Motorola Says Amazon App Redirects With Affiliate Codes Were Unintended

Motorola has corrected an issue that caused some of its phones to route Amazon Shopping app launches through a web tracking link before opening the app. The behavior raised privacy and trust concerns because it added an affiliate path to a user action that should have opened Amazon directly.

The issue first gained attention after a Reddit user reported unusual redirects on a Razr 60 Ultra. 9to5Google later reproduced similar behavior on a Razr Fold, where opening Amazon from the app drawer briefly launched the browser before returning to the Amazon app.

Motorola has since told 9to5Google that the routing behavior was unintended and has been fixed. The company said users can now expect installed apps to open directly as intended.

What Happened on Some Motorola Phones

The reported behavior appeared when users launched the Amazon Shopping app from the app drawer, rather than from a home screen shortcut. Instead of opening Amazon immediately, the phone briefly opened a browser page and passed through a web tracking link before landing in Amazon.

The flow happened quickly enough that many users may not have noticed it. However, users who had changed Android link-opening behavior or watched logs could see that the launch did not go straight to Amazon.

The original report linked the behavior to Motorola’s preinstalled Smart Feed app. Smart Feed is part of Motorola’s app launcher experience and appears to have played a role in the app search and suggestion system involved in the redirect.

Why the Affiliate Redirect Raised Concerns

Concern	What users saw	Why it matters
Unexpected redirect	Amazon did not open directly from the app drawer	Users did not clearly consent to a tracking path
Affiliate tracking	The browser route added affiliate data before Amazon opened	Someone could receive referral credit from user purchases
Preinstalled app involvement	Smart Feed was tied to the behavior	Users may not know the app exists or how to disable it
Third-party integration	Device Native was named in Motorola’s explanation	Launcher-level integrations need strong transparency
Limited visibility	The browser appeared only briefly	Most users may not see the redirect happen

The concern was not only that an affiliate tag appeared. Affiliate links are common across the web. The issue was that the redirect happened at the launcher level, after the user tapped an installed app icon and expected the app to open directly.

The Verge reported that the split-second browser visit was enough to install a tracking cookie, which then added an affiliate code to the shopping session. That would not change the price for the shopper, but it could route referral credit to another party.

The same report said the redirect passed through a site that appeared connected to fashion influencer Kira Abboud, although the affiliate code did not match public links tied to her content. Motorola has not publicly explained that part of the chain.

Motorola Blames a Routing Configuration Issue

Motorola said the problem came from an app search and suggestion experience for the Moto App Launcher that it jointly developed with Device Native. The company said the misrouting affected some U.S. users launching the Amazon Shopping app.

In its statement to 9to5Google, Motorola said it “promptly corrected the routing configuration.” It also said it takes user experience, privacy, and platform integrity seriously.

According to The Verge’s report, Motorola did not explain how the configuration issue was introduced or whether Device Native was responsible. That leaves important questions unanswered, even though the visible behavior has reportedly stopped.

Device Native’s Role Is Still Under Scrutiny

Device Native describes itself as a company focused on personalized, on-device mobile ad serving. Its website says ad targeting and selection happen on the device and that no user data is sent to the server.

The issue is that users were not expecting an app launcher search and suggestion feature to affect how Amazon opened. Even if the redirect came from a misconfiguration, the incident shows how sensitive launcher-level ad and recommendation systems can be.

The Device Native site also promotes on-device ad serving as a way to monetize mobile experiences. That makes transparency important, especially when the feature sits inside a preinstalled phone experience rather than an optional app users choose to install.

Which Motorola Phones Were Affected?

The behavior was first reported on a Motorola Razr 60 Ultra. 9to5Google said it also reproduced the issue on a Razr Fold running Smart Feed v2.03.0070, but not on every Motorola device it tested.

The initial 9to5Google report said the redirect did not appear on an older Smart Feed build and could not be reproduced on a Moto G Stylus 2026 running the same Smart Feed version. That suggests the issue may have depended on a mix of model, app version, region, server-side configuration, or launcher state.

Motorola’s own statement refers to “some users in the U.S.” rather than all Motorola owners. For that reason, users should treat this as a confirmed issue on some devices, not proof that every Motorola phone behaved the same way.

What Users Can Do Now

Motorola says it has fixed the routing configuration, so affected users should no longer see Amazon launch through a browser tracking link. Still, anyone who noticed the behavior can take a few simple steps to check their device.

• Open the Amazon app from the app drawer and watch for a brief browser flash.
• Check whether Chrome or another browser opens before Amazon appears.
• Review installed system apps and search for Smart Feed under Settings.
• Disable Smart Feed if the redirect continues or if you do not use the feature.
• Keep Motorola system apps and launcher components updated.
• Clear browser cookies if you want to remove old affiliate tracking data.

Users should also avoid assuming that every redirect is harmless. A launcher should not silently change where an installed app opens, especially when the path includes third-party tracking or monetization.

Why This Matters for Android Trust

This incident highlights a bigger issue with preinstalled Android software. Phone makers can add launcher features, feeds, recommendation tools, and monetization systems that most users rarely inspect. When those systems affect app launches, they need clear limits and visible user controls.

Affiliate routing may sound minor compared with malware, but the trust problem is real. Users expect the app icon they tap to open the app they selected, without a hidden browser handoff or undisclosed tracking path.

Motorola says the redirect has been corrected. The remaining question is how the configuration was allowed to affect Amazon launches in the first place, and whether phone makers will give users clearer control over launcher-level monetization features going forward.

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