The free app, called Ad Network Detector, is intended to tell you which ad networks the apps on your phone can access and, more importantly, what information they give to those ad networks. In its announcement, Lookout notes that it has seen an increase in the number of Android apps that can serve "out-of-app" ads. Sometimes those ad networks place icons on your home screen or even change your browser settings, Lookout says.
The Detector can detect the presence of 35 "mainstream" ad networks in apps, including AdMob, Millennial Media and GreyStripe (a full list is below). Once you know which ones are on your phone and what they're doing, you'll be able to make a better decision about whether or not to keep the app.
The app has limits, however. Many ads are served to the user from within the Android browser itself, and Lookout doesn't say if the app can do anything about those. Ad networks often track your browsing behavior via browser cookies, and it does not appear that the Ad Network Detector can find or delete those. In addition, Google's AdSense and DoubleClick -- two of the largest ad networks -- aren't included in Lookout's list.
Still, the app is free, and it should give users more peace of mind about their ad-supported apps. Lookout used to reserve this kind of app-analysis functionality for the premium version of its core mobile-security app, and it's good to see it appear in a free version. It's available now on the Android Market.
Are you an Android user? Are you planning to download Lookout's app? Let us know if you are and why in the comments.
Here are the ad networks that Lookout Ad Network Detector scans for:AdFonic
AdKnowledge
Admia
AdMob
AdWhirl
Aduru
Airpush
Appenda
Burstly
BuzzCity
Cauly
GreyStripe
JumpTap
InMobi
IZP
LeadBolt
Letang
LogiaAd
MDotM
Medialets
Millennial
MobClix
MobFox
MOcean
Moolah Media
MoPub
Pontiflex
Smaato
StartApp
TapJoy
Tapit
Urban Airship
Vdopia
Vserv