Have you ever gone through the Apps settings page on your Android device, chances are you will see com.qualcomm.atfwd listed there. It is not a usual app and can make you a little suspicious. In case, you are curious what this com.qualcomm.atfwd on Android is about then you have landed on the right page.
In this guide, you will understand what com.qualcomm.atfwd on Android. You will learn what it does and is it harmful or not.
What is com.qualcomm.atfwd?
Now that the technology has come to a point where it is quite easy to connect two devices wirelessly, people prefer doing the same. People like to connect their smartphones to their smart TVs, laptops, projectors, etc to display their phone’s content on a bigger screen.
In order to do that, we often use screen casting, screen mirroring to connect our smartphone to our TV or some other device, and then stream the content of our phone to the bigger screen.
com.qualcomm.atfwd is a system Android app that allows screen casting or screen mirroring via WiFi on your Android device. It comes preinstalled on Android devices and is a built-in feature for Android devices. In case it is not present on your smartphone, you can easily download and install it.
This app helps in screen mirroring and you can also disable or delete it easily. All you need to do is go to your Apps settings page and then locate the app to disable/delete it.
Screen Mirroring vs Screen Casting
We often use screen mirroring and screen casting interchangeably. For most people they are the same. However, there is a difference between screencasting and screen mirroring. Now that we are talking about com.qualcomm.atfwd then it is important for us to understand the difference between the two.
In screen mirroring, you can just watch the content of your smartphone on a bigger screen of the connected device like a TV, laptop, etc. This means whatever you do on your phone will reflect on the bigger screen. You cannot exit from an application that you see on the bigger screen.
For example, if you are watching a video on your smartphone then the same video will be played on the bigger screen and you won’t be able to do anything else on your smartphone.
On the other hand, screencasting works in a similar manner. It allows you to watch the same content on your smartphone and the bigger screen as well. However, it goes one step further and allows you to do other tasks on your phone without disturbing the content already displayed on the bigger screen.
For example, if you connect your smartphone with a device like Chromecast, the content you choose will still be played on the bigger screen. But you will be able to use your device for doing other tasks as well such as chatting with your friends, posting on social media, etc.
From Where Can I Download com.qualcomm.atfwd?
This system app comes preinstalled on majority of the Android devices. However, if you do not have this app on your smartphone then you can download it from the link given below:
Once you download the APK file, you can easily install it on your Android device.
Is com.qualcomm.atfwd a Malware?
NO! Com.qualcomm.atfwd is not a virus. Its nomenclature might make you suspicious and it also does activities that can cause some issues with your smartphone but it is not malware.
However, you can classify this app as a bloatware that comes preinstalled on your phone. It is safe to remove any bloatware from your smartphone if they cause any issues.
Issues Related to com.qualcomm.atfwd
Android smartphones come with a lot of preloaded system apps and they help you get a greater user experience. The reason why com.qualcomm.atfwd is controversial in that sense is that some people have reported that it can cause some issues with your smartphone.
The top three issues people have reported include:
High Data Consumption: This app works in the background even when you do not open it. As a result, it consumes a lot of mobile data. So it is important to check and fix it.
Pop-Up Ads: Some users have reported that they see annoying pop-up ads even on the lockscreen after installing this app on their Android device. However, there is no strong evidence that could prove this.
Battery Drainage: As this app runs in the background even when you do not open it, there is a strong chance that it drains a significant chunk of your battery.
Disable/Uninstall com.qualcomm.atfwd App
If you are facing any of the above issues or do not want the app to be running in the background all the time, you can simply disable or uninstall com.qualcomm.atfwd app.
- Go to Settings.
- Tap on Apps.
- Navigate and search for com.qualcomm.atfwd.
- Here you can either tap on Uninstall or Force stop.
When you tap on Force stop, it is just going to disable the app until you enable it again. We suggest that you simply disable the app because you might need it later to connect to a bigger screen.
That’s it! Now the app shouldn’t bother you much.
Closing Phrase
So that was all about com.qualcomm.atfwd. Unlike what people think of it, this app is not a virus. It is a system app that helps you connect your smartphone to bigger screens via WiFi. If you face any issues, you can always disable the app. Even if you uninstall it or do not have to the app, you can download it from the link given above and install it.
We hope this guide helps you in understanding more about your Android smartphone. In case o any difficulties, feel free to reach out to us.