Why Some Google Apps are being Automatically Installed?

VictorMajumder

Recently, I found my Windows 10 Start menu shows "Docs, Gmail, Google Drive, Sheets, Slides, YouTube" as recently added apps. I do use Google Chrome everyday, but I didn't installed those apps on my pc. So, I uninstalled them, cleared Chrome file data, then from Windows Settings, I reset chrome, finally I uninstalled it (Chrome). Next, after restarting the PC, I downloaded chrome and installed it, but, in a few minutes, all those apps (Docs, Gmail, Google Drive, Sheets, Slides, YouTube) are back on my recently added list.

When I googled for this kind of incidents, I found these are happening to a number of users worldwide.

Now, my question is- is it Authentic Google Activities like they Install these shortcuts as part/companion of Chrome Browser or these are caused by some malware or third-party?

Specs:

• Windows 10 Pro (Official Version and Up to dated)
• Google Chrome (Official Version and Up to dated)
• Bitdefender Total Security (Up to dated)
• All other software and applications are from official providers and non of them are adware or tempered (Cracked/scripted/etc.).
• I am the only user/admin of my system and I didn't ever give anyone remote access.

Thank YOU.

Flexx

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/97287/why-some-google-apps-are-being-automatically-installed

Well, I have also been experiencing this issue for the past couple of days where Chrome is installing additional applications without asking for the user's permission.

This is the information that I found on the web.

The appearance of Google Docs, Gmail, Google Drive, Sheets, Slides, and YouTube in your Windows 10 Start menu as recently added apps, without you installing them yourself, is a known issue that has been affecting a number of users recently.

Google has not yet officially acknowledged the issue, but there are a few theories about what may be causing it. One theory is that it is a bug in the latest version of the Chrome browser. Another theory is that it is caused by a malware infection.

If you are concerned about the possibility of a malware infection, you can run a full system scan with your antivirus software. However, many users have reported that running a virus scan does not detect any malware, even though the Google apps continue to appear in their Start menu.

Another possibility is that the Google apps are being installed by a third-party extension or plugin that you have installed in Chrome. To check for this, you can disable all of your Chrome extensions and plugins, and then see if the Google apps still appear in your Start menu.

If disabling your Chrome extensions and plugins does not resolve the issue, then it is likely that the Google apps are being installed by the Chrome browser itself. This could be due to a bug, or it could be a deliberate feature that Google has implemented.

If you are not comfortable with the Google apps being installed on your computer without your consent, you can uninstall them. However, as you have already discovered, the apps will likely be reinstalled the next time you restart your computer.

One way to prevent the Google apps from being reinstalled is to disable the "Install Chrome apps and extensions" setting in the Chrome settings. To do this, open Chrome and go to Settings > Advanced > System. Then, uncheck the box next to "Install Chrome apps and extensions."

Another way to prevent the Google apps from being reinstalled is to uninstall the Chrome browser and install a different web browser, such as Firefox or Microsoft Edge.

At last, I think you will have to contact google support for this (https://support.google.com/)

Regards

VictorMajumder

Thanks for your reply.

For the chrome extension, I think it could be related with "Google Docs Offline" extension. Though I didn't tried removing it.

Besides, Bitdefender didn't detect any malware during scan, so, I take it I am safe for now.

Thanks again.