38 Minecraft-like apps on Google Play Store BANNED! Your phone at risk, remove them NOW

A McAfee report has revealed as many as 38 Minecraft-like apps on the Google Play Store which contain adware. Check list to see if you have them installed.

38 adware apps were found on the Google Play Store. Some have 10 million downloads. (Unsplash)

With the emergence of smartphones, it has become increasingly easy to carry out various tasks. There are millions of applications at your disposal for all purposes. However, this convenience has also led to the rise of adware and malicious apps which contain harmful code, violating users' privacy, stealing their data, and other risks. Despite Google's Play Protect system being in place which monitors apps diligently, some of them may still be malicious and go undetected, which can leave users vulnerable.

Now, a new report by McAfee has revealed several apps on the Google Play Store which contain adware.

Adware apps on Google Play Store

McAfee has recently revealed details about 38 apps on the Google Play Store which contain adware, as part of its App Defense Alliance which aims to ensure the safety of Google Play and its broader ecosystem. These apps are disguised as Minecraft clones on the Google Play Store and some of them, such as the Block Box Master Diamond, have over 10 million downloads. Moreover, most of these apps have been downloaded all over the world, and the threat has been particularly popular in United States, Canada, South Korea, and Brazil.

Not sure which
mobile to buy?

Although the official Minecraft mobile game is available for Android devices, it is a paid game, which these clones take advantage of. These are free apps, targeting children who wish to play Minecraft on their Android smartphones for free. Since users are able to play the game, they don't usually notice the large adware packets generated on their devices.

Check out the list of adware apps:

1. Block Box Master Diamond
2. Craft Sword Mini Fun
3. Block Box Skyland Sword
4. Craft Monster Crazy Sword
5. Block Pro Forrest Diamond
6. Block Game Skyland Forrest
7. Block Rainbow Sword Dragon
8. Craft Rainbow Mini Builder
9. Block Forrest Tree Crazy
10. Craft Clever Monster Castle
11. Block Monster Diamond Dragon
12. Craft World Fun Robo
13. Block Pixelart Tree Pro
14. Craft Mini Lucky Fun
15. Block Earth Skyland World
16. Block Rainbow Monster Castle
17. Block Fun Rainbow Builder
18. Craft Dragon Diamond Robo
19. Block World Tree Monster
20. Block Diamond Boy Pro
21. Block Lucky Master Earth
22. Craft Forrest Mini Fun
23. Craft Sword City Pro
24. Block Loki Monster Builder
25. Block Boy Earth Mini
26. Block Crazy Builder City
27. Craft Sword Vip Pixelart
28. Block City Fun Diamond
29. Craft City Loki Rainbow
30. Craft Boy Clever Sun
31. Block City Dragon Sun
32. Craft Loki Forrest Monster
33. Lokicraft: Forrest Survival 3D
34. Craft Castle Sun Rain
35. Craft Game Earth World
36. Craft Lucky Castle Builder
37. Craftsman: Building City 2022
38. Craft Rainbow Pro Rain

According to McAfee, the apps have already been reported to Google and have been removed from the Google Play Store. So, if you have any of the above-mentioned Minecraft clone apps installed on your smartphone, you should remove them immediately.