Practical Mobile Forensics - Fourth Edition

Analyzing widely used Android apps to retrieve valuable data

On Android, everything the user interacts with is an application. While some apps are preinstalled by the device manufacturer, others are downloaded and installed by the user. For example, even routine functions, such as contacts, calls, SMS, and so on, are performed through their respective apps. Thus, Android app analysis is crucial during the course of an investigation. Several third-party apps, such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Skype, Chrome browser, and so on, are used widely, and they handle a lot of valuable information. Depending on the type of application, most of these apps store sensitive information on the device's internal memory or SD card. Analyzing them may provide information ...