FBI Warns iPhone And Android Users—Do Not Install These Apps

It should be obvious, but unfortunately it isn’t. Some of the most popular apps you’ve probably downloaded to your iPhone or Android smartphone are dangerous. And now the FBI is warning US citizens to stop such installations.

Your office is new Public Service Announcement “data security risks associated with foreign-developed mobile applications (applications) is often used in the United States; but these concerns are global. “As of early 2026, many of the most downloaded and highest-grossing apps in the United States are developed and maintained by foreign companies, especially those based in China.”

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This warning is linked to China’s bad reputation national security lawsThe FBI reminds smartphone users that it allows “the Chinese government to potentially access mobile app users’ data.” In short, the law requires China-based developers to do what they can to support the country’s national security mandates, including data sharing. This same authority HE It disturbed TikTok Before the division of the United States.

The FBI says users should be aware of “what user data these apps request access to once downloaded.” But in reality, these privacy policies are very rarely controlled. That’s why so called permission abuse It’s a complete nightmare for smartphone users. “Once access is permitted by the user, the app may permanently collect device-wide data and users’ private information.”

The data at risk includes contact lists that could allow data collectors in China or elsewhere to create social graphs. In the wrong hands, these are very valuable to nation-state or paid hackers who can hack an individual and social engineer one or more high-value targets they know about.

“Some platforms offer the option to invite friends or contacts to use the apps. With default permissions, developer companies can store collected data in users’ private information and address books (e.g., names, email addresses, user IDs, physical addresses, and phone numbers of registered contacts).”

The FBI also warns that “some applications state that collected data is stored on servers located in China for as long as the developers deem necessary.” Although there are settings to stop this data sharing, they are rarely used. “Some applications do not allow users to run the platform unless users consent to data sharing.”

While the focus of this new PSA is on the threat to user privacy, the bureau also flags the risk that these foreign-developed apps “may also contain malware that can collect data beyond what is authorized by the user.” This can include malicious code and hard-to-remove malware designed to exploit known vulnerabilities in various operating systems and add a backdoor for increased privileges.

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Given the openness of the ecosystem and the prevalence of high-risk sideloading, this remains a much greater threat to Android users rather than iPhone users. This is why Google has eliminated this risk – to some extent — at least with blocks on uploads from unknown developers, many of which will be based abroad. “Official app stores reduce the risk of malware or malicious code by scanning for malicious content.”

The FBI tells smartphone users to do the following:

• Disable unnecessary data sharing;

• Download apps only from official stores;

• Change and update passwords regularly;

• Perform regular firmware updates; And

• Read the terms of service or end user license agreements before downloading.

This article was first published on: Forbes.com