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Some application (malware? adware?) is creating garbage icons on my Android desktop. How to know the application who does this?

I heard each application is a Linux user on android. Is it possible to see icon file owner ID then?

My device is Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Android is 3.2

UPDATE

Icons are different. Some of them mimic existing icons, other are entitled with question marks.

I can delete them, but they appearing again.

I need to have general way to know icon creator.

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possible duplicate of Is this red star icon malware? How to get rid of it? – Chahk Nov 17 '12 at 19:49
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What do the icons look like, are they all the same or different? DO they appear on your home screen, or on the notification bar, or in the apps list? – GAThrawn Nov 18 '12 at 2:18
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It is not duplicate: This question is asking about icons on desktop, not notification bar.. – Sachin Shekhar Nov 18 '12 at 8:03
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A screen shot would go a long way to helping us help you. – Al Everett Dec 18 '12 at 14:07

2 Answers

up vote 0 down vote

I had the same problem. The easy way to do it is to remove all those icons. After this, check for default page on Internet navigator, sometime changed to some google like site. Go to settings -> applications and look for any application you installed without Google Play. Delete every suspicious application.

I think you will be done with this. :)

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there are some apps that help... – ce4 Nov 17 '12 at 22:12
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@ce4 Oh, I did not looked at those apps. I like handmade job :) But thanks for the link, can be helpful. – Cubox Nov 17 '12 at 23:35
up vote 0 down vote

The generic answer is that 'you should install an app that scans OTHER apps for modules that display ad Notifications and install apps that you didn't ask for'. I had this problem and I solved it by downloading such a program and scanning all my apps. Sure enough, something I had installed recently was loaded with modules that do these things.

If I am allowed to say the name of the program I used, it was called 'Addons Detector'

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Is it possible Addon Detector seems successful because it detects things it places itself? – wbogacz Apr 17 at 22:37
It is "possible" however I consider it unlikely given 1) I uninstalled the trashy apps that Addons Detector found ad software in and I kept Addons Detector on my device. The notifications/icons stopped and did not return 2) Addons Detector had a very high rating on Google Play and the apps that I removed had low ratings and negative comments about advertising notifications and icons. If you have any information that suggests Addons Detector is a fake and does the opposite of what it says it does, this would be the place to provide it. – user1445967 Apr 18 at 2:20

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