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

A WhatsApp imitation appeared in a sponsored position above the genuine app on the Google Play Store, according to a Reddit user. Its resemblance to the real listing and its prominent placement could mislead people into downloading it, raising concerns about how users distinguish legitimate apps from impostors.

The clone has more than 500,000 downloads and was still listed when the article was written. It uses the real app’s icon, screenshots and text, and is published by a developer called “Agment Assets sallu”, with no other apps listed. Android Authority suggested Early Access may have let the clone disable public reviews; the genuine WhatsApp has more than 10 billion downloads, 246 million reviews and an Editor’s Choice badge. Google had not responded to a request for comment.