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A colleague of mime actually was discussing about detecting Android Apps so that we can avoid installing Malware Apps. So, how do we know if the Android Apps is actually a Malware before we install it onto the phone?

From my understanding, there are actually antivirus tools to help detect the Apps. However, I doubt it can detect if the Apps is a Malware before installing the APK file.

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Without reading all the code and fully understanding it and how it will interact with your particular system environment, you can't. This is more or less similar to asking how you can know someone's intentions when they aren't telling you -- if you can't read their secret plans (source code) or ask someone who's in the know (antivirus software), you're out of luck :P. – Matthew Read♦ Nov 2 '12 at 17:08
@MatthewRead Actually, I was looking at this option - a malware detector android emulator. It work like the Android emulator adb but it can check on apk files to see if they have malware coding by decompile. So, a user need to download the apk file to the PC. Open the malware detector android emulator and scan all the apk files. If suspicious malware coding are found, it will give a prompt. If all apk files are safe, the user can copy into their handphone and install it. IMO, I feel more safer than just clicking the install button even the website is Google Play. – Jack Nov 5 '12 at 2:29

closed as not a real question by Matthew Read♦ Nov 2 '12 at 17:09

It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. For help clarifying this question so that it can be reopened, see the FAQ.

1 Answer

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If you always install apps from Google Play, you mostly shouldn't be worried about malwares (except some minor threats which are often warned by Google and pulled-off instantly when detected).

But, if you install apps from other markets or just install APK files by yourself, you should take some actions to protect your phone from malwares:

First: Never try to install apk files downloaded from untrusted sources, websites, markets, etc..

Second: if you have to install apk files by yourself, or you have to use other markets than Google Play, make sure you have installed a good and updated anti-virus, and make sure to update it regularly. I recommend either Avast or Lookout (both are free). These anti-viruses have an option to check each software for malwares, just after they get installed on your phone.

Third: Any android app, can only access to sensitive areas of your device, ONLY if you allow it just before installing! which are called permissions. If you see that an app requests some permissions which normally doesn't match with characteristics of the app, or goes beyond the functionality of the app, you should take care and either not install it or ask the developer to describe why it needs that permission.

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Actually, I was looking at this option - a malware detector android emulator. It work like the Android emulator adb but it can check on apk files to see if they have malware coding by decompile. So, a user need to download the apk file to the PC. Open the malware detector android emulator and scan all the apk files. If suspicious malware coding are found, it will give a prompt. If all apk files are safe, the user can copy into their handphone and install it. IMO, I feel more safer than just clicking the install button even the website is Google Play. – Jack Nov 5 '12 at 2:30
@Jack Do you think that there is a powerful malware detector, but Google is not using it to scan apps before they put it on Google Play?!!! – yrajabi Nov 5 '12 at 7:18
I believe that Google have such powerful malware detector but it would be much better if such powerful tool is being "open-source" so that normal user can use it and 3rd party developer can improve it. – Jack Nov 6 '12 at 2:52

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