Signature

Are you concerned about apps that are developed in certain countries or regions of the world, the permissions they request, and the services they start? in.de.nile Signature helps you make a more informed decision about the risk of an installed app. Signature lets you view your apps based on their digital signatures. It can be interesting to see how your apps are signed. Some very popular apps have signatures for countries that will surprise you.

► Apps by Country Tab
This tab shows you all of the apps on your device, sorted by the developer country.

► Apps by Developer Tab
This tab shows all apps, sorted by the developer name that is part of the package name. For example, all apps with package names that start with com.google will appear under the list of Google apps.

► Apps by Name Tab
Just for convenience, this tab shows you all apps on your device, sorted alphabetically.

► Apps by Signature Tab
This tab shows all apps, sorted by their digital signature. If multiple apps have the same digital signature, it is likely that they are under the control of a single developer, or of an organization within a corporation.

Signature shows you all of the apps installed on your device, both system apps and the apps that you installed. You can touch any displayed app to view more detailed information about the app, or touch it again to hide the details. The details will scroll both up and down and left to right, so you can drag the details into view if they are too large to view on your device.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a digital signature?
A: A digital signature is somewhat like a written signature for computer data. With existing computer technology, it's very difficult to forge a digital signature. The details of this signature vary by developer, but typically include the name of the developer or company, and the developer's location in the world. All Android apps are signed with a digital signature.

Q: What are these numeric countries I see in the digital signatures, such as C=86 or C=81?
A: Some developers choose not to use the standard abbreviation for their country when creating their signing certificate. Instead, they use the international telephone dialing code for their country, such as 81 for Japan. For some reason, the use of telephone dialing codes in signing certificates seems to be more common in apps developed in Asia.

Q: Who verifies that a signing certificate is valid?
A: The organization that issues a signing certificate will usually verify the identity of the person or company that is requesting the certificate. However, Android apps are signed with self-issued certificates, so there is no verification of identity. This lowers the cost for app developers, because they don't have to buy signing certificates. However, it's important to note that the signature details are not verified by the Play store or any outside authority, so the app signature shows you what the developer wants you to see.

★ in.de.nile apps use the fewest possible Android permissions.