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Did you recently come across a suspicious looking application named com.pivotmobile.android.metrics? If yes, let us tell you that is not as suspicious as you are thinking it to be. com.pivotmobile.android.metrics is nothing but an application used to track ads and usage of other installed applications, found on some android android phones, mostly downloaded as a side-application to certain optional applications that you download from Play Store or other application downloading stores.
The term ‘metrics’ in com.pivotmobile.android.metrics is self-explanatory suggesting that it has something to do with ads and in-app ads.
Let us look at it in detail:
Which devices is com.pivotmobile.android.metrics available on?
The name is suggestive of the answer itself. com.pivotmobile.android.metrics is only found on Android devices, more recurrently seen in devices from Motorola and Lenovo, etc.
As far as our research goes, most users who found com.pivotmobile.android.metrics on their device were either using Motorola android phones or those that came from Lenovo.
How did com.pivotmobile.android.metrics get installed on your phone?
This is one question that most users are unsure of, which leads them to think that com.pivotmobile.android.metrics is a malware or spyware intended to harm their android device. However, this is certainly not the case and com.pivotmobile.android.metrics did not just come from anywhere.
Most often com.pivotmobile.android.metrics is sideloaded as an application when you download an optional app that asks for certain permissions (one of which also includes sideloading an app). When you do not review the permissions you grant to these apps that you are downloading, and allow them all the permissions, they may sideload certain side applications on your device; one of them being com.pivotmobile.android.metrics.
com.pivotmobile.android.metrics has most likely been installed on your device when you downloaded an application from the developers Pivot Mobile on your phone. Pivot Mobile are android game developers and if you download an application from them via Play Store and allow them permission to install other side applications, that is most likely how com.pivotmobile.android.metrics was installed on your device.
Check your device’s Applications List and see if you have an application developed by Pivot Mobile installed on your phone. Here is a list of applications by Pivot Mobile:
- Swimmy Turtle
- Flashlight by Pivot Mobile
- Hoppy Fox
- Compass by Pivot Mobile
- MemoryMatch
- Lists by Pivot Mobile
If you have downloaded any of these applications listed above, it is possible that com.pivotmobile.android.metrics was downloaded as a side-application meant for ad tracking and tracking of data usage of one of these applications.
Is it a spyware?
No, com.pivotmobile.android.metrics is not a spyware. A malicious spyware intends to make your phone vulnerable to data breach and so far, no users who have stumbled across com.pivotmobile.android.metrics on their device have made a mention of data loss or breach caused by com.pivotmobile.android.metrics.
How to prevent spyware on your phone?
Although com.pivotmobile.android.metrics, you can always be precautious. Here are some general tips to prevent spyware on your phone:
Consider access. If someone wants to change something on your phone and you don’t trust them, be cautious and rely on your instincts. If someone had access, you should look at if it was accompanied by increased monitoring or stalking.
Lock your phone. If you place a password on the phone, it will be harder for someone to install a program that requires physical access to the phone. There are a lot of devices that let you choose between a number, pattern, thumbprint, or other security features.
Use anti-viruses and anti-spyware to protect your phone. If you want to prevent the installation of spyware on your phone, then download anti-viruses and anti-spyware apps to your phone.
Use security features on your phone. Most of the time, the settings on the phones allow installation from unknown sources. It is advisable to turn this off because it will make it more likely that apps from outside the Play store will not be installed on the phone. It’s possible to protect the phone from most spyware by turning on the Google Play Protect feature. The latest operating system updates for your phone often include security patches, so make sure to install them.
Do not root (for Android phones) or jailbreak (for iPhones) your phone. The phone needs to be rooted or jailbroken to use the more intrusive features which makes it more vulnerable to spyware. Most unknown or suspicious software cannot be installed on an Apple device unless it is jailbroken. A phone that is jailbroken will make it easier to install spyware, which will make it more vulnerable to viruses.
Is com.pivotmobile.android.metrics malware?
No, com.pivotmobile.android.metrics is not malware. It is just a side-application that was probably installed with an optional application you downloaded on your phone in the recent times. Since it is only used to track ads and usage of other applications installed, mostly the downloaded applications, it does not intend any harm to your device.
However, it is still advisable to check if there is some malware posing as com.pivotmobile.android.metrics on your device. To do this, you can run an antivirus check using your phone’s built-in antivirus, or a third-party antivirus application or software if your phone does not come bundled with one.
Is com.pivotmobile.android.metrics safe?
Since com.pivotmobile.android.metrics is neither a spyware or malware, it is fairly safe to keep on your device. Besides, if it passes an antivirus scan (which we highly recommend you do any time you are suspicious about an app), the question of safety is completely obliterated.
Above all, com.pivotmobile.android.metrics is linked to Pivot Mobile, the android game developers who have verified applications published on Play Store, therefore it is highly unlikely that the application is intended to harm your device in any manner.
Can com.pivotmobile.android.metrics be uninstalled?
Since com.pivotmobile.android.metrics does not come bundled with the phone’s OS, it can easily be uninstalled from your phone without batting an eye. The app com.pivotmobile.android.metrics is uninstallable also because it is not a pre-installed system application, most of which can not be removed by the end user.
You can easily uninstall com.pivotmobile.android.metrics by going to Settings on your device, then navigating to your device’s Application List and locating com.pivotmobile.android.metrics. Once located, tap on it, and hit the ‘Uninstall’ button.
Is it safe to uninstall com.pivotmobile.android.metrics?
Yes, it is safe to uninstall com.pivotmobile.android.metrics since it is not a system app or even a pre-installed application. While some android users are of the view that com.pivotmobile.android.metrics could be necessary for functioning of some system app or pre-installed applications, numerous android users have uninstalled it from their devices and faced no consequences or hindrance in the proper functioning of their phone.
Thus, uninstalling com.pivotmobile.android.metrics is safe and if you feel you are better off without the application on your device, it is recommended you delete it since it does hog on the phone’s resources – no matter how minimal the hogging is.
