Is Your Teen Hiding Sex Photos in a Fake Calculator App?
Teen moms and dads: Does your child seem to be particularly passionate about addition and multiplication these days? I’m sorry I’m breaking you, but the calculator app he was grinning at all evening might not be as reliable a math device as it sounds. It might be a digital safe that hides pictures that it doesn’t want you to see. Here are some ways to find out.
Storage apps for smartphones have been around for years and are a practical way to password protect photos, videos, texts and other files that may be sensitive. But online security experts are warning the parents of those disguised as calculators. These James Bond-style programs allow teens to keep their sex messages and browsing history out of prying eyes – yours.
When a user downloads one of these applications, a calculator-like icon appears on their phone screen. Clicking on it opens a real calculator. But behind the bait is a secret vault. All the user has to do is enter a password or swipe over a special pattern to access it.
Earlier this year, Apple removed the popular Private Photos app (Calculator%) from the app store following a police investigation. But there are other secret calculator apps out there. Here are some of them to look out for:
Fake calculator
Device : iOS
Features: private browser, place to save contacts you don’t want in your address book.
Secret calculator
Device: iOS
FEATURES: decoy mode, extra protection with pattern lock, password and touch ID
Storage calculator Hide images
Device: Android
Features: “Intrusion Alert” that captures an image of anyone who enters an incorrect password.
A few tips for parents:
- You can find out if your teen is using one of these apps by visiting the app store and searching for words such as “storage,” “ghost,” or “hidden.” If the application says “Open” instead of “Get”, it means that the application is already installed. Also, if they have two calculator icons on their screen, you know something is wrong.
- Add parental controls to your kids’ phones. Here’s how to use Apple’s new iOS 12 screen time feature that lets you block content from your devices.
- Talk to your child about these apps and the consequences of sexting. Remind them that once they have submitted an image, they cannot be returned.