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

The ‘WhatsApp Messenger’ dupe reportedly popped up as a sponsored result above the real version.

by Stevie Bonifield

Oct 16, 2026, 3:02 PM UTC

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Stevie Bonifield is a news writer covering all things consumer tech. Stevie started out at Laptop Mag writing news and reviews on hardware, gaming, and AI.

After a Chrome clone was spotted on the Play Store earlier this week, a user on Reddit says they’re seeing a fake version of WhatsApp in a “sponsored” slot above the real version. As reported earlier by Android Authority, the WhatsApp dupe has racked up over 500,000 downloads and, at the time of writing, its Play Store listing is still live.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The WhatsApp clone is from a developer going by “Agment Assets sallu” who doesn’t currently have anything else listed...

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