Motorola’s pre-installed app hijacks Amazon app
“I expect this sort of scummy behavior from some third-rate Chinese company,” wrote one user after learning that they can’t properly use the Amazon app via their Motorola phone.
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“I expect this sort of scummy behavior from some third-rate Chinese company,” wrote one user after learning that they can’t properly use the Amazon app via their Motorola phone.
The Smart Feed app, which comes pre-installed on Motorola smartphones and shows personalized content, could be the reason why the Amazon app is redirecting users to the Amazon website with an affiliate code.
A Reddit user noticed an issue when using their Motorola Razr 60 Ultra.
The user explained that when they open their Amazon app, their browser opens instead, sending them to “some sketchy-looking URL.”
It then redirects the user to Amazon’s website “with an affiliate code.”
In their network logs, a Redditor found that the device was making requests to “devicenative.com,” a site for mobile ad services.
The user shared that when they click the app in the launcher, they’re redirected to an affiliate link.
“I expect this sort of scummy behavior from some third-rate Chinese company selling phones for $100,” wrote the netizen, “not from a brand like Motorola and certainly not on a phone that retails for $1300!!”
Motorola's preinstalled "Smart Feed" app hijacks shopping apps to steal affiliate revenue.
by u/Trypocopris in Android
The situation prompted other Motorola users to check whether all smartphones were affected.
Which Motorola smartphones are affected?
It seems the Amazon app is only hijacked on Motorola smartphones after the latest software update, according to 9to5Google.
The Motorola Razr that comes with an older Smart Feed version, v2.03.0056, doesn’t have this issue. Meanwhile, the app’s latest version, 2.03.0070, tends to redirect users to these affiliate links.
The Amazon app also appeared to work without any issues on the Motorola Moto F Stylus running the latest Smart Feed version.
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“I just tried this on my Moto Edge 50 Pro, running the latest patch of Android 16, and I couldn't replicate the behavior,” wrote one Reddit user.
The original poster reported noticing it once a week for about a month.
“I just assumed the app was buggy and thought nothing of it. Now it seems to be doing it much more often,” noted the Redditor.
How to disable the Motorola Smart Feed app?
Even though the Smart Feed app comes pre-installed, it can be disabled to prevent this issue.
To do so, users can go to Settings, select Apps, then find “Smart Feed” and disable it.
Some Redditors also shared that they used apps such as Canta to uninstall the app from their device.
“I successfully removed this app using wireless debugging, Shizuku, and Canta,” shared one user.
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