The Malicious Apps You Should Delete From Your iPhone Immediately Because They Can Steal Your Information

When it comes to malicious apps, Apple does a better job than most competitors keeping the danger out of your path. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still be cautious. There are apps out there — including some of the most popular apps that practically everyone uses — that can steal your data and use it for purposes such as profiting via third-party advertisers. The best thing you can do is stay alert and know which apps are potentially harmful. These are some of the malicious apps that can steal your information.

Gambling Apps

This isn’t about taking any kind of moral stand against gambling apps, but rather a warning that some of the most popular gambling apps have been found to steal users’ data. Some of these apps include Texas Poker, Gold Fish Casino Slots, and Clubillion, all of which were found to have been breached and had their user’s information swiped. Millions of users were compromised this way and had their financial information exposed, as well as personal information they may have provided while using the apps. 

Even though one of the smart ways you can keep yourself protected is by reading reviews and ratings for apps before downloading them, be aware that this isn’t always a fool-proof method. Clubillion, for example, was one of the mostly highly ranked apps prior to the data breach. 

What To Do If You’ve Downloaded a Malicious App

If you discover an app on your phone that you previously downloaded that could be suspicious, it’s important to take steps to mitigate the risks to your data. As we mentioned, before downloading anything, make sure you check and see that it has high ratings and plenty of reviews, and read some of the negative reviews to find out what people are saying about the app. Always download apps only from Apple’s App Store.

If you have a bad apple already on your device, go to settings and clear cache and data for the app. Uninstall the app. Finally, change your passwords on all of your accounts — paying close attention to banking passwords and PINs. Make sure you only choose complex passwords that contain a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as numbers and symbols.

The mere fact that you own an iPhone makes you safer than most — but bad apps can happen to good phone models and software, too.