What steps do I take when I find an app I don't remember downloading on my iPhone?

[MacLover2011]

Hi friends,

I found an app I don't recall downloading on my iPhone. Perhaps I did download it, I just don't recall doing it. I since then deleted the app.

What steps should I take on my iPhone and MacBook Pro to ensure security? What steps can I take to make sure my iPhone or MacBook Pro was not hacked.

I have protection on my Mac, but not my iPhone.

Thanks for your help.

 

[IWT]

What's the "name" or icon for that App?

You could post a screenshot of the app if you like.

Removing it from your iPhone is very easy - long press on the app and from the list that appears > Tap on Remove app > Delete app.

Ian

 

[Raz0rEdge]

On your iPhone click on the App Store. Then click on your profile picture on the top right, then click on Purchased to see the list of apps you've downloaded.

If the app is listed there, then you or someone else who has access to your phone downloaded it.

Downloading an app on your phone requires verification, you have to enter your password. You can also authorize the use of touch ID or face ID to bypass the need for the password.

No-one has hacked your phone.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

I actually had this happen to me twice a while back. And no, my iPhone wasn't hacked; my iCloud account wasn't compromised; and no one had access to my devices. I still have no idea how it happened, but it has been some time now, maybe a year. I had a post about it. My best guess is some shady developer shenanigans via a loophole they found to surreptitiously download another app.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

There are many ways that people can direct to your the App Store to download an app, but the actual download is locked behind verification.

For example, if you visit a website that has a mobile app, a banner will appear allowing you to go to the specific page in the App store for it. From there, you still have to get "Get" to download the app.

What apps can (and do) do is to download extra data once installed to avoid long download/install times from the App Store and to get around the size limitations. This is usually for games which download a lot of assets on first launch.

I'm uncertain how you can have apps install without some explicit action by you.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

There are many ways that people can direct to your the App Store to download an app, but the actual download is locked behind verification.

For example, if you visit a website that has a mobile app, a banner will appear allowing you to go to the specific page in the App store for it. From there, you still have to get "Get" to download the app.

What apps can (and do) do is to download extra data once installed to avoid long download/install times from the App Store and to get around the size limitations. This is usually for games which download a lot of assets on first launch.

I'm uncertain how you can have apps install without some explicit action by you.

Speaking for myself and my prior incidences... I know full well how the process is supposed to work. Yet it happened anyway. I revisited my old post, and yeah... even the first time, Apple had actually emailed me asking if I had authorized that download.

Apps showing up on iPhone that I didn't download

Hey guys, so I've twice now experienced a perplexing issue. The first time a few weeks ago, I got an email from Apple asking if I authorized an app download. It was a "free" game that I had never heard of; no interest in; and most certainly didn't download, yet sure enough, I found it on my...

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