Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR Some Motorola phones are apparently launching a browser with a shady URL when users try to open the Amazon shopping app.
The browser reportedly redirects users to an Amazon affiliate link, suggesting that Motorola is trying to make cash from your purchases.
It looks like this issue occurs with the latest version of Motorola’s Smart Feed app.
Motorola’s Razr phones are among the best foldable phones on the market, spanning mid-tier to premium flagship segments. Unfortunately, it looks like these phones might be shipping with a scummy affiliate-stealing feature.
Redditor Trypocopris recently spotted a rather peculiar issue on their Razr 60 Ultra. The user found that launching the Amazon shopping app results in the phone opening a browser instead. This browser opens a “sketchy-looking URL” which subsequently redirects to Amazon’s URL with an affiliate code appended to it. This entire process seems to happen very quickly, so you might miss it if you look away for a couple of seconds.
Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority? Set us as a favorite source in Google Discover to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more.
to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more. You can also set us as a preferred source in Google Search by clicking the button below.
The Redditor then checked the phone’s web traffic via ADB and found requests being sent to devicenative.com. This seems to be an ad-related company that has a relationship of sorts with Motorola. Furthermore, the pre-installed Smart Feed app appears to be enabling these actions. Either way, it looks like the Smart Feed app detects when you open the Amazon app and quickly opens its own affiliate link in a browser.
Are you seeing this sketchy behavior on your Moto phone? 2 votes Yes, I am 50 % No, I'm not 0 % I'm not sure 0 % I don't have a Moto phone 50 %
... continue reading