A fake "Google Chrome" app from a developer called Hizbartech reached 100,000+ downloads on Google Play before it was removed, Android Authority and PiunikaWeb report. A user on r/browsers spotted it above the real browser, per PiunikaWeb. It copied Chrome's icon and description.

What reportedly happened

  • The app: Android Authority says it was uploaded Aug. 22 as a game called "Ball Bounce" and renamed "Google Chrome" on Sept. 30. PiunikaWeb says August and late September, and that the app was 42 MB.
  • What testers reported: PiunikaWeb quotes a Reddit tester describing "a ton of AI avatars" in a contact app. Android Authority, citing a Reddit commenter, says it was a chat app with canned responses.
  • The ad, two accounts: Android Authority says it paid its way to the top of results for "Chrome." PiunikaWeb says typing "Google Chrome" in the search bar did not show it as a sponsored suggestion, but searching the developer name, Hizbartech, surfaced the listing.
  • Status: PiunikaWeb's update (5:40 p.m. IST) says Google removed the app shortly after its story ran. Google did not comment in Android Authority's or PiunikaWeb's reports.

Google's Impersonation policy says: "We don't allow apps that mislead users by impersonating someone else (for example, another developer, company, entity) or another app."

Our checklist: checking a Chrome listing

These checks are ours, drawn from the listings and reports above. The Play Protect, uninstall and permissions steps further down follow Google's help pages.

  1. Developer name. Chrome's Google Play listing names Google LLC. The fake read Hizbartech under Chrome's icon, per PiunikaWeb. A name that is close but not identical is also a miss.
  2. Package name. The real Chrome's package name is com.android.chrome, the id= value in its Play web address. The fake's page used com.ballbounce.Hizbartech, per PiunikaWeb's links.
  3. Promoted results. Both outlets describe the fake as a paid placement above Chrome. Check developer and package name on a promoted result as closely as on any other.
  4. Install count and reviews. As of 3:17 p.m. ET Oct. 14, Chrome's listing shows 10B+ downloads and 4.1 stars from 49.4M reviews. A "Chrome" with only 100,000+ downloads is a mismatch. That is the count the fake reached.
  5. Play Protect setting. Google says Play Protect is on by default and checks apps when you install them. The setting: Play Store, profile icon, Play Protect, Settings, "Scan apps with Play Protect."

If you installed it

  1. Uninstall. Per Google's steps: open Play Store, tap your profile icon, tap Manage apps & devices, then Manage, choose the app and tap Uninstall. PiunikaWeb also suggests removing any old Ball Bounce copy.
  2. Know what Play Protect may do. Google says that if it finds a potentially harmful app, it may notify you, disable the app until you uninstall it or remove it automatically.
  3. Review permissions on your remaining apps. Per Google: Settings, then Security & Privacy, Privacy, Permission manager, then pick a permission type and check which apps hold it. For one app you have not removed: Settings, Apps, the app, Permissions.

Why it matters

Our advice: verify the developer and package name even on promoted listings, since both outlets say a paid placement carried the fake above Chrome. These checks do not guarantee safety, and a listing that passes them is not proof an app is genuine.

For other scam defenses on Android, see our checklist of Android's new protections.