A fake WhatsApp clone is showing up before the real version on the Play Store

The Verge·October 16, 2026 at 3:02 PM

theverge.com

After a Chrome clone was spotted on the Play Store earlier this week, a user on Reddit says they're seeing a fake version of WhatsApp in a "sponsored" slot above the real version. As reported earlier by Android Authority, the WhatsApp dupe has racked up over 500,000 downloads and, at the time of writing, its […]

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A fake WhatsApp clone is showing up before the real version on the Play Store

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