For years, Samsung has included an app called AppCloud on its Galaxy M, F, and A series smartphones in India. Despite its name, AppCloud isn’t about cloud storage. Instead, it’s an app-installer that suggests third-party apps during device setup.
When you set up a new Galaxy device, AppCloud prompts you to decide whether to install specific apps. If you choose to defer this decision, you’ll still receive constant notifications until you either select the apps or entirely disable the app.
Many users view AppCloud as annoying bloatware, especially as Samsung tries to boost its income in a competitive market filled with aggressive Chinese brands.
However, recent insights from the non-profit SMEX raise concerns about AppCloud’s safety. They reveal that AppCloud could be more intrusive than previously thought.
Since 2022, Samsung has expanded AppCloud into several West Asian and North African markets. This has led to fears about privacy, largely because AppCloud is linked to ironSource, a company originally from Israel and now owned by Unity. Users can disable AppCloud, but completely removing it can be tricky without rooting the device. Its privacy policy isn’t straightforward to find online, creating uncertainty about what data it may collect.
ironSource has faced scrutiny before. Their earlier program, InstallCore, was notorious for installing software without user consent, raising alarms about security and leading to backlash from anti-malware communities.
Adding to this complexity, using Israeli tech in WANA countries comes with its own set of issues. Many of these nations have laws against Israeli firms, and in light of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, the presence of such an app feels especially sensitive.
ironSource’s Aura technology has been used to enhance user experiences across Samsung devices, but AppCloud is mysteriously absent from ironSource’s website. This raises further concerns, even though the company is now based in the U.S.
While no explicit evidence suggests AppCloud is engaging in harmful data practices, worries about user privacy persist due to its unclear privacy policy and ironSource’s checkered past.
Now, consumers are pushing Samsung for clearer responses. Advocates are calling for the company to offer an easy opt-out during setup, make the privacy policy more visible, and reconsider preloading this app in sensitive regions.
As these concerns mount, Samsung will likely need to address them to reassure its users. We’ll keep tabs on their responses and any updates that come through.
