The Samsung Galaxy S24
BruceK123's profile

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193 Messages

Monday, March 4th, 2019 4:15 AM

Adds Keep Showing Up on Phone

Samsung Galaxy J7 2018, SM-J737A, ATT
Android 8.0.0
Samsung Experience 9.0

This is an extra phone that I picked up new from ATT for $50 back in June of 2018. It is on my plan, even though it is seldom turned on. It has a cell number that one of my family members had, but that person is no longer with ATT. I put my email address on it, just so I could test it out. Other than that, I don't use it. I bought the J7 in case another family member breaks one of their expensive phones. I still use my S3.

Here's what's going on. Within the last week or so, when I turn the phone on, and swipe the lock screen to get to the home screen, the home screen shows up for a second or so, but then the home screen is pushed aside and an add shows up. The adds have been for Candy Crush, Experion credit monitoring, The Princeton Review, and they all have a Learn More button, and an Install button. I cannot not press the back button on the J7 because it is not 'available'. None of the software buttons on the J7 are available. But, the adds do have an "X" in the upper right that will let me close them, and if I do press the "X", I am returned to my home screen.

I have no relationship with any of the add companies.

I have not installed any app on this phone. As I said, I got this phone back in June of 2018, and this did not happen until last week.

Does anyone know why this started to happen lately, and how I can stop it?

I've had the same Experion add show up four times today.

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Official Solution

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193 Messages

5 years ago

I figured it out about three weeks ago, but am just getting back to write about it now.  I didn't factory refresh.

I went to Device Maintenance and pressed the little document icon in the upper right which brought up App Issue Report, which told me there was an issue with this Solitaire game that came on the phone:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spacegame.basic3&hl=en_US

 

It turns out that I played  this game a few times a while ago.  It didn't have to be installed.  It already was installed.

I forget the message (should  have written it down or taken screen shot), but it wasn't just the simple 'this app is  using your battery'.  The  message was a little ominous, something about unknown adds.  I uninstalled Solitaire, and the adds are gone.

 

There is another Solitaire game that also came installed:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gsn.android.tripeaks

 

I haven't played this, and don't think I will. Looks kind of cheesy.

 

 

 

ACE - Expert

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23.9K Messages

5 years ago

Factory reset.

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193 Messages

5 years ago

You have to be kidding.  No way will I factory reset without  know why this is happening. 

ACE - Expert

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23.9K Messages

5 years ago


@BruceK123 wrote:

You have to be kidding.  No way will I factory reset without  know why this is happening. 


You asked how to fix it.  That is the easiest way unless you want to start uninstalling each app on the phone.  You have a APP that has adware attached to it.  Adding in your google account can make the device download apps.

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193 Messages

5 years ago

Ok.  That's what I wanted to know...so it's probably an app that's initiating the adds.  No apps were ever installed, so it must have been 'activated' a week or so ago.  It's so hard to keep a phone 'clean' these days.

 

Thanks.

ACE - Expert

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23.9K Messages

5 years ago


@BruceK123 wrote:

I figured it out about three weeks ago, but am just getting back to write about it now.  I didn't factory refresh.

I went to Device Maintenance and pressed the little document icon in the upper right which brought up App Issue Report, which told me there was an issue with this Solitaire game that came on the phone:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spacegame.basic3&hl=en_US

 

It turns out that I played  this game a few times a while ago.  It didn't have to be installed.  It already was installed.

I forget the message (should  have written it down or taken screen shot), but it wasn't just the simple 'this app is  using your battery'.  The  message was a little ominous, something about unknown adds.  I uninstalled Solitaire, and the adds are gone.

 

There is another Solitaire game that also came installed:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gsn.android.tripeaks

 

I haven't played this, and don't think I will. Looks kind of cheesy.

 

 

 


@BruceK123 

 

something is suspect as those really never come preloaded.  I have never had games come preloaded like that and its really weird they are in the app store like that.

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