Motorola acknowledges issue that redirected Amazon app launches through affiliate links
Motorola has acknowledged and fixed an issue that caused some of its smartphones to redirect users through a tracking link before opening the Amazon app, following reports that the behaviour was injecting affiliate codes without users knowing. The issue was first highlighted by 9to5Google and a Reddit user, who noticed that opening the Amazon app from the app drawer on certain Motorola phones briefly launched a browser window before redirecting back into Amazon. The redirect reportedly did not occur when opening the app directly from the home screen.
According to the report, the behaviour appeared to stem from Motorola’s pre-installed Smart Feed app, which is bundled on several devices including the latest Razr (2026) foldables. Logs reportedly showed the launcher directing users through a URL tied to affiliate tracking before opening Amazon normally.
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The issue drew criticism because affiliate redirects are associated with browser extensions or third-party software, not system-level apps on premium smartphones. The report also claimed that one redirect path referenced a website linked to a fashion influencer, though the affiliate code reportedly did not match publicly shared codes tied to that creator.
Motorola says behaviour was “unintended”
In a statement shared with 9to5Google, Motorola confirmed the behaviour and said it has already been corrected. The company described the redirect as an unintended issue tied to its partnership with Device Native, which jointly developed an app search and suggestion experience for Motorola’s launcher.
Motorola said affected users in the US opening the Amazon Shopping app were briefly routed through a web tracking link before the app launched. The company added that the routing configuration has now been fixed and apps should open directly as intended. The company also said it takes privacy, platform integrity, and user experience seriously, while adding that it will continue monitoring the system.
Notably, the issue appears to have affected only certain software versions and devices. 9to5Google said it could reproduce the behaviour on a newer Razr Fold running Smart Feed version 2.03.0070, but not on older versions or some Moto G devices.
While Motorola has already rolled out a fix, the incident raises questions around pre-installed software on Android phones. Several smartphone brands, especially in the mid-range segment, preload recommendation engines, app discovery services, lock-screen content feeds, and advertising integrations to generate additional revenue streams beyond hardware sales. Brands have faced criticism at various points over notifications, ads, or bundled software experiences on certain devices, though this Motorola situation is different as it drew attention because it involved redirecting traffic through affiliate links.
Motorola says users do not need to take any additional action following the fix, though affected users could previously stop the redirects by disabling the Smart Feed app manually through system settings.
