Google Play Forces Samourai Wallet to Ditch its Unique Security Features

Security was the strongest weapon in Samourai’s arsenal that made it stand out among other wallets in the market, but Google has apparently “forced” the wallet to get rid of the same.

The Twitter announcement from their official account read, “Sad but true, @GooglePlay is forcing us to remove Stealth Mode, SMS Commands, and SIM Switch Defense features.”

https://twitter.com/SamouraiWallet/status/1082439693751472128

The company explained the situation in further detail in a blog post, which also announces the release of the new version of their wallet app on Google Play Store on January 8. The features being removed from the wallet are the Stealth Mode, SIM Switch Defense, and Remote SMS Commands, which have been an integral part of the wallet’s security system since it first released in 2015.

Many hailed Samourai as a breath of fresh air among countless other wallets that were simply offering the same services as each other without any innovation or an upper hand amongst the rest. Samourai held pride in the fact that it offered unmatched security in cryptocurrency wallets and claimed to “have [a] proven record of helping users transact safely”.

For example, the SIM Defense feature has helped many users protect themselves from a SIM-swapping atack as the app alerted the user whenever the attack was about to occur.

The Stealth Mode was very useful for users living in “hostile environments,” allowing users who have Bitcoin (BTC) on their smartphones to transact the same in much more inconspicous manner.

The Remote SMS Commands feature was equally handy, as it helped users who had lost their devices to erase their Bitcoin wallets from their phones before somebody snooped around and exploited the vulnerability.

The company asked for help from its users, asking them to take it up with Google Play about the removal. They Tweeted, “If you use or rely on any of these features perhaps ask @GooglePlay to rethink their rejection of our exemption request.”

In the meantime, the company has asked its users to have an active relationship with the support team, contacting them about any problems that they might have to face with the new version of the app.

However, this is not the first time that a cryptocurrency wallet has fell victim to Google’s strict policies. Inthe past, they have removed several Bitcoin wallets”mysteriously”, including Roger Ver’s Bitcoin Wallet. It’s a douvle-edged sword however, as the same strict policies have also protected many users from downloading fake crypto wallets, phishing and mining apps.