There can be many reasons for having a duplicate icon of an app. It is a kind of rare thing in smartphones. Nowadays, it is hardly seen. If you maintain safety when downloading any app, this problem can easily be solved. This is actually not a thing for headaches. But Sometimes, the icon that appears as a duplicate may carry harmful viruses or files. It can be a danger for your smartphone.
But you should not worry so much because the duplicate app can appear because of some bugs or outdated files. But you have to be aware of it to stay safe and keep your personal privacy safe from intenders. Here today, I’m trying to write about the duplicate app issue on the mobile phone. Here you are going to find some valuable information on this topic.
What is Duplicate App
In one sentence, if it is not a bug, then it can be a harmful virus. The hackers may send this icon to your mobile phone, so you become confused about which one is actually real. Or you may have downloaded the app file from an invalid or infected source. The apk carried some malware, and it started showing up now. Whenever you discover a duplicate app, the first thing you have to do is not opening it. If you have opened it, do not allow any Notification or anything like that, and does not share any information there.
It is highly recommended not to share any information with the duplicate icon and not allow any Notification or permission. And when your sure that it is the duplicate one and you have nothing to do with it. Just try to remove it. Here I’m telling you some ways to remove the duplicate icon from your smartphone.
Restart the Phone
You can restart your phone and check the icon disappears or not. If it does, then it can be a system failure or a functional failure of your mobile device. Or it can be the bug of the app that caused the duplicate app. But after restarting the phone, it can be a malicious virus file if it is still there. Now you have to be aware and take the necessary steps to remove the malicious file from your mobile phone. Here I have more tips that may help you to get rid of the duplicate app icon.
Clear Cache Files
This is one of the common reasons for this duplicate app icon issue. To fix the issue, go to Settings, now click on manage Apps, and search the app that is causing the harm and giving you tension. After that, now open the app then tap on Clear data. Then click on Clear Cache so that all the data from the app is removed from your smartphone. Then close all the apps that are causing you harm and trouble and do a restart. Now check if the duplicate apps are still there or not.
Reinstalling or Updating the App
When any duplicate app appears on your smartphone, sometimes it can be an app error. Or just a bug that is making trouble. So it is recommended to update the app and see the problem is still there or not. To update the app, Go to Play Store, then to My Apps & Games. You can check for the updates of that app that has a duplicate icon and then install them.
The infected app, which may have a virus, can also be uninstalled and reinstalled if you want. It is highly recommended to install apps only from valid and safe sources. Such as Google Play Store. It would help if you avoided other third-party websites to download apps. Most of the time, these apps create trouble for users.
Ending
The last thing you can do to get rid of this duplicate app problem is to update your OS. Check for the operating system update. And if it is available, please do it. An update fixes the bug, comes with more features, and secures your smartphone. You can also install an antivirus and check if the duplicate file is a malicious virus or not. This will make you sure and help you to get out of confusion.
