Meta is spying on you through Android: Three hidden apps used even if you’ve never installed Facebook

Recent revelations have exposed Meta’s ongoing surveillance tactics on Android devices, even when users take steps like using a VPN to conceal their activity. The controversy intensifies as it’s revealed that most Android phones come with three preinstalled Meta apps that function silently in the background, without the user’s consent or awareness.

The three Meta apps hiding in your Android

Meta App Installer, Meta App Manager and Meta Services are the three hidden applications embedded in the system software of many Android devices. While their official purpose is to assist with login and integration, independent studies have shown they send data to Meta servers, even if you don’t use Facebook or Instagram.

• Meta App Installer can reinstall Facebook apps without user action.
• Meta App Manager handles updates and management of Meta services.
• Meta Services actively tracks user activity and connects it with Meta platforms.

These apps remain active in the background, consuming data and battery, and they cannot be removed through standard means.

How to disable or remove Meta’s hidden apps

Users can disable the apps manually by going into system settings, accessing all applications, and choosing to force stop and disable each Meta app. However, this does not remove them entirely from the device.

For advanced users, it’s possible to completely uninstall them using Web ADB and a PC. By enabling developer mode and USB debugging, you can connect the device to a browser-based shell and execute commands to uninstall the apps. Still, they may reappear after updates or factory resets, requiring the process to be repeated.

Meta’s history of invasive practices, from Cambridge Analytica to secret web trackers, makes the presence of these apps especially alarming.