Recently, a sudden Virus alert on Huawei phones caused alarm among Huawei phone users regarding the Google app, but why is this happening? Let’s see what we know about this problem.
What exactly is the problem?
Users are seeing in-app threat notifications regarding the Google app. The system reports that this program is “infected” with the TrojanSMS-PA virus and may send SMS containing personal information without the user’s permission.
This problem has been reported on all smartphones released previous to 2019 that have Google Mobile Services (GMS) certification.
Users of the Huawei P30 Pro, P20 series, P10, Mate 20 series, and other previously released phones have reported similar issues on the Google Support Forum, Reddit, and the social media site X (formerly Twitter).
Why do Huawei phones display the Google app as a trojan virus?
Huawei responded to the entire matter recently:
“Huawei has responded with an explanation for the situation. According to Huawei, Avast provides its virus detection and removal engine. They relate the virus alert to unintended activities prompted by certain changes in the Google app. “Huawei is actively addressing this issue and working to resolve it,” the company stated.
Avast?
Avast is malware and virus scanning software that is accessible for a variety of device platforms. The Optimizer app on Huawei cellphones worldwide includes an Avast virus checker.
To confirm, launch the Optimizer app and select “Virus scan” from the bottom right menu. You’ll see a brief explanation that says “device automatically scans for and removes viruses.” If a threat is found, you will be warned.”
You’ll also notice “Powered by AVAST” at the very bottom of the screen. This is entirely normal because some phones come pre-installed with the Kaspersky security feature.
However, the Optimizer app settings suggest that Avast can automatically download new malware definitions to the phone via Wi-Fi. Although there are further options for disabling the auto-update capability, “Wi-Fi only” is the default setting in smartphones.
In layman’s terms, a virus definition is an identification database that anti-virus programs employ to detect viruses on the host device. This definition is updated on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, depending on the security solution supplier.
What are the latest updates to the Google app?
There are currently no information available concerning the changes in the Google app that caused this entire mess, but we may expect a statement shortly.
Eventually, the problem could be more on Avast’s end, and it ‘appears’ to have nothing to do with the phone’s firmware or hardware. This is either a result of the most recent Optimizer update or an Avast malware definition, and it is causing concern among Huawei users.
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