Uninstalling Zing Key app

[journeyoflife]

I have recently upgraded my HTC Desire S with ICS and have been re-installing some apps from Google Play. I noticed today that I had an updates notification on the status bar and clicked on it to discover that it was an update for an app called Zing Key. I have never installed this app or even heard about it.

I checked out Zing Key (from Vietnam) in Google Play and lo and behold it displayed that it had been installed on my device.

The app was not listed in my app draw so I went to Settings>Applications>show All and there is was. However you cannot uninstall it but only disable it.

It seems from the User Reviews on Google Play that this is some sort of a rogue/trojan/spam app that has installed itself automatically on some very unhappy folks' devices.

Does anyone know how to uninstall this app?

I have reported this app to Google Play.

 

[ExtremeNerd]

Apps don't just install themselves. It takes user actions to do it.

It looks to be a keyboard replacement, which is why it isn't in your app drawer. System -> Apps -> Manage apps -> Zing Key and uninstall. Or just go into the app on Google Play and it will let you uninstall.

 

[journeyoflife]

It can not be uninstalled via Setting>Apps. You only get the option to Disable it. Same with trying to uninstall via Google Play app on my device.

 

[eyebeam]

Hmmm... Maybe check to see if it's set itself as a device administrator? If it has, uncheck it and see if it will uninstall then. Should be somewhere such as: Settings > Security > Device Administration.

 

[journeyoflife]

Hi Eyebeam,

I have looked at Device Administration and the only app I have listed there is Tasker.

I did not install Zing Key intentionally. I wonder if it is linked to my recent installation of ICS. Other than the complaints on Zing Key's Google Play page there is no information about this mysterious app.

Already have DropBox - sorry!

Thanks for your response.

 

[martinistripes]

Apps don't just install themselves. It takes user actions to do it.

I like how you automatically dismiss the OP as being a stupid tech-biff. Had it been my post, I would have taken offence.

I updated my Desire S to ICS last night. This morning I found an update for ZingKey. I'm very selective about what I install on my phone. The first thing I noticed was that there's no uninstall button in the Play Store. I went to Settings>Apps, no uninstall button there either.

So either:

i) It comes with the ICS update (which I highly doubt).
ii) It installed itself.
iii) It's linked to another, less dubious, piece of software. In which case it still installed itself.
iv) I installed it in my sleep.

It's my first experience of having unwanted software on my device. I've been using Android almost a year now. Really hope this gets stomped on, hard.

PS: Read some of the reviews left for the app in Play Store. Many angry victims of this POS software.

 

[Panko]

I am facing the same problem. There seems to be one additional keyboard apart from Zing Key. i.e. Thai Keyboard. Have no idea about how to uninstall the both.

 

[sdlad]

Hi all, hope this helps a little. this is my first time posting.

goto - settings - language & keyboard, where you will notice zing key and a tai keyboard with ticks in the boxes that you can't access.

go to your text messages as if you where going to send someone a text, then when the keyboard appears you press the language key, just to the left of the spacebar, should usually say "en" when this opens up you should go to the settings for the languages and remove the ticks from all the foreign languages.

then when you close the keyboard and go back to the first step above, settings, language & keyboard, zing key and tai keyboard should now have gone and you should only be left with "google voice typing" and "Touch input"

also if make sure that you have disabled zing key by going into settings - apps, then "all",

hopefully this will stop the updates coming through, time will tell.

 

[ExtremeNerd]

I like how you automatically dismiss the OP as being a stupid tech-biff. Had it been my post, I would have taken offence.

I updated my Desire S to ICS last night. This morning I found an update for ZingKey. I'm very selective about what I install on my phone. The first thing I noticed was that there's no uninstall button in the Play Store. I went to Settings>Apps, no uninstall button there either.

So either:

i) It comes with the ICS update (which I highly doubt).
ii) It installed itself.
iii) It's linked to another, less dubious, piece of software. In which case it still installed itself.
iv) I installed it in my sleep.

It's my first experience of having unwanted software on my device. I've been using Android almost a year now. Really hope this gets stomped on, hard.

PS: Read some of the reviews left for the app in Play Store. Many angry victims of this POS software.

Apps don't install themselves. Period. It is how the Android environment is designed. It requires the user to initiate, or at least allow, the change to happen.

The odds are, since this is a system app (which can't be uninstalled) and is a language supporting app, it probably came with the upgrade. It's part of the bloat that "enhances" user experiences. With a 400MB RUU, there's a ton included.

 

[oakey]

I just registered to say I have this app too, despite a clean ICS install 2 days ago. The only apps I've downloaded are:

1) DropBox
2) IM+ Pro
3) Google Authenticator
4) Facebook
5) Diode Reddit Browser
6) WinAmp

It must come bundled with some of those, if not ICS itself? I downloaded ICS from HTCDev for Desire S on O2 UK.

This is a little strange, and suspect more people will be googling and finding this thread. It could come with HTC Sense too perhaps?

 

[OfTheDamned]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this is a part of the OS update you all received. It looks as though these two apps are HTC's way of adding Vietnamese and Thai language support to the device.

When apps do not have an uninstall option in Google Play or system settings they are put there by the manufacturer or the carrier via the manufacturer. The good news is that you can disable them and it will stop the updates, but they can't be removed without rooting.

 

[oakey]

Meh, thanks OfTheDamned. It just sounded and looked spammy. Case closed

 

[journeyoflife]

If you look at the complaints on Zing Key's Google Play web page it is not HTC specific. It would seem, as some have suggested, that both Zing Key (vietnamese) and the Thai keyboard are bundled with the new download of ICS.

Shame you can not get them off your device. They should just be options.

 

[OfTheDamned]

If you look at the complaints on Zing Key's Google Play web page it is not HTC specific. It would seem, as some have suggested, that both Zing Key (vietnamese) and the Thai keyboard are bundled with the new download of ICS.

Shame you can not get them off your device. They should just be options.

I think it is something that a couple of different manufacturers have loaded on international devices. When I looked at it the first time there were a bunch of phone listed that sell in those countries/parts of the world.

 

[journeyoflife]

I contacted HTC today and they emailed me a response:

'Thank you for contacting HTC regarding your HTC Desire S.

Zing key application and Thai keyboard on your device are part of the new software Android 4.0 you installed into your device. Unfortunately, there is no way to delete them.

We apologizes for any inconveniences.'

End of case...for now!

 

[wooky69]

I disabled this in all apps and it no longer appears as an update, I'd prefer to be able to uninstall buy this is better than nothing.

 

[jefboyardee]

Zing key application and Thai keyboard on your device are part of the new software Android 4.0 you installed into your device.

Hail Froyo! Long live the past!

 

[Blasphemer666]

Zing Key can actually be removed provided your phone is rooted and you have Titanium Backup installed. Done it on my HTC Desire HD~~

 

[Deleted User]

That's the entire point of the disable feature that comes with ICS. You may not be able to easily reclaim those MB, but your phone will appear as though that's the case.