HTC Android Devices Screenshotting Your Browsing?

Gear Diary is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Click here to learn More.

HTC Android Devices Screenshotting Your Browsing? Listen to this article

Tonight I was reading an interesting article on The Boy Genius Report about a curious quirk with the HTC Sense UI on the DROID Incredible. As it turns out, to display those neat previews of websites in the UI the browser is taking screenshots of the site. Doesn’t sound so unsurprising does it?

What is odd is the way that the phone is storing those screenshots for future reference. According to BGR, these screenshots are stored on the phone’s internal storage drive where they are easily viewed in any picture viewing application. What’s worse is they are NOT deleted if you do a full reset on the phone. Bit of a privacy concern should you sell the phone without deleting these files!

HTC Android Devices Screenshotting Your Browsing?

This issue does not seem to be isolated to the HTC DROID Incredible either. I took at look on the memory card in my HTC Desire using the free ASTRO file browser and sure enough the same “.bookmark_thumb1” folder complete with a visual archive of my browsing history was present.

HTC Android Devices Screenshotting Your Browsing?

So be warned, erasing your browsing history or even resetting the phone won’t completely remove the sites you’ve visited!

[from Boy Genius Report]

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for your support!


About the Author

Mitchell Oke
Mitchell is a video producer and director working with Australia's leading motoring news sites and car companies. He's always on the go with a camera in hand. With a Bachelor of Creative Technology (Digital Video Production), Mitchell's worked for News Limited, CarAdvice.com and as a freelancer for many years.