Are All Mobile Games Safe to Play? Read Before Downloading Another Sketch

Mobile games can now be as engaging and complex as the titles you’re used to from your PC or console. They attract lots of players, which sadly means that cyber criminals see mobile games as another way of doing harm.

With literally millions of games to choose from, how do you approach vetting and downloading ones that aren’t only fun, but safe as well? Here is everything you need to know.

The Warning Signs

Major mobile marketplaces have a vetting system in place that keeps most suspicious and low-effort games from reaching players. However, some continue to slip through the cracks, so being on a digital storefront doesn’t automatically mean a game is safe. Here are the red flags to look for.

Unusually broad permissions

Some games are more complex than others, so they may need broader permissions. For example, it makes sense for a game like Pokémon Go to ask for your location; the same doesn’t apply for Sudoku or a Candy Crush clone. Permissions that have nothing to do with a game’s scope and features are a telltale red flag.

Asking for sensitive information

It’s normal for games to collect information for analytics and advertising purposes, especially if they’re free. You should become suspicious if they take this to the extreme. No mobile game should ever need the passwords for your email or other accounts, for example.

Sloppy presentation

Millions of developers from around the world use the two major app stores to offer their games. A game that’s poorly presented or looks familiar isn’t necessarily problematic. That said, the more details there are, the more suspicious you should become. Things to look out for include:

• Poorly worded descriptions.
• Clearly reused or stolen assets from other games and media.
• Unrealistic promises like infinite gold, instant max level, and so on.
• The game is unknown and has no reviews, or they’re all five-star reviews that say the same thing.
• The developer has published many similar low-effort games.

If they’re this sloppy with the presentation, they may also be careless when it comes to secure coding practices and data storage. Such a game might be harmless yet prone to exploits, or the developer might not be able to adequately protect your personal and payment data.

Negative reviews point to concerning problems

The review section tends to be more informative than a game’s description. If 1- and 2-star reviews keep mentioning problems like asking for unusual permissions, battery or data drain, excess advertisements, or unexpected credit card charges, that’s a clear warning to steer clear.

Pay special attention when multiple players report sudden spikes in mobile data usage — if reviews are full of people asking “why is my data not working” after installing the game, the app may be quietly consuming your cellular data in the background, which often points to hidden adware or worse.

External downloads

You might come across advertisements online, Discord messages, etc., that ask you to download unfamiliar games or unofficial versions of famous ones from outside official app stores. Apps downloaded from third parties can be legitimate, but not having safeguards like Play Protect means you’re in greater danger of malware.

What Security Measures Can You Take?

Safely handling mobile games comes down to two things: vetting legitimate ones and creating a safe environment that minimizes dangers you might have missed.

Start by always using official stores since the chances that you’ll download something truly harmful are much lower. Even then, pay attention to the developer’s reputation, user reviews, permissions, and data privacy policies.

Once you decide a game looks trustworthy and install it, make sure it and your smartphone are always up to date. This ensures that you’ll have the latest patches and be protected from known exploits.

Use a VPN if the game has an online component and you often play over unsafe networks like public Wi-Fi. A gaming VPN will encrypt the connection and make it much harder for anyone on the same network to snoop on your activities without throttling performance.

You’ll also want to protect your account if the game requires one. Choose a strong and unique password so that potential data breaches don’t affect your other accounts. Likewise, enable two-factor authentication since this will prevent anyone with a stolen password from accessing and taking over the account.

Conclusion

Playing mobile games safely starts long before you press the install button. It’s unrealistic to expect every game you play will be risk-free, but you can do much to make this far less likely. Walk away if several warning signs give you pause, and shore up your smartphone’s defenses just in case they don’t.