Megan Ellis / Android Authority

Those download numbers you see on the Play Store app listings are a terrible way to judge if an app is worth installing. I’ve seen it with popular VPNs, antivirus apps, caller ID services, and even password managers.

Of course, I’m not saying every popular app is bad. Far from it. But there are plenty of apps I’d recommend most people avoid, either because of privacy and security concerns or because they try to solve problems that Android already handles perfectly well on its own.

Turbo VPN

Pankil Shah / Android Authority

Turbo VPN has over 500 million downloads on the Play Store, which makes it look like a safe bet. It’s also free and does exactly what you’d expect from a VPN. But the thing is, free VPNs almost always have a catch. And no, I’m not just talking about the ads in Turbo VPN’s free tier, although those are annoying enough on their own.

Turbo VPN doesn’t have the cleanest track record. Over the years, there have been several reports about its questionable data practices and ties to China-based entities. Honestly, Turbo VPN is just one example. I’d say the same thing applies to most free VPNs that offer unlimited data. That’s because running a VPN service isn’t cheap, so if you’re not paying for it, the company is making its profits somewhere else.

It’s kind of ironic when you think about it. The whole point of using a VPN is to improve your privacy, but when you opt for an app like Turbo VPN, you could end up compromising it instead. If you really want a VPN that doesn’t cost anything, stick to providers that have been around for a few years and have a solid track record, like Proton VPN.

LastPass

Joe Hindy / Android Authority

A password manager is one of those apps that lives or dies on trust. And for a long time, LastPass was a top name among users and security experts. But after everything that’s happened in the last few years, I don’t think the trust is there anymore.

The biggest issue with LastPass is its security track record. Its 2022 breach was particularly serious. In that incident, attackers managed to steal customer data and even gained access to LastPass’s security architecture. Now, to be fair, no password manager is completely immune to such attacks. But what makes LastPass so difficult to recommend is that the 2022 breach wasn’t an isolated event.

Truecaller

Pankil Shah / Android Authority

Truecaller promises to solve a problem that almost everyone faces. It helps identify unknown callers, blocks spam, and can save you from answering yet another telemarketing call in the middle of lunch. And the reason it works so well is that it has built a massive database using information contributed by its users. It has more than a billion (yes, that’s a “B”) downloads on the Play Store alone, and it’s also available on iOS.

The catch is that when you sign up for Truecaller, you’re not just sharing your own information; you’re also sharing data about everyone in your contact list. That means someone who has never even heard of Truecaller could still have their name and phone number listed in its database.

My biggest issue with Truecaller is the sheer number of app permissions it asks for. Besides contacts, it requests access for call logs, messages, location, files, photos, videos, and audio. Sure, some of these are optional, but it’s not comforting when an app like Truecaller asks for that many permissions to begin with. Most importantly, while Truecaller filled a real gap a few years ago, Android now already handles spam calls and messages much more effectively.

CCleaner

Pankil Shah / Android Authority

CCleaner is a popular storage-cleaning app that claims to remove junk files and unnecessary data. It can also spot apps consuming too many resources. The only problem is, modern Android phones simply don’t need a separate app to do most of this anymore.

On Android, you can already see which apps are draining your battery or using excessive mobile data through the settings menu. There’s also the built-in Files app from Google, which includes a dedicated cleanup tab for removing junk files, duplicate photos, old screenshots, and unused apps. And unlike CCleaner, it’s completely free.

So yes, CCleaner is not necessarily a bad app, but it’s solving a problem that doesn’t need solving. I’m also not a fan of how aggressively the app pushes its subscription to get you to try some of its useful features.

AVG AntiVirus & Security

Pankil Shah / Android Authority

Antivirus apps like AVG AntiVirus & Security are easy to find on the Play Store. In addition to malware protection, these apps often offer extra features, such as privacy tools, app locking, Wi-Fi security checks, and even performance-optimization tools. But even then, they’re largely unnecessary on Android.

Android already comes with plenty of useful security features. Also, most of the important ones are enabled by default. For instance, Google Play Protect continuously scans every app on your phone — including those you’ve sideloaded — for harmful behavior. And if it detects anything suspicious, it can warn you and even automatically remove the app. There are also features like Android Safe Browsing that scan for malicious links in real time to protect you from viruses and phishing scams.

In a way, AVG and most other Android antivirus apps simply duplicate features that already exist — and, worse, charge you for them. The reality is that, as long as you stick to the Play Store for apps and don’t do anything silly, like disabling Android’s built-in security features, you generally don’t need to worry about your phone getting infected.