Google displays full screen apps before Android apps run (is it a virus)?

greep · 01-07-2019 10:34PM #1

Over the past few days, full screen Google ads pop up on the screen before I tried launching some apps:
- Facebook
- Adverts
- Camera app (Samsung Native)

They don't pop up each time I try launching the apps, but would say every 1 hour.
The ads I saw appear to be genuine, i.e. not that you won an iphone etc...

Each time, I have to wait 5 seconds & then have to click skip, to see the actual app.
This gets very annoying & don't thing it's Google forcing it, but rather some malware?
Though I scanned my system with AVG & Malware Byte & it came out clean...

Any ideas...
My last action would be to do a hard reset of my phone & reinstalled all apps again, but would like to avoid if possible.

Anyone experienced the same problem?

corkie · 02-07-2019 12:10AM

Some app you probably installed/updated recently probably included Adware.

If your rooted, suggest running Adaway and use it's utility to scan for adware apps.

If not root try one of these apps

Ad Detector

or

Popup Ad Detector-Detect ad showing outside of app

Haven't use the above apps, so don't know if there any good.

banie01 · 02-07-2019 01:02AM

corkie wrote: »

Some app you probably installed/updated recently probably included Adware.

If your rooted, suggest running Adaway and use it's utility to scan for adware apps.

If not root try one of these apps

Ad Detector

or

Popup Ad Detector-Detect ad showing outside of app

Haven't use the above apps, so don't know if there any good.

@ Corkie stumbled across this thread while browsing.
Thanks for the Adaway suggestion!

Running rooted androids for years but for some reason never got around to using f-droid or Adaway.
Night and day better than my previous adblock solution.

I really should start paying attention to xda again.

Thanks for all the effort you put in here, the app thread and your quickness to help don't get the appreciation they so often deserve.

Thank you!

MeMen2_MoRi_ · 02-07-2019 09:14AM

https://blokada.org/

For the non rooted folk.

greep · 02-07-2019 05:28PM

Thank you guys, I will test them shortly

corkie · 02-07-2019 05:58PM

MeMen2_MoRi_ wrote: »

https://blokada.org/

For the non rooted folk.

Installing an adblocker won't resolve what was causing the full screen ads.
That is why I suggested installing apps to find the miss behaving app.

greep wrote: »

Thank you guys, I will test them shortly

greep · 03-07-2019 01:12PM

Pop up Ad Detector helped me to identify "Translate Me" app as a culprit. So far so good, but will test for the next few days. I had this app installed for quite a while, but these full screen ads started appearing only recently.
Thanks again for sharing the tips

corkie · 03-07-2019 03:02PM

greep wrote: »

Pop up Ad Detector helped me to identify "Translate Me" app as a culprit. So far so good, but will test for the next few days. I had this app installed for quite a while, but these full screen ads started appearing only recently.
Thanks again for sharing the tips

Is that the same app linked above?

If so that was updated on the 21 June 2019, and your problems probably began after that update?

greep · 03-07-2019 11:52PM

corkie wrote: »

Is that the same app linked above?

If so that was updated on the 21 June 2019, and your problems probably began after that update?

Yes, sounds about right

Google displays full screen apps before Android apps run (is it a virus)?

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