List all installed applications on a specific Android device
AI agents call list_installed_apps to retrieve information from Android Device without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves and enumerates installed applications without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing anything. It is a read-only query that gathers information about the device state. Even in a misuse scenario, listing apps causes no harm to the device or data.
From the tool's definition Tool name is 'list_installed_apps' and description states 'List all installed applications on a specific Android device' — a pure query/retrieval operation with no side effects.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
List all installed applications on a specific Android device. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Android Device MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Android Device MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_installed_apps: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Android Device. Nothing to install.
list_installed_apps is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the list_installed_apps rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for list_installed_apps. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
list_installed_apps is provided by the Android Device MCP server (prashant1507/android-device-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Every MCP server has a record like this.
Type a name, get the same breakdown: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, capabilities, recommended policy.
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