Worried updating apps from Play Store - Please, help

Dboy

Hi there,

From yesterday, when updating an app installed from Play Store, the circle which surrounds the app symbol during the upgrade is not regular but wavy.

Checking some recent videos on YouTube regarding new Play Store version, I have seen that this does not happen.

Searching information on internet, it seems that only a few people has the same wavy circle.

But an AI indicated that this could be malware.

I only have 2 Google apps on my Graphene phone but it happened yesterday updating one of them. They are both installed on my private profile of the owner profile.

I have ran Auditor and checked the code when turning on the device. Everything seems to be OK but I am not sure that Auditor would detect malware.

Please, could somebody confirm if you have seen the same wavy circle? If positive, do you know the reason?

Would Auditor detect malware?

Is it possible that Graphene could be victim of malware so easily?

I say "easily" because my phone has never been connected to the internet by WiFi nor 5G. Only Ethernet with a powerful physical firewall.

I appreciate your help. Thank you.

The phone is a Pixel 9a updated, of course...

userofgos

Dboy But an AI indicated that this could be malware.

DON'T TRUST AI!

Dboy From yesterday, when updating an app installed from Play Store, the circle which surrounds the app symbol during the upgrade is not regular but wavy.

Not sure when it was introduced, but I have the wavy circle around the icons when updating the apps.

I have no idea why your first thought is "wavy lines" = MALWARE! There's zero logic behind this.

Dboy If positive, do you know the reason?

Google being Google, UX/UI designers doing their job

Dboy

userofgos Thank you.

Well, AI told me... And a few months ago (September 2025) I had a Motorola which was hacked and the same wavy circles appeared... Maybe it was a coincidence. I hope so.

But I feel better after reading your reply.

Thanks again

userofgos

Dboy And a few months ago (September 2025) I had a Motorola which was hacked and the same wavy circles appeared... Maybe it was a coincidence

I highly doubt it was anything other than coincidence. A threat actor, adversary, or hacker's top priority is going unnoticed - them adding wavy circles would harm that objective and alert their victims.

Vincent96

Without a screenshot giving accurate advice is impossible.

0xC0DED0D0

"Wavy" progress indicators are part of Material Expressive, since May 2025: https://m3.material.io/components/progress-indicators/overview

The design choice has apparently recently been introduced into the Google Play Store.

Not a malware indicator. No worries.

Dboy

0xC0DED0D0 Thank you very much

Dboy

0xC0DED0D0 I have checked your link and I have been unable to find the date.

By the way is there somebody who sees the same animation? Apart userofgos...

horde

Dboy F-droid app when you install an app

AcclaimSublevel19

Dboy By the way is there somebody who sees the same animation? Apart userofgos...

Yes, I experience the same. This is part of Google's new Material 3 Expressive design language and is totally expected. There were minor design changes to other areas in the Play Store as well (e.g. button styles). Chances are that you have more apps that have moved to the new design system and they've got more quirky designs.

Do not worry about this at all, it's perfectly normal. As a side note, if you're worried about malware you should absolutely set up Auditor and regularly perform attestations. It's highly unlikely that your device has been compromised if Auditor reports everything is OK.