Fake WhatsApp clone showing up before the real version in Play Store search
Clone reportedly promoted on Play Store
A Reddit user said a fake WhatsApp app appeared in a sponsored slot above the real version. The report follows the discovery of a Chrome clone on the Play Store earlier in the week.
Android Authority reported that the WhatsApp copy had passed 500,000 downloads. Its Play Store listing remained available at the time of the report.
Listing resembles the real app
The clone is listed under the developer name Agment Assets sallu, which has no other apps currently listed on the Play Store. Its page uses the same icon, screenshots, and text as the real WhatsApp listing.
The authentic app has more than 10 billion downloads, an editor’s choice badge, and over 246 million reviews. Those figures distinguish its listing from the reported copy.
Reviews may have been disabled
Android Authority said the clone may be using Google Play’s Early Access program to turn off public user reviews. If so, users may have had fewer opportunities to warn others about the app.
The report does not establish whether the suspected review setting was the reason for the clone’s visibility or download count. The listing was still live when the report was written.
Key points
- A Reddit user reported seeing the fake WhatsApp app above the real one in a sponsored Play Store slot.
- The clone had more than 500,000 downloads, and its listing was still live when reported.
- Its listing copied the real app’s icon, screenshots, and text.
- Android Authority said Early Access may have disabled public reviews.