LinkGuard 0.2.2

LinkGuard 0.2.2 replaces the "Brands LinkGuard knows" list with a short, plain-language explanation of how LinkGuard works. Brand look-alike protection is unchanged.

Install or update

• Updating from an earlier version: download linkguard-0.2.2-foss.apk below and open it. It installs over the old version, and LinkGuard stays your default browser.
• New install: open the APK (allow "Install unknown apps"), then open LinkGuard → Set as default browser.

Android 8+. Telegram users: turn off Telegram's in-app browser so LinkGuard can see links.

What's new

• How LinkGuard works (in Settings): why it's needed, where it sits between your link and your browser, how safe links open straight away, how scam links are spotted, that links reported by several users trigger a warning, and that you always decide.
• Removed the "Brands LinkGuard knows" list. A visible list suggested only those brands were protected. LinkGuard still catches fake bank, wallet and delivery websites exactly as before, and its warnings still name the brand being copied.

Privacy

Unchanged: LinkGuard never logs, stores or sends the links you open. No accounts, analytics or trackers. Policy: https://dwarpallabs.com/linkguard/privacy

Known limitations (why this is still a pre-release)

• Hindi and Tamil text is machine-drafted and awaiting native-speaker review
• Phishing coverage relies on the on-phone look-alike checks and community reports; the server blocklist covers malware hosts
• Links opened inside Telegram's in-app browser, or by apps that open Chrome directly, never reach LinkGuard

Verify the download

• SHA-256 of the APK: 9e08b13e3d0f2c23e414d5c0ecf84c28bea0abe4619dddc0b62a215f0d13254e (also in linkguard-0.2.2-foss.apk.sha256)
• Signing certificate (Dwarpal Labs) SHA-256: 3b7a7bc8b029e60667a269c9298067f64922f79ec6e8e1ebbf69569795405cee (same as earlier releases)

apksigner verify --print-certs linkguard-0.2.2-foss.apk

LinkGuard 0.2.1 (pre-release)

LinkGuard 0.2.1 makes it clear that LinkGuard is a quick check between your link and your browser, not a browser itself. It never blocks: "Open anyway" is always there.

Install or update

• Updating from 0.2.0 or 0.1.0: download linkguard-0.2.1-foss.apk below and open it. It installs over the old version, and LinkGuard stays your default browser.
• New install: open the APK (allow "Install unknown apps"), then open LinkGuard → Set as default browser.

Android 8+. Telegram users: turn off Telegram's in-app browser so LinkGuard can see links.

What's new

• "LinkGuard is not a browser." The home screen now shows how it works, your link → LinkGuard checks it → your browser, using the name of the browser you picked (Chrome, Firefox and so on). LinkGuard never shows web pages; every link opens in the browser you already use, and your bookmarks, history, saved passwords and tabs stay exactly as they are.
• Step 1 explains why Android calls LinkGuard your "browser app": it's only so LinkGuard can see links first.

Since 0.2.0, the server lists also refresh every day: about 1,800 known malware hosts get the red warning, and about 9,900 popular websites open instantly without a server check. That didn't need an app update.

Privacy

Unchanged: LinkGuard never logs, stores or sends the links you open. No accounts, analytics or trackers. Policy: https://dwarpallabs.com/linkguard/privacy

Known limitations (why this is still a pre-release)

• Hindi and Tamil text is machine-drafted and awaiting native-speaker review
• Phishing coverage relies on the on-phone look-alike checks and community reports; the server blocklist covers malware hosts
• Links opened inside Telegram's in-app browser, or by apps that open Chrome directly, never reach LinkGuard

Verify the download

• SHA-256 of the APK: 854015d233481b4a92ab02db826d8117d5609fd6fcd42f271129db55eba96ff8 (also in linkguard-0.2.1-foss.apk.sha256)
• Signing certificate (Dwarpal Labs) SHA-256: 3b7a7bc8b029e60667a269c9298067f64922f79ec6e8e1ebbf69569795405cee (same as earlier releases)

apksigner verify --print-certs linkguard-0.2.1-foss.apk

LinkGuard 0.2.0 (pre-release)

LinkGuard 0.2.0 moves the scam lists to Dwarpal Labs' own server, makes reports private, and turns them into automatic community warnings. Like 0.1.0 it never blocks: "Open anyway" is always there.

Install or update

• Updating from 0.1.0: download linkguard-0.2.0-foss.apk below and open it. It installs over 0.1.0, and LinkGuard stays your default browser.
• New install: open the APK (allow "Install unknown apps"), then open LinkGuard → Set as default browser.

Android 8+. Telegram users: turn off Telegram's in-app browser so LinkGuard can see links.

What's new

• Community warnings. When 3 or more different LinkGuard users report the same website within a week, everyone else sees an amber warning: "This link was reported as a scam by N LinkGuard users this week." Reports only ever cause this soft warning, never the red one, and well-known sites can't be reported into a warning.
• Private reports. Settings → Report a link now sends the report privately to Dwarpal Labs instead of opening a public GitHub issue. Each report carries an anonymous code that is different for every website, so your reports can't be linked together or traced back to you. Reports are deleted after 30 days.
• Lists kept off GitHub. The known-scam and known-safe lists now live on Dwarpal Labs' server, so scammers can't read them from the source code. The app checks the scam list by sending only a 4-byte fingerprint of a website's name, and downloads the safe list as signed fingerprints.
• Faster server checks. Links not on the safe list may take up to 1 second to check; you'll see "Checking link…" if it takes longer than 300 ms. Safe-listed sites still open instantly.

Privacy

LinkGuard never logs, stores or sends the links you open. No accounts, analytics or trackers. Updated policy: https://dwarpallabs.com/linkguard/privacy

Known limitations (why this is still a pre-release)

• Hindi and Tamil text is machine-drafted and awaiting native-speaker review
• The scam blocklist is still small; community warnings need several reports first
• Links opened inside Telegram's in-app browser, or by apps that open Chrome directly, never reach LinkGuard

Help wanted

• Report scam links you receive: Settings → Report a link
• Hindi and Tamil reviewers for the app's text

Verify the download

• SHA-256 of the APK: 1459f4189bf2ef60b697a5ceaf59cafe83368eecb1c2c4c10fb8b279eb7f02ca (also in linkguard-0.2.0-foss.apk.sha256)
• Signing certificate (Dwarpal Labs) SHA-256: 3b7a7bc8b029e60667a269c9298067f64922f79ec6e8e1ebbf69569795405cee (same as 0.1.0)

apksigner verify --print-certs linkguard-0.2.0-foss.apk

LinkGuard 0.1.0 (pre-release)

First public pre-release of LinkGuard: it sits between the links you tap in WhatsApp, Telegram or SMS and your browser, and warns about scam links. It never blocks; "Open anyway" is always there.

Install

1. Download linkguard-0.1.0-foss.apk below and open it (allow "Install unknown apps").
2. Open LinkGuard → Set as default browser → pick the browser to open links in.

Android 8+. Telegram users: turn off Telegram's in-app browser so LinkGuard can see links.

What it checks

• Fake bank and brand sites (SBI, HDFC, ICICI, Axis, PNB, PhonePe, Paytm, Google Pay, India Post, Delhivery, Blue Dart, IRCTC, Income Tax, UIDAI, EPFO, NPCI, Airtel, Jio), including look-alike letters, digit swaps and typos
• App (APK) downloads from outside the Play Store
• UPI payment requests hidden behind web links, with payee and amount shown
• Raw IP addresses, user@host tricks, very deep subdomains and throwaway domains
• Brand-new websites (less than 30 days old)
• Short links (bit.ly and others) are followed first so the real destination is checked

Warnings are shown in English, Hindi or Tamil, following the phone's language.

Privacy

LinkGuard never logs, stores or sends the links you open. No accounts, analytics or trackers. It only goes online to ask a link shortener where a short link leads, and to ask a domain registry when a website was registered (sending only the domain name). Policy: https://dwarpallabs.com/linkguard/privacy

Known limitations (why this is a pre-release)

• Hindi and Tamil text is machine-drafted and awaiting native-speaker review
• The scam blocklist is empty until the feeds pipeline lands; the allowlist is hand-curated (~200 sites)
• Links opened inside Telegram's in-app browser, or by apps that open Chrome directly, never reach LinkGuard
• Short links on slow networks can take up to ~1.5 s ("Checking link…")

Help wanted

• Scam link samples from India (WhatsApp, SMS, Telegram): Settings → Report a link, or open an issue
• Hindi and Tamil reviewers for the app's text

Verify the download

• SHA-256 of the APK: e694affb1c3870d67f72f2848f44b20840ecade01e865968a967ef04ae67d4cc (also in linkguard-0.1.0-foss.apk.sha256)
• Signing certificate (Dwarpal Labs) SHA-256: 3b7a7bc8b029e60667a269c9298067f64922f79ec6e8e1ebbf69569795405cee

apksigner verify --print-certs linkguard-0.1.0-foss.apk