Delete These Apps Right Now: The 2026 List of Malicious Android and iPhone Apps
Google and Apple have removed more than 75 malicious apps associated with scams, stolen banking credentials, unwanted subscriptions, hidden advertising, and other security threats.
Removing an app from an app store, however, does not necessarily remove copies already installed on users’ phones. That makes it worthwhile to review the apps currently on your device rather than assuming an app is safe simply because it came from an official store.
Android users can run a Google Play Protect scan, while iPhone users can review Settings > General > iPhone Storage and remove apps they do not recognize or no longer use. The article also warns against installing updates offered from inside an unfamiliar app. Legitimate app updates should normally come through the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Older phones that no longer receive security updates deserve particular attention because some malware targets unpatched vulnerabilities.
If you discover that you used one of the banking-related malicious apps, stronger precautions may be appropriate, including changing financial passwords from another device, enabling stronger authentication, and reviewing bank and credit-card activity. More generally, be cautious with little-known cleaner, PDF reader, file manager, VPN, camera, and similar utility apps that request permissions unrelated to what the app should need.
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