[Galaxy A3, A5, A7, A8, A9 Q&A, Help & Troubleshoot] surrealsloth:
Couldn't find that one listened anywhere here specifically. I'm pretty sure my phones compromised but I'll probably just get people telling me I'm being paranoid. Just notice a lot of weird stuff going on.

I'll give some examples, but it would be cool if someone else here has an A03s and could give me a full list of the system apps to know for sure if mine has some extra ones that aren't truly factory. Because I've restore it several times and they don't go away.

Like under the apps screen under the basic ones I got apps like Android auto, webview, configapk, customization service, and something called data restore tool, device health services, group sharing, meet, nearby device sharing, quick sharing, quick share, settings..etc. which to my knowledge are pretty normal apps to see on phones right? But I seem unable to control them, if I disable them and go back and check later they mysteriously reenabled again, or after that the permissions lists will be greyed out not being able to do anything. Also there is a app called "permissions controller", as well as ones called "apps", "apps update", "tools", "app recommendations", "settings recommendations"..etc. is that normal? I never noticed that with my old samsung. They are really small file size apps with pretty generic looking icons and they don't let me disable them.

What gets more weird to me though is when I enable the system apps too. I see all kinds of suspicious looking ****.

Like for the android setup, and android system apps there are two of each, and the other two have generic looking icons, also got stuff like configuration restore, audio mirroring, auto hotspot, automation test, bluetooth/bluetooth midi service, call & text on other devices, callbgprovider, camera extensions proxy, carrier login engine, sim tool kit, cell broadcast services, clipboardsaveservice, cmh provider, companion device manager (where I have no idea where my "companion is or how to control it so I must be the one being controlled?", configupdater, csc, dcktimesyncapplication, dynamic system updates, ipservice, enterprise sim pin service, external storage, like 10 different gestural navigation bars, group sharing, iaft, ims service, settings, and logging, input devices, iothiddenmenu, keycustomizationinfobnr, launcher, locale overlay manager, service mode and service mode ril, media and devices, mdmapp, vpndialogs, mmigroup,mmsservice, mobilewips, mtp host, nearby device scanning (2 instances), network diagnostic, nsdswebapp, one handed mode, osulogin, package installer, an app called "people", private share, proxy handler, quick share agent, samsung core services? (is that a real app even? I can disable it but who wants to disable "core" system apps, so touche there if it is a program deployed by a hacker on their app naming skills lol, smart switch agent, 2 instances of software update, system connectivity resources, system uwb/wifi resources, an app called "tasks", tethering, tethering provision and tethering automation, tfstatus/tffunlock always running when I never access them, usbsettings, and theres one called wallpaper services/wallpaper and style that looks really generic which is confusing because I assumed the samsung theme manager just handled all that stuff in one? We also got wearable manager installer running, and sometimes wificalling and wifi direct or work setup will be running when I don't have any of those configured.

Sorry for the huge block of text, I'm sure I missed a bunch i missed because there's some that don't show even when you tap "show system apps", like the skms agent as one example, so got a few general questions for you, so for the file/download system I got a bunch of default apps. There's two different files apps, there's a download manager and download app, and also a storage manager, and ALSO a app called the external storage that always wants to be running but can you explain that if I have no external storage? Is the built in storage space on the a03 called external storage? I even have my drive apps and stuff disabled.

Another things that's suspicious to me is secmediastorage, secvideoengineservice, secsoundpicker, secureelementapplication, media and devices + ext storage. Like why should there be a SECOND video or audio engine running when I'm old school and don't even use cast programs/features or anything like that? In fact it's usually one of the first things I just go ahead and try disable.

I noticed a lot of weird things going on with the display though too, looking really sharp then suddenly almost looking like there's two layers of gui not exactly lined up, like off by a pixels making things look blurrier. Like the one ui home is the default factory launcher right? So why does my phone also have a app called "launcher", plus another hidden launcher or something running in the background? I can't remember the name of it offhand, something GUI..

And I understand the concept of android have a permission controller, and "core apps" but are there actually apps under the system apps named that lol? "permission controller", "samsung core apps" one called "device services"...

also is service mode suppose to be running in the background? I googled into it and know it's a genuine service, but I really don't understand why a lot of these apps are stopping and running or renabling themselves.. It's like I have zero control over my own phone and if I'm just paranoid and they are meant to be just seems like a waste of complete waste of ram/data to me.

****, I was just sitting here thinking for like a few minutes about to post and almost forgot the most suspicious ones I've noticed in last few days. all the "com." overlay apps. I guess I really saw the word "overlay" as something you should be suspicious about until the vpn I recently bought had a feature that is suppose to block web browser based overlays. Then I noticed that MOST of my com. apps are all overlay apps! Lol, ranging from google/samsung to mediatek.

I won't post all of them because there's probably 20 at least but here's a few.

com.mediatek.frameworkresoverlay

com.mediatek.settingsproviderresoverlay

com.mediatek.systemuiresoverlay

com.samsung.android.networkstaack.tethering.overlay

com.samsung.android.smartswitchassistant

com.samsung.android.wifi.p2paware.resources

com.sec.android.app.camerasaver and a camera.app.cameraapp one (camera always running in background even if background and battery saver with restricted settings enabled)

com.google.android.ondevicepersonalization.services (I never used any personalization service or see a personalization app for that matter)

com.google.android.networkstack.tethering.overlay

and there's a bunch of com.google.android.overlay.gmsconfig ones /common geotz/ gsa/ photos/

com.google.android.overlay.modules.captiveportallogin.forframework

plus a overlay broadcastreceiver, ext.services, documentsui, permissioncontroller, and sdksandbox one.. tetheringresoverlay, wcmurlsnetworkstackoverlay, locale overlay manager..etc.

Also I get my service through straight talk which I think uses verizon and I noticed when I go to connections/mobile networks and network operators and uncheck the box "select automatically" that for some reason it only wants to connect to a network operator called "Home". I just thought that was kind of a weird and generic name for a network operator. I tried to use a android hidden settings app to change that because it was blocked out and thought I messed up my phone because I no longer had data and couldn't access the menu through the app anymore, but luckily a reformat fixed it but I'm still dealing with all this crap haha.

Can someone tell me I'm not crazy and there's definitely someone that is accessing and controlling my phone without my permission and what would be the best way to go about dealing with this?

Thanks.