Advertisement

Carrier IQ: How to remove the tracking software from your smartphone

Keystroke monitoring system Carrier IQ's existence has been confirmed in Android devices, exacerbating last week's revelation into the security risks of the world's best-selling mobile operating system.

But the story of this controversial software didn't blow up until Carrier IQ was discovered in the iPhone, revealing the top two mobile OS developers to be guilty of tracking the activity of their users.

Check out the video below for a crash course on Carrier IQ:

The news is sure to irk smartphone users abroad, yet despite the anchor claiming there's no way to "opt out," it is possible to remove the CIQ software. It's a little trickier with your Android device than it is with the iPhone or iPad, but it can be done.

Android smartphone or tablet

Sebastian Anthony from Extreme Tech recommends installing Trevor Eckhart's Logging Test App (version 7 at the date of publishing).

"The easiest way to do this is to email the APK to yourself, then download the attachment on your phone," explains Anthony in the blog. "If that doesn't work, you need to install the Android SDK and use ADB."

You'll have to reboot your phone before you can continue (they certainly don't make this quick to solve). Click on "CIQ Checks" (pictured to the right) and the test app will tell you if CIQ is installed on your phone. The app can remove the software for a fee of $1, but unfortunately, this option doesn't always work.

"Sadly, there doesn't seem to be any other way to disable CIQ on Android devices," said Anthony. "Carriers like AT&T and Sprint (the two mobile providers where CIQ is confirmed) will almost certainly provide some kind of workaround in the next few days, though; the clamoring crowd is impossible to ignore at this point."

Apple iPhone or iPad

Simply access your Settings > General > About > Diagnostics & Usage, and click "Don't Send" (the check mark is your confirmation).

But as Anthony explains, this method is only available to those using iPhones that run on iOS 5.

"If you're stuck using iOS 3 or 4, and you have a jailbroken device, you can follow Chpwn's instructions to disable CIQ," shares Anthony.