Is the 9anime app safe to use now

Apps
1

I recently downloaded what was labeled as the official 9anime app from a third-party site, but now I’m worried it might be unsafe or malicious. I’ve seen mixed info online about fake 9anime apps and malware. Can someone explain if there’s a legit 9anime app, how to verify it, and what steps I should take to protect my device and data if I installed a bad one

2

Short answer. No, it is not safe to trust a “9anime official app” from a third party site.

Some points to help you decide what to do next:

  1. 9anime has said multiple times on their own site and socials that they do not have an official mobile app. Anything calling itself “official 9anime app” is third party at best, malware at worst.

  2. APKs from random sites often:
    • Bundle adware or hidden trackers
    • Ask for crazy permissions, like SMS, contacts, full storage, install other apps
    • Show invisible ads in the background
    • Inject scripts into webviews to steal cookies or logins

  3. Things you should check right now:
    • Go to Settings → Apps → find the app
    • Check permissions. If it wants SMS, contacts, phone, or accessibility, delete it
    • Check usage access and device admin. Disable both for that app
    • If it installed “update services” or any extra weird app along with it, remove those too

  4. Strongly recommended next steps:
    • Uninstall the 9anime app APK
    • Run a malware scan with something like Malwarebytes or Bitdefender for Android
    • Change passwords for accounts you use on that phone, especially email, banking, PayPal, crypto, anything important
    • Check your browser for weird extensions or changed default search / home page

  5. Safer way to watch:
    • Use the official 9anime website in a browser
    • If you want an app-like feel, add the site to your home screen through Chrome or Firefox
    • Use an ad blocker in the browser instead of shady APKs

If the app showed lots of popups, redirected to random sites, or your phone started heating up or draining battery fast after installing it, treat it as infected and assume data risk. Uninstall, scan, then monitor bank and email for odd activity.

3

Short version: if it says “official 9anime app” and you didn’t get it directly from 9anime’s own site, treat it as hostile until proven otherwise.

I agree with most of what @codecrafter said, but I’ll add a slightly different angle and a few extra checks.

First, basic reality check:

  • 9anime is a streaming site in a legal gray area. They are not going to be on the Play Store, and they keep publicly saying they don’t have an official app.
  • Anyone slapping “official” on an APK is trying to cash in on the brand. Best case it’s a sketchy wrapper around the website, worst case spyware / credential stealer.

Beyond uninstalling and scanning, here are some less-mentioned things you can do:

  1. Network behavior check
    If you still have it installed (or reinstall it in a controlled way):
  • Put your phone on Wi‑Fi behind a router where you can see logs, or use something like Nebulo / RethinkDNS / a local VPN firewall.
  • Watch what domains it’s talking to. If a “9anime app” is chatting with random tracking domains, crypto mining pools, or weird IPs in bulk, that’s a red flag.
  • If you see constant traffic even when you’re not using the app, that’s very bad.
  1. Check for persistence tricks
    Some dodgy APKs don’t just sit as a normal app:
  • Look for “unknown” device admin or “system tools,” “service,” “updater,” etc that you don’t recognize in Device admin / Accessibility.
  • If something re-installs itself or another app keeps coming back after you delete it, you may need a full factory reset.
  1. Look for subtle compromise signs
    Everyone watches for popups and crazy ads, but some malware tries to stay quiet:
  • Any new “VPN” notification, fake “security” app that appeared after installing it, or random battery optimizer installed around the same time is suspicious.
  • Check if your default SMS app, dialer, or launcher changed on its own.
  • Check if Play Protect got disabled without you doing it.
  1. About “is it safe now?”
    You asked if it’s safe to use now. Honestly:
  • Even if this APK happens to be just a janky web wrapper, you have no way to verify that future “updates” from the same dev won’t add malware.
  • Many of these apps have built‑in remote config. That means they can be harmless today and push a malicious ad network or script tomorrow without you ever updating the APK.

So my take:

  • If you’ve already run a couple of reputable scanners and nothing shows, your phone might be fine, but I would still uninstall the app and treat it as untrusted.
  • If you used it to log in to anything (email, Discord, bank, etc) through its built-in browser/webview, change those passwords immediately and enable 2FA.

One point where I’ll slightly disagree with @codecrafter: they say “use the official site in a browser” like that’s automatically safe. The site itself can still have malicious ads or sketchy scripts, so:

  • Use a modern browser with tracking protection.
  • Use a reputable content blocker.
  • Keep your browser updated and do not install random “video downloader” extensions from shady sources.

Bottom line:
If the app did anything beyond just viewing the site, or asked for weird permissions, assume it’s not safe. Delete it, clean up, and next time avoid any APK that uses “official” for a service that openly says they don’t have an app.