How to Block Partial Overlays in Android Apps Using AI

Last updated February 9, 2025 by Appdome

This Knowledge Base article describes how to use Appdome’s AI/ML in your CI/CD pipeline to continuously deliver plugins that Detect Partial Overlays in Android apps.

What are Partial Overlays Attacks?

Partial overlay attacks are a security threat where malicious software overlays a part of a legitimate application’s user interface. These overlays are designed to mimic legitimate UI elements, such as login forms or payment screens, to deceive users into unknowingly entering sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card details, directly into the malicious overlay. Because these overlays cover only part of the screen, they are harder to detect than full-screen overlays, making them particularly effective for phishing and other forms of fraud. These attacks can compromise user credentials and sensitive information without the user realizing they’ve interacted with a fake interface. Preventing these attacks helps apps meet privacy regulations, such as GDPR, and enhances user trust by safeguarding their data.

How Appdome Protects Against Partial Overlays?

Appdome’s dynamic Block Partial Overlay plugin for Android defends against unauthorized overlay attempts by actively monitoring the app’s UI for suspicious overlays and blocking them before execution. This ensures the app’s interface remains secure and prevents attackers from capturing sensitive information through deceptive overlays. By maintaining the integrity of the app’s interface, the plugin safeguards user data and ensures interactions occur only with legitimate app elements. Mobile developers can use Appdome’s Threat-Events™ to gather data on partial overlay events and create a customized user experience when such threats are detected, enhancing both security and user awareness.

Prerequisites for Using Appdome's Detect Partial Overlays Plugins:

To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Detect Partial Overlays , you’ll need:

How to Implement Detect Partial Overlays in Android Apps Using Appdome

On Appdome, follow these simple steps to create self-defending Android Apps that Detect Partial Overlays without an SDK or gateway:

  1. Designate the Mobile App to be protected.

    1. Upload an app via the Appdome Mobile Defense platform GUI or via Appdome’s DEV-API or CI/CD Plugins.

    2. Android Formats: .apk or .aab
    3. Detect Partial Overlays is compatible with: Java, JS, C++, C#, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, Cordova and other Android apps.
  2. Select the defense: Detect Partial Overlays.

      1. Create and name the Fusion Set (security template) that will contain the Detect Partial Overlays feature as shown below:
        fusion set that contains Detect Partial Overlays

        Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the Detect Partial Overlays feature

      2. Follow the steps in Sections 2.2-2.2.2 of this article to add the Detect Partial Overlays feature to your Fusion Set via the Appdome Console.

      3. When you enable Detect Overlay Attacks you'll notice that the Fusion Set you created in step 2.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains Detect Partial Overlays.

        Fusion Set applied Detect Partial Overlays

        Figure 2: Fusion Set that displays the newly added Detect Partial Overlays protection
        Note: Annotating the Fusion Set to identify the protection(s) selected is optional only (not mandatory).

      4. Open the Fusion Set Detail Summary by clicking the “...” symbol on the far-right corner of the Fusion Set. Copy the Fusion Set ID from the Fusion Set Detail Summary (as shown below): fusion Set Detail Summary image

        Figure 3: Fusion Set Detail Summary

      5. Follow the instructions below to use the Fusion Set ID inside any standard mobile DevOps or CI/CD toolkit like Bitrise, Jenkins, Travis, Team City, Circle CI or other system:
        1. Refer to the Appdome API Reference Guide for API building instructions.
        2. Look for sample APIs in Appdome’s GitHub Repository.
    1. Add the Detect Partial Overlays feature to your security template.

      1. Navigate to Build > Anti ATO tab > Mobile Account Protection section in the Appdome Console.
      2. Toggle On Detect Overlay Attacks > Detect Partial Overlays.
        Note: The checkmark feature Detect Partial Overlays is enabled by default, as shown below. Detect Partial Overlays option

        Figure 4: Selecting Detect Partial Overlays

    2. Initiate the build command either by clicking Build My App at the bottom of the Build Workflow (shown in Figure 4) or via your CI/CD as described in Section 2.1.4.
    Congratulations!  The Detect Partial Overlays protection is now added to the mobile app
  3. Certify the Detect Partial Overlays feature in Android Apps

    After building Detect Partial Overlays, Appdome generates a Certified Secure™ certificate to guarantee that the Detect Partial Overlays protection has been added and is protecting the app. To verify that the Detect Partial Overlays protection has been added to the mobile app, locate the protection in the Certified Secure™ certificate as shown below: Detect Partial Overlays shown in Certificate secure

    Figure 5: Certified Secure™ certificate

    Each Certified Secure™ certificate provides DevOps and DevSecOps organizations the entire workflow summary, audit trail of each build, and proof of protection that Detect Partial Overlays has been added to each Android app. Certified Secure provides instant and in-line DevSecOps compliance certification that Detect Partial Overlays and other mobile app security features are in each build of the mobile app.

Using Threat-Events™ for Partial Overlays Intelligence and Control in Android Apps

Appdome Threat-Events™ provides consumable in-app mobile app attack intelligence and defense control when Partial Overlays is detected. To consume and use Threat-Events™ for Partial Overlays in Android Apps, use registerReceiver in the Application OnCreate, and the code samples for Threat-Events™ for Partial Overlays shown below.

The specifications and options for Threat-Events™ for Partial Overlays are:

Threat-Event™ Elements Detect Partial Overlays Method Detail
Appdome Feature Name Detect Partial Overlays
Threat-Event Mode
OFF, IN-APP DEFENSE Appdome detects, defends and notifies user (standard OS dialog) using customizable messaging.
ON, IN-APP DETECTION Appdome detects the attack or threat and passes the event in a standard format to the app for processing (app chooses how and when to enforce).
ON, IN-APP DEFENSE Uses Appdome Enforce mode for any attack or threat and passes the event in a standard format to the app for processing (gather intel on attacks and threats without losing any protection).
Certified Secure™ Threat Event Check x
Visible in ThreatScope™ x
Developer Parameters for Detecting Partial Overlays Threat-Event™
Threat-Event NAME
Threat-Event DATA reasonData
Threat-Event CODE reasonCode
Threat-Event REF
Threat-Event SCORE
currentThreatEventScore Current Threat-Event score
threatEventsScore Total Threat-events score
Threat-Event Context Keys
message Message displayed for the user on event
failSafeEnforce Timed enforcement against the identified threat
externalID The external ID of the event which can be listened via Threat Events
osVersion OS version of the current device
deviceModel Current device model
deviceManufacturer The manufacturer of the current device
fusedAppToken The task ID of the Appdome fusion of the currently running app
kernelInfo Info about the kernel: system name, node name, release, version and machine.
carrierPlmn PLMN of the device. Only available for Android devices.
deviceID Current device ID
reasonCode Reason code of the occurred event
buildDate Appdome fusion date of the current application
devicePlatform OS name of the current device
carrierName Carrier name of the current device. Only available for Android.
updatedOSVersion Is the OS version up to date
deviceBrand Brand of the device
deviceBoard Board of the device
buildUser Build user
buildHost Build host
sdkVersion Sdk version
timeZone Time zone
deviceFaceDown Is the device face down
locationLong Location longitude conditioned by location permission
locationLat Location latitude conditioned by location permission
locationState Location state conditioned by location permission
wifiSsid Wifi SSID
wifiSsidPermissionStatus Wifi SSID permission status
threatCode The last six characters of the threat code specify the OS, allowing the Threat Resolution Center to address the attack on the affected device.

With Threat-Events™ enabled (turned ON), Android developers can get detailed attack intelligence and granular defense control in Android applications and create amazing user experiences for all mobile end users when Partial Overlays is detected.


The following is a code sample for native Android apps, which uses all values in the specification above for Detect Partial Overlays:


Important! Replace all placeholder instances of <Context Key> with the specific name of your threat event context key across all language examples. This is crucial to ensure your code functions correctly with the intended event data. For example, The <Context Key> could be the message, externalID, OS Version, reason code, etc.



Using Appdome, there are no development or coding prerequisites to build secured Apps by using Detect Partial Overlays. There is no SDK and no library to code or implement in the app and no gateway to deploy in your network. All protections are built into each app and the resulting app is self-defending and self-protecting.

Releasing and Publishing Mobile Apps with Detect Partial Overlays

After successfully securing your app by using Appdome, there are several available options to complete your project, depending on your app lifecycle or workflow. These include:

Related Articles:

How to Protect Android Apps from Overlay Attacks & Malware

Block ARM-in-ARM Virtual Devices for Android & iOS Apps

How to Prevent Virtualization to Protect Android Apps

How Do I Learn More?

If you have any questions, please send them our way at support.appdome.com or via the chat window on the Appdome platform.

Thank you!

Thanks for visiting Appdome! Our mission is to secure every app on the planet by making mobile app security easy. We hope we’re living up to the mission with your project.

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