A fake version of Google Chrome with more than 100,000 downloads has been found on the Google Play Store. It was promoted as a sponsored result above the real browser on the platform.
The listing was flagged on October 14, 2026, by a Reddit user in the r/browsers community, who found it as a sponsored suggestion while searching for "Chrome." The listing used Chrome's official icon and, according to PiunikaWeb, copied the description from Google's own page.
The only obvious giveaway was the developer name, Hizbartech. The app was 42 MB, rated 3+ and showed over a staggering 100,000 downloads. Google's genuine Chrome has over 10 billion downloads and a 4.2-star rating from roughly 47 million reviews.
Although the app listing has now been taken down from the Play Store, several curious users installed the app to see what it did. Turns out, it wasn't a browser at all. A user said setup threw up a series of prompts, including one to pick an avatar. The app then dropped them into what they described as a contact-style messaging app full of AI avatars.
According to PiunikaWeb, the Play Store page and an APKPure archive suggest that the app launched in August 2026 as a game called Ball Bounce. Hizbartech then rebranded it in late September to look like Chrome. This bait-and-switch lets an app build up downloads under one identity before changing into something else.
There is no evidence that the Hizbartech app is linked to any known malware campaign and testers who installed it reported finding no data-stealing behaviour. But fake Chrome apps have been used for serious fraud before.
In September 2025, an IMB Trusteer Labs report described a campaign called PhantomCall, in which counterfeit Chrome apps tricked Android users into installing a banking trojan that could block and redirect their phone calls. IBM found that these apps were mostly spread through phishing sites, text messages and rogue ads rather than the Google Play Store.
That's exactly why this lookalike Google Chrome app with a Play Store listing and paid placement is all the more worrisome. It's important that the Play Store has more rigid protocols in place for a stricter app review process, since there are billions of users who rely on the platform for all kinds of apps.
Google hasn't officially commented on this yet, but yes, it looks like the community was quick to act and flag the app, which ultimately resulted in its demise. Well, I will certainly be more careful before hitting the install button from now on, and you should too.
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