video you want to use

2. Tap the More (three dots) button and select Set as wallpaper

3. Select either Lock screen or Call background

4. Tap the Scissors button to trim the clip if necessary and tap Set… when done

If you’re using a non-Samsung phone, you’ll need to get a third-party app involved to create a live wallpaper.

Luckily, you have several solutions to choose from. While the process varies between apps, the basic idea is the same.

For example, here’s how to set a live wallpaper using ‘Video to Wallpaper’ for Android:

1. Download and install Video to Wallpaper from the Google Play Store and launch the app

2. Tap the Plus (+) button to add a new wallpaper

3. Tap Choose, select the video you want to convert, rename if necessary, and tap OK

4. Tap the wallpaper you want to use and tap Set wallpaper

5. Select either Home screen or Home screen and lock screen

That’s it. Your wallpaper is now live. Note that the free version of Video to Wallpaper will only let you save one wallpaper at a time.

You can either delete your wallpaper when you want to set a new one or pay to upgrade the app.

While live wallpapers may be nice to look at—or horrific, depending on the content—they don’t come without a cost.

Continually running a video in the background of your phone can quickly drain your battery and affect overall performance.

If you set a live wallpaper and notice serious battery drain or clunky performance, it may be time to switch back to an antiquated still image and save yourself the trouble.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

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The post How to create a live wallpaper on iPhone and Android appeared first on KnowTechie.

I’ve spent the past decade writing about phones. Looking back through my work, you’ll notice a growing dissatisfaction.

Time made me cynical. Jaded even. Try as I might, I couldn’t bring myself to be excited about anything. Fortunately, the subject of this review bucks that trend.

Today, we’re looking at the Infinix Zero Ultra. Infinix isn’t a household name in the US, but this device is novel enough to pique my interest.

Infinix Zero Ultra

Learn More

Quick Verdict

The Infinix Zero Ultra is a great phone. Sure, the camera quality isn’t the best and doesn’t deliver flagship performance. On the other hand, the screen is outstanding. Its 180W fast charging is nothing short of a game-changer. It’s beautiful. It feels incredible to the touch.

Of course, I’d be negligent in my duty if I only cared about nostalgia or fast charging speeds. The whole package matters.

And while I’ll deliver my reasoning in a second, I’m fairly content with how the Infinix Zero Ultra performed. This is a great phone—one worthy of your consideration.

Price-wise, it sits in the middle of the Android market. You won’t find the Infinix Zero Ultra in the bargain basement, but it’s still reasonably affordable.

When factoring in exchange rates, it costs about $500, give or take.

When it comes to specs, Infinix delivers a mixed bag of goods.

The model reviewed by KnowTechie came with a generous 13GB RAM and 256GB storage, although including a MediaTek Dimensity 920 felt a little strange.

We regularly see high-end Qualcomm and MediaTek silicon on devices within this price range and would have liked to see something similar here.

Chipset

To be fair, the MediaTek Dimensity 920 is no slouch. Sure, it’s not the fastest chipset in the world, but it’s nonetheless capable.

It’ll handle everything you throw at it, from games to social media doomscrolling. It doesn’t frustrate, but it doesn’t deliver the delightful snappiness of more powerful platforms.

Perhaps I’m just spoiled. Or maybe the line between flagship and mid-ranger is so blurred our expectations are a little out of alignment.

As mentioned earlier, the Infinix Zero Ultra packs 180W fast charging. This is the fastest charging speed on the market.

Having used this device for the past couple of weeks, it’s hard to imagine going back to the iPhone 12’s 12W charge speeds.

Fast charging is no joke

You can fully recharge your phone from empty in the time it takes to shower. You can reach the halfway point in under four minutes. This effectively eliminates the entire notion of battery anxiety.

You can meaningfully replenish your phone if you have a few minutes and a wall outlet. I know, I write for a living, but it’s hard to articulate how awesome that actually is.

The Zero Ultra technically has two batteries

Infinix achieved this by re-using a trick used by other smartphone vendors. The Zero Ultra technically has two batteries that charge in tandem at a speed of 90W each.

This approach is used on various devices, from the OnePlus 8T to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. There’s a downside to this, however.

When you use two distinct batteries, you end up with a lower overall capacity.

Space that would otherwise be occupied by anodes and cathodes houses battery packaging and duplicate power management circuitry.

And that’s arguably why the Infinix Zero Ultra has a 4,500mAh battery. Sure, that’s about the standard. But it’s also a little smaller than you expect when considering the phone touts a 6.8-inch display.

Battery life is average

The Infinix Zero Ultra lasts a full day but with little power in reserve. Fortunately, this isn’t much of an issue.

As the battery starts to wane, you just need to plug the phone in with the charger included, and you’re set for the rest of the day.

I’ll be honest, the Infinix Zero Ultra is a gorgeous piece of engineering. It’s a beautiful phone. More beautiful than you’d reasonably expect, given the price range.

Display

The 6.8-inch display delivers exceptional levels of brightness and color fidelity. It uses an AMOLED panel (1080×2500) with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz.

The screen itself is curved. This is one of those smartphone industrial design choices I’m not wildly enthusiastic about.

Sure, they look great, but only when they’re unshackled from a protective case.

Curved screen

Additionally, curved screens are often harder to replace than flat-pannel equivalents, with replacements costing more. Put simply: They look good but have undeniable trade-offs.

A metal bracket holds the near-borderless display in place, which leads to the rear chassis.

Like the Samsung Galaxy FE20, Infinix opted for a plastic back. But this doesn’t feel cheap. It touts an unusual and texturally-spectacular pattern that gives this phone an undeniable premium aesthetic.

Camera

The cameras are some of the widest I’ve encountered, looking more akin to a Sylvanian Family dinnerplate than anything else.

They’re bulbous, too, protruding awkwardly from the phone’s rear chassis.

Sensors

The aforementioned 200MP primary shooter uses a Sony ISOCELL HP1 sensor, which sits above a secondary 13MP ultrawide lens. To the right, you’ll spot a more conventional-looking 2MP macro sensor.

Sure, 200MP sounds like a lot. But like most other high-density megapixel cameras, the Infinix Zero Ultra uses pixel binning. This is where smaller pixels are grouped into one larger virtual pixel.

There’s a good reason for that. Smaller pixels, by definition, absorb less light than larger pixels. This becomes an issue when taking nighttime shots.

Picture quality

The Infinix Zero Ultra didn’t underwhelm in terms of image quality, but it didn’t impress, either.

Pictures were of acceptable social media quality but couldn’t hold a candle to a premium flagship phone or a proper DSLR.

The Infinix Zero Ultra is a great phone. Sure, the camera quality isn’t the best and doesn’t deliver flagship performance.

And if you’re wondering, yup, it also comes with a dumpster truck worth of bloatware, which undoubtedly will offend anyone used to clean Android installs.

But it’s also practical in ways that are hard to ignore. The screen is outstanding. Its 180W fast charging is nothing short of a game-changer. It’s beautiful. It feels incredible to the touch.

Despite Infinix’s French roots, the company is yet to make a retail splash in Europe or the US. If you want to grab one, you’ll have to import it.

Fortunately, you’ll be able to pick one up with Google’s essential Android apps pre-installed, unlike some China-exclusive devices I’ve reviewed in the past.

Infinix holds sway throughout the Asian market and is making slow, tentative steps westward.

Imageㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ	Product	Price
	Xiaomi 11T ProThe Best Value Fast charging speeds Slightly larger battery than the Infinix Zero Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G chipset	Learn More
	Pixel 7Editor’s Pick Excellent camera Fairly priced Great battery life Good for those looking for a premium Android experience	Learn More
	OnePlus 10 ProRunner Up Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 6.7” QHD+ 120Hz display 48MP Sony IMX sensor Good for those seeking a Samsung or Apple alternative	Learn More

You have options if you’re looking for something now and don’t have the time or inclination to wait for an import.

The Xiaomi 11T Pro is available in Europe at roughly the same price as the Zero Ultra.

It offers similarly impressive fast charging speeds, albeit with the benefit of a slightly larger battery and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G chipset.

For those Stateside, the OnePlus 10 Pro will also deliver your need for charging immediacy, albeit at a slightly higher cost.

If you decide that the Infinix Zero Ultra is for you, you can snag it directly from the company’s website for approximately $500.

US buyers can purchase the phone from retailers like AliExpress for around the same price.

Review

Infinix Zero Ultra

I’m fairly content with how the Infinix Zero Ultra performed. The phone’s screen is gorgeous. The fast charging is incredible. It feels smooth and clean to the touch. This is a great phone—one worthy of your consideration.

See at Infinix

See at AliExpres

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Review: Eight Sleep Pod 3 Mattress – deep sleep at any cost
• Review: EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid wireless gaming earbuds
• Review: HHOGene GPods light earbuds
• Is God of War Ragnarök worth buying? Here’s what reviewers say

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

The post Review: Infinix Zero Ultra appeared first on KnowTechie.

Google Play recognizes some of the platform’s most popular apps every year.

The annual Best of Play awards looks at apps and games across different devices and genres, highlighting the year’s best apps.

Google Play’s yearly awards are broken down into apps and games, then into separate categories under those two umbrellas.

You’ve likely heard of many of these apps, as they tend to be pretty popular.

But if not, the Best of Play awards is a great way to find new apps and games that you might enjoy.

The awards kick off with the overall winners for both games and apps. Dream by WOMBO took home the Best App award.

Dream is an AI art tool that lets you create beautiful designs in seconds with just a text prompt.

The Users’ Choice winner for Google Play’s best apps was the breakout social media platform BeReal.

BeReal challenges its users to share candid images randomly during the day, prompted by the app.

Apex Legends Mobile took home the top spot in the gaming category for both Best Game and Users’ Choice.

EA’s mobile iteration of its popular battle royale has been a huge hit since it came out earlier this year.

Best Google Play apps and games categories

In addition to the best overall apps and games, Google Play breaks its awards into categories to celebrate even more games and apps.

Those are the winners of 2022’s Best of Play app awards. If you’ve been looking for new apps to download, there are some great options on this list.

Click any of the links above to head to the Google Play app page. And if you’re looking for more, Google also shared a handful of honorable mentions in its awards post.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Donald Trump’s Truth Social is now available on Google Play
• ‘Bahamut’ hackers target Android users with phony VPN apps
• How to use Android Smart Lock
• Android users: Delete these apps – they’re stealing your data

The post Google Play reveals its most popular apps and games of 2022 appeared first on KnowTechie.

Like the ancient mythological fish bearing its name, the Bahamut cybercrime group is hidden from sight, swimming deep below the surface of the digital realm.

Further earning the moniker, Bahamut specializes in phishing attacks. It targets corporations and individuals in the Middle East and South Asia. 

After a year of staying off the radar, the advanced persistent threat (APT) group reemerged in 2022 to attack mobile devices, deftly tricking users into thinking they were downloading a VPN.

What is a VPN?

A virtual private network, or VPN, lets you surf the web with a degree of anonymity.

It makes your IP address appear to be coming from a different location, meaning you can bypass laws specific to your area that block certain content.

It often does this by encrypting your internet connection. VPNs also make it harder for cybercriminals to locate your computer.

They help protect private data by only allowing remote user access through encryption and tunneling protocols.

Ironically, the people tricked by Bahamut’s scheme were probably trying to bolster their network security. 

Bahamut enters the scene

In 2016, the cyber-mercenary group began launching espionage campaigns in South Asia and the Middle East. Their victims seemed to have only one thing in common: They were human rights activists.

After a few years of illicit activity, Bahamut disappeared for a while, only to reemerge this year. In 2022, Bahamut began targeting Android users who wanted to download a VPN.

The cybercrime group created a well-designed fake website that offered supposed VPN software. It most likely reaches its audience with the power of targeted messaging, sending them links to the site.

Anyone who tries to download the software from an Android phone is hacked. 

What type of data can they gather?

The hack installs spyware in the form of apps on victims’ phones.

This allows cybercriminals to access sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, SMS messages, and even people’s current locations.

Virtually any information on someone’s phone becomes accessible in this attack. 

Bahamut seems to gather sensitive or embarrassing information about users, which it could use for blackmail purposes. The motives are still unclear. 

None of the infected apps are available on the Google Play store. Users must download them through the malicious website masquerading as a legitimate VPN service.

Still, because the website is so polished, victims’ suspicions are not aroused. 

What is spyware?

“Spyware” is a portmanteau of spying and software. It’s a type of passive cyberattack that lets criminals monitor someone’s activity.

Hackers install software on a victim’s device that allows them to gather personal information.

The hacker can watch the user’s online behavior — such as which websites they visit and keystrokes they use the most — and use this data for profit.

Spyware may take screenshots of someone’s online activity and can gather information such as login credentials, credit card numbers, account PINs, and email addresses.

In the case of the Bahamut VPN scheme, users download the app and enter an activation key. The spyware becomes active when they do this. 

How to avoid Bahamut’s latest scheme

Install antivirus software on your phone if you’re an Android user. Be wary of apps you have to download from a third-party site.

Additionally, never open links from unfamiliar email accounts, as these can lead to malicious sites that install spyware or rope you into a phishing scam.

Even if a site looks legitimate, be aware that it could be a case of website spoofing, as anyone can make a professional-looking site. 

Following these common-sense online safety tips should keep you out of Bahamut’s sinister grasp.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• VPN security: How VPNs help protect your data online
• Pixel 7 and 7 Pro owners get a free VPN from Google
• What is a VPN, and what can you do with it?
• Top VPN scams revealed – here’s what to look out for in 2022

The post ‘Bahamut’ hackers target Android users with phony VPN apps appeared first on KnowTechie.

The feature completely blocks all third-party trackers on the Android device it is installed on. That’s important, as it keeps your digital fingerprint out of the hands of advertisers.

It’s part of the DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser, which features private search, email tracking protection, forced HTTPS encryption when possible, and other privacy-focused tools.

Once enabled, it runs in the background, blocking third-party tracking in all apps the user opens. A list of blocked trackers is also displayed in the app.

DuckDuckGo can block all third-party Android trackers

The App Tracking Protection feature resembles Apple’s App Tracking Transparency rules. The difference here is that DuckDuckGo’s implementation doesn’t require the participation of the app developers.

That means the user is in charge of blocking any apps they want. You might not think you need this, but DuckDuckGo’s investigations found the scale of app tracking to be immense.

According to them, the “average Android user has 35 apps on their phone.” Those apps can get 1,000-2,000 tracking attempts daily, with data going to over 70 tracking companies.

These companies gain a ton of information, like specifications about your Android device, your location, contact details, and other identifying data. Then, profiles are built around your data and sold to advertisers.

The new feature stops that by passing your data through a local VPN. That strips all identifying information away, so it’s not there for anyone (including DuckDuckGo) to get.

If you’re going to enable the App Tracking Protection feature, remember it is still in the beta stage. It could make apps glitch, miss some trackers, or produce any number of other bugs.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• DuckDuckGo now offers free email protection for everyone
• New Chrome update makes it easier to theme your browser
• TikTok’s in-app browser can track every tap you make
• Apple faces privacy lawsuit over app activity tracking concerns

The post DuckDuckGo now blocks ‘all known trackers’ on Android appeared first on KnowTechie.

Biometric methods, such as fingerprints and facial recognition, are convenient, helpful options for unlocking your phone.

But Smart Lock gives you additional ways to manage your device.

Smart Lock offers different ways to unlock your device without using a passcode. Here’s everything you need to know about your options.

What is Smart Lock on Android devices?

Enabling a lock screen security method is essential for keeping your data safe. Many smartphone owners use their devices in places they know to be safe, like at home.

That’s a lot of PIN code entries, biometric unlocking, or even hard-to-remember pattern unlocks.

Smart Lock reduces the number of times you have to unlock your phone or tablet by keeping your device unlocked.

Those include using on-body detection to keep your device unlocked after you’ve opened it, leaving it unlocked in trusted places like your home, or if it is connected to a trusted Bluetooth device.

Smart Lock used to also have options for voice match and trusted faces, but those are less secure and are in the process of being phased out.

How to unlock your Android phone with on-body detection

On-body detection in Smart Lock comes in clutch for runners or if you use your phone as a grocery list.

It will keep your device unlocked as long as it detects movement, so you can keep using it.

Once it detects you have stopped, your Android device will ask for your password again to open your lock screen.

Here’s how to use on-body detection to unlock your Android phone:

1. Go to Settings > Lock screen > Smart Lock and enter your PIN or password when prompted

2. Tap On-body detection

3. Switch on Use On-body detection and tap Continue

As the warning suggests, on-body detection keeps your device unlocked when it senses you’re moving.

If someone snatches your phone from you and keeps moving, they may retain access.

It will automatically lock if you drop your phone.

Unlock Android phone with Trusted Places

Trusted Places uses geolocation to keep your device unlocked in places you feel safe.

That could be your home, office, or any location you choose. You will need GPS to be enabled, so your battery will drain slightly faster.

Here’s how to use Trusted Places to unlock your Android phone:

You’ll see options to Delete, Rename, and Edit when you tap an already-added place.

The entry will appear automatically in the list if your home address is connected to Google Maps. You can enable this as a trusted place by tapping it and choosing Turn on this location.

Using this Smart Lock feature comes with obvious drawbacks. If someone in a trusted place picks up your phone, they’ll automatically have access to your data.

While they can’t physically take your device far from the authorized location, they could send your private information wherever they want.

How to unlock an Android phone with Trusted Devices

The trusted devices Smart Lock feature keeps your phone unlocked whenever it’s connected to a trusted Bluetooth product, such as a smartwatch, wireless speaker, or computer.

Here’s how to use Trusted Devices to unlock your Android phone:

1. Go to Settings > Lock screen > Smart Lock and enter your PIN or password when prompted

2. Tap Trusted devices

3. Switch Bluetooth on and tap Add trusted devices

4. Select a device from the list or tap Pair new device and complete the pairing process

5. Tap Add when prompted

Trusted Devices are an excellent option if you wear an Android Wear OS smartwatch daily. Your phone will still lock if it gets out of Bluetooth range, keeping you safe if you misplace it.

Unlock an Android phone with Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi unlocking is a less-secure solution, as anyone with the right motivation could spoof a wireless network and gain access to your device.

For this reason, Google doesn’t include the option in its operating system.

Some third-party solutions exist, but most apps only work with older versions of Android OS and produce unpredictable results.

Is Android Smart Lock safe?

Using Smart Lock is safer than having no protection, but enabling the feature comes with additional risks.

A motivated thief could use specific unlocking triggers, such as a trusted place, to gain access to your device and data.

When considering whether to enable Android Smart Lock, you should ask yourself: what’s more important, convenience or security?

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• How to watch YouTube ad-free on Android now that Vanced is gone
• Android users: Delete these apps – they’re harvesting your data
• You can now install Android apps from the Windows 11 Store – here’s how
• Android 13: News, features, rumors, leaks, release date, and everything we know so far

The post How to use Android Smart Lock appeared first on KnowTechie.

As reported by BleepingComputer, the four apps are from the same developer and have over a million combined downloads.

So, how do they work? First, the apps stay dormant for a few days to trick the Google Play Store and any on-device protections before introducing malicious code.

That code either shepherds the user to sites that phish for personal information or generate ‘pay-per-click’ cash for the developer via adware. The code refreshes every two hours, even if the screen is locked.

With that said, if you have any of these on your Android device, it’s time to delete them.

Delete these four Android apps immediately

All four apps are still on the Google Play Store. Under no circumstances should you download them. And if you have them installed on your device, you should delete them immediately.

Be on the lookout for these four malicious Android apps:

• Bluetooth Auto Connect – 1,000,000+ installs
• Bluetooth App Sender – 50,000+ installs
• Driver: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB – 10,000+ installs
• Mobile transfer: smart switch – 1,000+ installs

The developer, Mobile apps Group, can somehow still upload apps to the Google Play Store. That’s despite falling foul of Google’s policies around distributing adware twice (via Malwarebytes).

How to stay safe from malicious apps

The first defense against malicious apps happens before you even install them.

The four apps mentioned here all had high download counts, even when the reviews section warned about malicious behavior.

Many users decided to install the app without reading the reviews. If they had read any user feedback, they might have thought twice.

How does one protect themselves from malicious apps? First, enable Google Play Protect to scan your device to identify any threats.

In addition, you can also install an antivirus app, but make sure to choose a reputable one, as malicious actors tend to target antivirus software too.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• These Android apps are riddled with malware – delete them
• Where do Android apps store data?
• Android apps are pretty much useless on Windows 11
• You can now install Android apps from the Windows 11 Store – here’s how

The post Android users: Delete these apps – they’re stealing your data appeared first on KnowTechie.

Ad fraud is essentially a way for developers to game ad systems in order to make more ad revenue. But why do you care about that?

Well, you should care because it means the malicious apps are constantly running. That leads to battery drain on your device.

On top of that, the constant reconnections can also bog down your network bandwidth. So, yeah, you’re going to want to get rid of these apps ASAP.

You can see a quick example of the network bandwidth strain below:

Thankfully, Google has removed the offending apps from the Google Play Store. You’re still going to want to remove them from your device, however.

Which Android apps were removed for ad fraud?

To make sure your Android device is free from bad apps, make sure the following apps have been removed from your device.

If you have any of these Android apps on your phone still, delete them. Google’s removal helps, but you don’t want apps on your phone that were taking advantage of you.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Google’s Pixel 7 Pro is a bad gaming phone
• The Meta Quest Pro will track your eyeballs when it serves ads
• Android users: Delete these apps, they are stuffed with malware
• Does your Mac need antivirus software?

The post Android users: Delete these apps, they’re draining your battery appeared first on KnowTechie.

This can be data from an old Android phone or iPhone.

In this article, you’ll learn about transferring data across devices. Firstly, we’ll show you how to move data from an Android phone to iPhone 14.

You’ll also learn how to move data from an old iPhone to a new iPhone.

How to move data from Android phone to iPhone 14

There are two basic methods of moving or transferring data from an Android phone to iPhone 14. 

Method 1. Using “Move to iOS”

Move to iOS, as the name implies, is a migration tool that helps you migrate or move from Android to the iOS platform. 

For example, it moves your contacts, messages, camera photos and videos, mail accounts, and calendars from your old Android phone to your new iPhone so you can pick up from where you left off.

Therefore, it supports Android phones running Android 4 or later. Moreover, here’s how to move your data from Android to iPhone 14 with Move iOS.

For your already set up iPhone 14

First, download and install Move to iOS on your Android phone.

• Next, open your iPhone 14 and go to Settings.
• Tap on General.
• Now scroll down to the bottom of the page and tap on Reset.
• Tap on Erase all Content and Settings.
• Review the warning message, then tap on Erase Now.
• Enter your passcode if you have one already set up.
• Tap on Erase iPhone, then wait for a bit.
• On the Apps and Data screen, select Move Data from Android.

Now, open the Move iOS app on your Android phone.

Tap Continue on both phones, then tap Agree on your Android phone.

Enter the code on your iPhone into your Android phone to authorize the switch. A private Wi-Fi connection will be established.

On your Android phone, tap on Connect.

From the Transfer Data screen on your Android, select all the data types you want to be transferred.

Tap Next and wait for the transfer to iPhone 14 to complete.

Tap Done on your Android phone and Continue on your iPhone 14, then proceed to set up your iPhone.

However, using Move to iOS has certain drawbacks. 

First, it works with a new iPhone that hasn’t been set up. If you’ve already set up your iPhone 14, you’ll need to reset it, as we demonstrated above. This means you’ll lose all unsaved data before the reset.

Secondly, Move iOS doesn’t transfer everything from your Android phone to your iPhone 14, especially songs saved in phone memory, ringtones, and call logs.

Thirdly, the transfer speed can be somewhat slow, and the transfer may be interrupted occasionally for unknown reasons. Thankfully, a solution fixes all these issues and then some.

Method 2. Using AnyTrans

AnyTrans is the smartest option for moving your Android data over to your iPhone 14. It allows you to quickly move all your data from any Android phone to your iPhone 14 without any restrictions.

AnyTrans will also retain a copy of your Albums folder on your Android phone while automatically skipping duplicated content.

Additionally, it works whether your iPhone 14 is virgin or already set up, meaning there is no need for a reset or data loss.

AnyTrans can help with transferring data from Android phone to iPhone 14. Here’s how to go about that.

First, download and install AnyTrans on your Windows or Mac PC.

Open AnyTrans, connect your Android phone and iPhone 14 via USB, and approve them as trusted devices.

Click on Phone Switcher, select your source and target devices, then click on Migrate Now under Phone to iPhone.

Click Next.

Select all the data you want to transfer and click Next. Then wait for the transfer to complete. Note that it could take a little while, depending on the size of the transferred files.

Click Ok once the transfer is complete.

Move data from old iPhone to iPhone 14

What if you want to move data from an old iPhone to iPhone 14? You can do so in two ways: Apple Quick Start or AnyTrans.

Method 1. Using “Apple Quick Start”

Here’s how to transfer your data from an old iPhone to iPhone 14.  Note that both iPhones need to have the same iOS version, or the iPhone 14 should have a higher iOS version.

If you’ve already set up your iPhone 14, open it up and go to Settings.

• Tap on General.
• Scroll down to the bottom and tap on Reset.
• Tap on Erase all Content and Settings.
• Review the warning message and tap on Erase Now.
• Enter your passcode if you have one set up.
• Tap on Erase iPhone, then wait for a bit.

Meanwhile, you may want to back up your data on the old iPhone using iCloud Backup, not as a requirement but just in case something goes wrong.

• Wake up the iPhone 14 and slide up.
• Lock and unlock the old iPhone.
• On the Set Up a New iPhone prompt, tap on Unlock to Continue.

Now, use the old iPhone to scan your iPhone 14.

Next, enter the passcode from your older phone into your iPhone 14 to approve the transfer.

• On the Face ID set-up page, tap Set Up Later in Settings, then tap Continue.
• On the Transfer your Data page, tap on Transfer from iPhone.

Again, as with Move to iOS, Apple Quick Start also has its limitations regarding the types of content you can transfer. It also only works when setting up your iPhone 14 for the first time.

Otherwise, you’ll need to reset it and risk losing unsaved data.

You’ll be unable to transfer music that you haven’t purchased. Therefore, you may also be unable to transfer certain apps or use apps that are no longer available on the App Store.

Matter of fact, a better solution is transferring your data from your old iPhone to your iPhone 14 using AnyTrans.

Method 2. Using AnyTrans

Using AnyTrans, you can easily transfer all your data from your old iPhone to your iPhone 14 apps, so you won’t need to re-download them.

For example, this includes music that you haven’t purchased. Interestingly, you can do all these with a single click.

Moreover, it’ll automatically skip duplicated content, and you won’t need to erase existing data on your iPhone 14. This means you can move your data anytime, whether your new phone is set up or not.

Here’s how to move your data from an old iPhone to iPhone 14 using AnyTrans.

• Launch AnyTrans on your Windows or Mac PC.
• Connect both devices via USB and approve them.
• Click on Phone Switcher and select your source and target devices.

• Click on Migrate Now, then Next.
• Select All the data you want to migrate and click Next.

Click Ok when the transfer is complete, and you can return to set up Face ID and other settings.

AnyTrans is not just a one-time data migration tool, it also doubles as an iPhone manager for data backup, customizing ringtones, backup/upgrading/managing iPhone apps, and mirroring iPhone screen to computer, among others.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• ApowerMirror is a dead simple way to mirror your phone to your PC
• How to unlock your iPhone screen using Dr.Fone
• Wondershare’s MobileTrans app lets you transfer messages from Android to iOS
• How to hide your IP address on iPhone, Android, Windows, etc. 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. KnowTechie’s opinions, reviews, and other editorial content remain objective and are not influenced by the sponsorship.

The post How to transfer everything from an old phone to an iPhone 14 appeared first on KnowTechie.

By doing this, the company created regional disparities in access to mobile apps at a time when many economies are becoming increasingly dependent on them.

The mobile phone giants have removed over 200 Chinese apps, including widely downloaded apps like TikTok, at the Indian government’s request in recent years.

Similarly, the companies removed LinkedIn, an essential app for professional networking, from Russian app stores at the Russian government’s request.

However, access to apps is just one concern. Developers also regionalize apps, meaning they produce different versions for different countries.

This raises the question of whether these apps differ in their security and privacy capabilities based on region.

In a perfect world, access to apps and app security and privacy capabilities would be consistent everywhere.

Popular mobile apps should be available without increasing the risk that users are spied on or tracked based on what country they’re in.

Especially given that not every country has strong data protection regulations.

My colleagues and I recently studied the availability and privacy policies of thousands of globally popular apps on Google Play, the app store for Android devices, in 26 countries.

We found differences in app availability, security and privacy.

While our study corroborates reports of takedowns due to government requests, we also found many differences introduced by app developers.

We found instances of apps with settings and disclosures that expose users to higher or lower security and privacy risks depending on the country in which they’re downloaded.

Geoblocked apps

The countries and one special administrative region in our study are diverse in location, population and gross domestic product.

They include the U.S., Germany, Hungary, Ukraine, Russia, South Korea, Turkey, Hong Kong and India. We also included countries like Iran, Zimbabwe and Tunisia, where it was difficult to collect data.

We studied 5,684 globally popular apps, each with over 1 million installs, from the top 22 app categories, including Books and Reference, Education, Medical, and News and Magazines.

Our study showed high amounts of geoblocking, with 3,672 of 5,684 globally popular apps blocked in at least one of our 26 countries.

Blocking by developers was significantly higher than takedowns requested by governments in all our countries and app categories.

We found that Iran and Tunisia have the highest blocking rates, with apps like Microsoft Office, Adobe Reader, Flipboard and Google Books all unavailable for download.

We found regional overlap in the apps that are geoblocked. In European countries in our study – Germany, Hungary, Ireland and the U.K. – 479 of the same apps were geoblocked.

Eight of those, including Blued and USA Today News, were blocked only in the European Union, possibly because of the region’s General Data Protection Regulation.

Turkey, Ukraine and Russia also show similar blocking patterns, with high blocking of virtual private network apps in Turkey and Russia, which is consistent with the recent upsurge of surveillance laws.

Of the 61 country-specific takedowns by Google, 36 were unique to South Korea, including 17 gambling and gaming apps taken down in accordance with the national prohibition on online gambling.

While the Indian government’s takedown of Chinese apps happened with full public disclosure, surprisingly most of the takedowns we observed occurred without much public awareness or debate.

Differences in security and privacy

The apps we downloaded from Google Play also showed differences based on country in their security and privacy capabilities.

One hundred twenty-seven apps varied in what the apps were allowed to access on users’ mobile phones, 49 of which had additional permissions deemed “dangerous” by Google.

Apps in Bahrain, Tunisia and Canada requested the most additional dangerous permissions.

Three VPN apps enable clear text communication in some countries, which allows unauthorized access to users’ communications.

One hundred and eighteen apps varied in the number of ad trackers included in an app in some countries.

Categories include Games, Entertainment and Social, with Iran and Ukraine having the most increases in the number of ad trackers compared to the baseline number common to all countries.

One hundred and three apps have differences based on country in their privacy policies.

Users in countries not covered by data protection regulations, such as GDPR in the EU and the California Consumer Privacy Act in the U.S., are at higher privacy risk.

For instance, 71 apps available from Google Play have clauses to comply with GDPR only in the EU and CCPA only in the U.S.

Twenty-eight apps that use dangerous permissions make no mention of it, despite Google’s policy requiring them to do so.

The role of app stores

App stores allow developers to target their apps to users based on a wide array of factors, including their country and their device’s specific features.

Though Google has taken some steps toward transparency in its app store, our research shows that there are shortcomings in Google’s auditing of the app ecosystem.

Some of which could put users’ security and privacy at risk.

Potentially also as a result of app store policies in some countries, app stores that specialize in specific regions of the world are becoming increasingly popular.

However, these app stores may not have adequate vetting policies, thereby allowing altered versions of apps to reach users.

For example, a national government could pressure a developer to provide a version of an app that includes backdoor access.

There is no straightforward way for users to distinguish an altered app from an unaltered one.

Our research provides several recommendations to app store proprietors to address the issues we found:

• Better moderate their country targeting features
• Provide detailed transparency reports on app takedowns
• Vet apps for differences based on country or region
• Push for transparency from developers on their need for the differences
• Host app privacy policies themselves to ensure their availability when the policies are blocked in certain countries

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Researchers reveal how they detect deepfake audio – here’s how
• Household robot servants are still a long way off – here’s why
• FTC lawsuit exposes major privacy risk, and it’s your phone’s fault
• Is Twitter putting its users’ security at risk?

The post Apps downloaded from different countries pose higher privacy risks appeared first on KnowTechie.

The new Unison app comes from Intel’s recent acquisition of Screenovate, an Israeli company known for developing screen mirroring technology.

Right now, Apple has its own integration with Mac and iOS. Microsoft has the Phone Link app for smartphone control on Windows, but it only works with Android.

Intel Unison is an all-in-one app for both smartphone platforms

Intel Unison creates a connection between your Windows computer and your smartphone. You’ll be able to use the app to send and receive calls, texts and otherwise share media from your phone to your computer.

For Windows users who have been envious of Apple’s integration between Mac and iOS, Intel’s Unison app could finally give us the sort of connection we’ve been wanting. Here’s what it looks like below.

Of course, the Unison app isn’t available yet. And it may not ever make it to earlier Intel products. The company initially plans to launch the app with a select list of 12th-gen Evo computers.

Intel Unison will make its way to future 13th-gen Intel systems sometime next year. It’s unclear if the app will ever make its way to older Intel hardware, as the company wants to ensure performance on the latest hardware.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Intel and Samsung show off new ‘slidable’ display prototype
• ApowerMirror is a dead simple way to mirror your phone to your PC
• Watch an Apple 1 connect to the modern internet
• How to control your Apple Watch with your iPhone

The post Intel’s Unison app will let your PC call and text from iOS or Android appeared first on KnowTechie.

Researchers found that nearly 100 apps contained adware, with a total of 13 million installs.

When these apps are enabled, the software abuses advertising networks to display out-of-context ads or, in some cases, invisible ads.

In turn, the user has no idea that their device is generating ad revenue for the bad actor posing as a developer.

The team reached out to Google and Apple, and these apps have been removed from their app stores.

That removal doesn’t mean they disappear off your devices, so it’s time to check your installed apps.

The report doesn’t say that these apps were stealing data. With this in mind, you should still delete them if you have them installed.

Delete these adware apps asap

Apple and Google have removed all of these apps from their app stores, but that doesn’t remove them from your devices.

So, time to get deleting if you know you have any of these installed.

NOTE: Any misspellings in this list are intentional, and how the report reads.

iOS

Some adware-containing apps got past the App Store’s usually solid checks.

Delete any of these apps if they’re installed on your device.

Android

Some of the Android apps in the report don’t include the app name, only the package name.

Those have a zero-install count, according to Google Play’s statistics. Check those out in the full report.

As you can see, there is a running theme of lotto scratchers and promises of other incentives for installing the apps.

Just a heads up, you can’t win real money on Apple’s App Store; the company’s policies forbid it.

On the other hand, Google Play has loosened its rules recently, but they are only allowed in specific countries with a valid gambling license.

There also seem to be a lot of puzzle games; presumably, these work as puzzles, and the longer you spend in the app, the longer the criminals have to commit ad fraud.

If you find any of these adware-containing apps on your device, it’s time to delete them.

Then, reboot your phone, clearing any cache and running memory.

Android users, you’ll want to enable Google Play Protect, which can remove apps like these automatically.

Apple doesn’t have any clear guidelines for Apple users looking to remove apps, but deleting them and rebooting your device should clear most malware apps.

We suggest sticking to more established developers when downloading new apps.

Also, just because something is in the charts in any respected App Store doesn’t mean they’re safe – these rankings get manipulated all the time.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• These Android apps are riddled with malware – delete them
• Samsung’s Galaxy Store is hosting malicious apps that distribute malware
• Malware is being hidden in Windows 11 installers – here’s how to avoid it
• The amount of malware on Mac computers is now outpacing PCs

The post Delete these Android and iOS apps: they’re riddled with adware appeared first on KnowTechie.

We took one of the Dynamic Island clones out for a whirl, dynamicSpot by Jawomo. It floats at the top of your screen, simulating Apple’s Dynamic Island.

While it’s up there, it will link to your last notification, let you check the charging status, or control your currently playing music. A long press opens the onscreen popup, or a quick tap opens the app to change settings.

The app isn’t perfect, however. It doesn’t know where your camera cutout is, and in some cases (like ours), it couldn’t be offset enough to cover the left-side hole-punch camera on the OnePlus 9.

It also doesn’t know what’s on-screen, so the floating spot covers essential information in Android’s status bar. There are also some limitations when using the Accessibility features to draw over the rest of the screen.

This program doesn’t entirely cover everything that Apple’s Dynamic Island can do. It can’t watch timers, monitor file transfer progress, or provide directions from Google Maps.

But, it does show you the potential for the system. After our time playing with dynamicSpot, we better appreciate how well Dynamic Island covers the camera lens and Face ID sensors.

We also like the always-visible notification system. Normally, notifications disappear into the lock screen or the pull-down settings menu and can easily be forgotten.

Having them in a dedicated, always-there place to be tapped on and expanded is a game changer, especially for those with ADHD or other neurodivergencies. If it’s in view but unobtrusive, it doesn’t distract from other tasks while also being a subtle reminder.

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• The best Spotify alternatives for streaming music
• It’s not me, it’s you: Why I’m breaking up with Otter.ai
• Google Play Store to delay review posting
• What do the checkmarks mean on WhatsApp?

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

The post This app puts Apple’s Dynamic Island on your Android phone appeared first on KnowTechie.