Video summary

A New App Was Installed on Your Phone — You May Want to Delete It

Main summary

Key takeaways

Technology

Summary of the Video (Technological Concepts + Privacy Guide)

The video explains how Android phones can run hidden background apps that collect user behavior—such as browsing activity, search queries, and app usage—and then package that data for advertising or analytics. It claims many of these apps are hard to notice because they’re “buried” in system settings.

The creator provides a step-by-step privacy guide to locate and limit (or disable where possible) apps with sensitive permissions, focusing on battery/background restrictions and special permissions such as usage/usage-data access. It also includes a final setting change meant to stop apps/services from using shared data for personalization.

Key Tutorial Steps / Settings Covered

  1. Expose System Apps in Settings

    • Open the Google Play Store → profile icon → Help & feedback
    • Search for “app”
    • Find the option related to delete apps on your Android device / application settings (the path varies)
    • Enable “show system apps” so hidden items appear in lists

  2. Find the App Named “Ad privacy” and Restrict Background Activity

    • Open the “Ad privacy” app
    • The video claims it’s impossible to uninstall completely
    • Go to Battery settings and set it to Restricted / disable background usage (turn off background allowance)

  3. Find Apps with “Usage Data / App Usage Access” Permissions

    • Go to Settings → Apps → (three dots) Special access (or search for “special”)
    • Enable show system apps within special permissions
    • Open usage access → More → show system
    • In the resulting list, revoke access for targeted apps, including:
      • “ad privacy” → shut off its permission

  4. Disable “MSA” Usage Permission (Ad-Related)

    • Identify an app labeled “MSA”
    • Turn off permit users access / the related permission (the speaker notes it may not exist on every device)
    • The video claims MSA downloads/displays ads inside other apps without clear notifications

  5. Check and Optionally Disable “Analytics” Usage Access

    • If present, find “analytics”
    • The video claims it’s for diagnostic/developer data, not ads
    • For maximum privacy, switch off its usage access

  6. Turn Off Google “Personalized Using Shared Data”

    • Go to Settings → Google account → All services
    • Open the Privacy & security section → “personalized using shared data”
    • Turn off every listed item

Claims / Analysis Highlighted

  • These background permissions enable the phone to monitor behavior continuously.
  • Companies rely on users not digging into deep system permissions.
  • Even if apps can’t be removed, restricting background usage and permissions may reduce data leakage.

Main Source / Speaker

  • Speaker: Ahmed (host of the channel)

Original video