I was using a popular app installed from the Google Play Store when an advertisement opened the TikTok app directly to TikTok Shop. I usually tap Back before the page finishes loading, but this time it opened completely. I immediately backed out and closed TikTok. I ran a Play Protect scan afterward and it found nothing. Could this situation have installed malware on my Android phone, especially since the phone is a bit older?
2 Answers
Ads can occasionally redirect people to unsafe websites, but an accidental tap that opens an installed app is generally harmless. Keep Android and your apps updated, leave Play Protect enabled, and avoid downloading files or installing apps prompted by unexpected ads. A clean Play Protect scan is also reassuring, although no scanner can guarantee absolute protection.
You’re almost certainly fine. The ad appears to have opened a normal link inside TikTok; simply launching TikTok Shop does not install malware. Android malware usually requires downloading and opening an app or file, granting permissions, or exploiting an unpatched security flaw. If you only let the page load, backed out, and closed the app, there’s no clear reason to suspect an infection.
So just opening TikTok Shop and then leaving the app wouldn’t be enough to infect the phone, as long as I didn’t download or install anything?