An Eerie “Smart Boy” App Mysteriously Appeared on an iPhone — and No One Knows What It Is
We’re about four months away from Halloween, but creepypasta-style real-life experiences can happen any time of year.
Recently, a Reddit user sought help on the r/iPhone subreddit, claiming that a mysterious app called “Smart Boy” had appeared on his phone—and that he couldn’t delete it.
“DISCLAIMER: I know this seems like a joke, but this is serious,” the user began.
“I have an IPhone 13 from about two years ago. I have not been on sketchy websites or downloaded anything suspicious onto the phone that I’m aware of. I recently discovered that there is a 4th page on my phone’s homescreen. The only app there is called “Smart Boy”, and the icon is some guy from Doctor Strange. When opened, it’s just like a replica of the calculator app on but every number it calculates is wrong. I tried to delete it, but it won’t go away. How can I fix this?”
While an undeletable, potentially malicious app is already unsettling, what truly sends chills is the app’s icon: the smiling, enigmatic face of a white-haired man staring back at the user.
To calm some nerves, commenters were quick to clarify that the icon wasn’t from Doctor Strange, as the user had assumed. Instead, it turned out to be actor Jon Pertwee, best known for playing the Third Doctor in Doctor Who.
Helpful Redditors also advised the user to check for any unrecognized configuration profiles on his iPhone. Following this advice, the original poster reported finding a profile named “Collective Health,” which he deleted—though the app remained.
As of the time of writing, the Smart Boy app has since vanished just as mysteriously as it appeared. According to the user, a second check of the iPhone’s profile settings revealed that the “Collective Health” profile had returned, this time alongside a new profile named “Smart Boy.” After deleting both profiles and rebooting the phone, the app was finally gone and hasn’t returned since.
The comments ranged from unnerved users recommending a factory reset—including one who described the situation as “cursed beyond belief”—to others who found humor in the fact that the app icon featured a Doctor Who character.
What the Smart Boy app actually is remains a mystery that perhaps only the Ghostbusters could solve. It doesn’t appear on either the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. And since the user is on an iPhone, it definitely wasn’t an .apk file accidentally installed.
At the very least, if a bizarre Smart Boy app ever appears on your iPhone… you’re not alone.
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