Zift Advisory
Messenger Home is an app that replaces a user's native messaging app to create a more streamlined messaging experience. Messenger Home is available Android devices and does not feature any in-app purchases but does feature advertisements. While this app and it's content are safe for kids, these privacy concerns may make you want to think twice.
What is Messenger Home - SMS Launcher?
Messenger Home is an app that replaces a user's native messaging app to create a more streamlined messaging experience.
Messenger Home is available Android devices only and does not feature any in-app purchases; however, the Messenger Home app does feature advertisements. This app is rated for everyone.
With the Messenger Home app, users can organize, send and manage text conversations, easily locating contacts with color-coded custom icons. The Messenger Home app boasts a more streamlined home screen.
In fact, one of the biggest customer complaints is that the Messenger Home app completely reorganizes user's home screens, something the developers have said they've been unable to fix.
The Messenger Home app is unable to keep a user's home screen configuration through installation. It's also important to note that the Messenger Home app replaces a user's native home screen, a detail many users miss when downloading, leading to frustrations after installing.
Is Messenger Home - SMS Launcher safe for my kids?
Parents should be aware that the Messenger Home app is meant to replace an Android user's default launcher, to make messaging more streamlined for the user. In this regard, messaging becomes the primary focus of the user's phone, allowing them to access messages with a single swipe, in addition to viewing all messages with a single swipe.
Parents should know that the Google Play store rates the Messenger Home app "E" for everyone, but the terms of service strictly state that users must be 18 years of age or older to download and install their app.
Messenger Home's privacy policies are where things become sketchy, especially since users are replacing their home screen with the app. The Messenger Home app is free for users, utilizing an ad-supported system.
As Messenger Home replaces a user's home screen, the app is free to display ads on a user's home screen, which it utilizes heavily and is the cause of many user complaints.
User behavior is collected, which is concerning, as home screen actions become fair play with the Messenger App. User interaction with social media is some of the data collected, which is unnerving, to say the least.
And when users download and use the app, they're accepting the following terms: "My Home Screen Apps may use other new and evolving sources of information and information gathering in the future."
Accepting this is writing away any rights to privacy on a user's phone, and should be seriously considered prior to downloading and installing the Messenger Home app.
Equally concerning are the permissions users agree to, when they install the Messenger Home app. Not only does a user allow the app access to their contacts, which is understandable given the nature of the app, they also allow access to their location information.
Here are a few of the more troubling permissions users must allow the Messenger Home app:
- read the contents of your USB storage
- modify or delete the contents of your USB storage
- read the contents of your USB storage
- modify or delete the contents of your USB storage
- expand/collapse status bar
- control flashlight
- full network access
- draw over other apps
- control vibration
- prevent device from sleeping
- modify system settings
- read Google service configuration
Parents, it would seem that the Messenger Home app is a thinly disguised app for data collection and distribution to third parties. Using the app is synonymous with agreeing to the Messenger Home terms, which basically give the app the right to access and collect all of a user's phone interactions.
While this app and it's content are safe for kids, these privacy concerns may make you want to think twice.
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