Overview
- Users first exposed the behavior with ADB logs showing the launcher routing Amazon launches to a URL instead of opening the app directly.
- 9to5Google reproduced the redirect on a Razr Fold running Smart Feed version 2.03.0070 while an older Smart Feed build did not trigger the flow, implicating a recent app update.
- Network traces link part of the redirect chain to devicenative.com and to a domain tied to an influencer, and the Amazon affiliate tag in use does not match publicly shared influencer links.
- Disabling the preinstalled Smart Feed app immediately stops the browser flash and the affiliate redirect, offering a simple user fix for affected phones.
- Motorola has not responded publicly and investigators have not determined whether the redirects result from an intentional OEM change or a third‑party ad SDK error, raising disclosure and consent concerns for preinstalled software.