I had three unwanted games installed on my phone today, during a security update! No notice whatsoever was given for this, and I didn't notice any change until I saw three game icons on my app closing page, instead of the icons for commonly-used apps that I expect to see. This was very disturbing to say the least, making me wonder if the security update was genuine or some kind of malware. Now I see this has been going on for months, with many customers unhappy about it. Add my name to that list. I've been a loyal and mostly satisfied Verizon customer for many years but this unwelcome and intrusive behavior has to stop.
I also question if it was any kind of security that was being updated, or if other things are being installed in my phone with nefarious purposes. Shame on you verizon, and all carriers who are engaging in this practice!
The culprit is the Verizon App Manager, which is part of the carrier software and can't be uninstalled. You have to keep disabling it every time a new software update comes out because it'll turn itself back on every time updates happen and then start downloading whatever. Such stuff is one of the reasons why some will only buy unlocked phones, but it cuts both ways since unlocked phones may not run all of the features offered by a carrier and if the phone starts acting up, you're on your own as a carrier will not troubleshoot it for you.
Happy Tuesday! We know the importance of managing your equipment, especially when it comes to updates. We want to clear things up.
The Android security team and the device manufacturer are responsible for managing security vulnerabilities. Security updates make sure that a device stays secure and protected against evolving threats even after software updates have stopped.
Hope this provides clarity.
~Gilbert
That doesn't mean you need to bloat the phone with useless garbage games every single time ๐
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