Think Before You Tap: Android Notification Links Can Secretly Trick You: Here’s How
A newly discovered Android vulnerability might have you thinking twice before tapping “Open link” in a notification.
Security researchers at io-no have uncovered a major flaw in Android’s notification system that could let attackers disguise malicious URLs as legit-looking links. The culprit? Invisible Unicode characters like U+200B, which can sneak into URLs and fool Android into showing one address while secretly directing users to another, phishing sites, fake login pages, or worse.
The issue lies in how Android auto-generates the “Open link” button in message notifications from apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, and even Slack. These buttons are meant to be convenient. But thanks to how Android parses links, a manipulated URL like “amazon.com” (with an invisible character) could still look perfectly normal, while redirecting to a completely unrelated, dangerous site.
The scary part? There’s zero visual indication that anything is off.
Unlike iOS, which only highlights the “trusted” portion of a link, Android highlights the entire thing, even if it’s been tampered with.
This vulnerability, reported to Google in March 2025, still remains unpatched across several Android versions, including Android 16. It’s been successfully exploited on major apps and even allows deep link abuse, triggering hidden features inside trusted apps without your consent.
So what can you do?
Until Google releases a fix, here’s how to stay safe:
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Avoid clicking “Open link” from notifications. Open the app, read the message, and double-check the URL.
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Copy suspicious links manually and paste them into your browser to see the full URL.
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Use tools like CheckShortURL or Unshorten.it to reveal where shortened links lead.
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Keep all your apps updated: some may roll out individual protections while waiting on a system-level fix.
This vulnerability is a wake-up call: even small design choices like auto-link previews can carry big security consequences. Until Android adds visual indicators or extra link verification like iOS, your best protection is a healthy dose of caution.
Also Read- Google Pixel 6a to Get Android 16 Update to Fix Overheating
