Hi. I am having trouble with a lot of pop up adds, I have therefore installed many malware and antivirus apps which have detected that a 'Clock' app has been installed which may be harmful. Not the stock 'Clock app' already installed. I think this is causing all the pop apps and slowing down my phone. All the Malware and antivirus apps have detected it and have uninstalled it. And then no more pop adds etc. However a few minutes late the app re installs itself over and over again no matter how many times I uninstall it. The icon is a green clock. Driving me mad. Any suggestions please.
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'clock' virus
- Thread starter Paul Borg
- Start date
1st off, uninstall all of those antivirus and malware apps, they are good for crap and may be the actual culprit.
Install a ad blocker from the play store such as Adguard, Blockada, or no root firewall.
You may have also installed an app which is giving you those pop up ads.
Install a ad blocker from the play store such as Adguard, Blockada, or no root firewall.
You may have also installed an app which is giving you those pop up ads.
Yeh, it could actually be one of "those
many malware and antivirus apps" doing it, for monetization. Are any of them from China?
many malware and antivirus apps" doing it, for monetization. Are any of them from China?
Did you install a new clock app?
If so, why?
If so, why?
also check your recent apps that you have installed personally and unistall them. my mom downloaded some stupid game and it sideloaded a bunch of apps she did not want. one of those apps was causing the pop up ads similar to what you have. i forget what the game was and what the other app that cuased the pop up ads were, but we were able to get rid of both and thus problem solved.
Thanks for replies. I have uninstalled 95% of my apps only really have Microsoft apps word etc. I tried Adblockers but not really working. The apps just keep installing after I install them. Did new Google account password thing but no good. Adblockers may stop the adds, but in my case not, but they do not stop the apps from installing themselves. I have two now 'clock app' and 'background service app' keep installing themselves and bang adds again. driving me nuts. Will a refresh to default help? Also I downloaded the antivirus and malwares up to get of the apps so cant see how they could do it as they where installed post the problem They find the bad apps, I uninstall them but they keep self installing. Thanks
No I didn't. the app under my apps list has a clock app (which is not a clock app) in addition to my default preinstalled clock app that is a suspicious app according to all antivirus apps, but cant get rid of it. Keeps reinstalling it self. Thanks
I installed the antivirus and malware apps after the problem to get rid of the problem, so not sure it is them, but I have uninstalled them and still no good. thanks
Do a factory reset
An app cannot install itself. So if it's reappearing there are really only 3 possibilities:
1) Someone has your Google password and keeps pushing the app back. This case doesn't sound like that to me.
2) Another app that's still installed on your phone is reinstalling it (either one you installed or, one some particularly dodgy phones, one the manufacturer installed).
3) It's actually in the system and you aren't really uninstalling it (I've met cases where the system tells you it's uninstalled but it isn't, though it's usually on the next restart that it reveals itself to still be present).
One way to test whether it's one of the apps you installed: boot into safe mode, uninstall it, then stay in safe mode and see whether it returns. No user-installed apps run in safe mode, so if this prevents it returning then it is one of the apps you installed that's responsible.
Another, nastier, possibility is that a pre-installed app is responsible, possibly gaining this malicious behaviour after an update. The classic case of this was "peel smart remote", an IR blaster app that some manufacturers pre-installed, where the company added an advert-filled extra lockscreen to the app which was then pushed to people who'd never chosen to install it or ever used it as an update. If it's something like that then disabling the culprit will stop it.
1) Someone has your Google password and keeps pushing the app back. This case doesn't sound like that to me.
2) Another app that's still installed on your phone is reinstalling it (either one you installed or, one some particularly dodgy phones, one the manufacturer installed).
3) It's actually in the system and you aren't really uninstalling it (I've met cases where the system tells you it's uninstalled but it isn't, though it's usually on the next restart that it reveals itself to still be present).
One way to test whether it's one of the apps you installed: boot into safe mode, uninstall it, then stay in safe mode and see whether it returns. No user-installed apps run in safe mode, so if this prevents it returning then it is one of the apps you installed that's responsible.
Another, nastier, possibility is that a pre-installed app is responsible, possibly gaining this malicious behaviour after an update. The classic case of this was "peel smart remote", an IR blaster app that some manufacturers pre-installed, where the company added an advert-filled extra lockscreen to the app which was then pushed to people who'd never chosen to install it or ever used it as an update. If it's something like that then disabling the culprit will stop it.
Ditch the Chinese Spyware phone
If you can, see about returning it for a refund.
Yup, that's very much all you can do with the thing.
Yup, that's very much all you can do with the thing.
@ Hadrons. Number 2 is my definition of malware. I even bet if you read a couple hundred paragraphs of terms of service you actually authorized the install.
I hate Malware
I hate Malware
Comment removed as the post it was addressed to seems to have been too.
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Samstrong, not the sharpest knife in the drawer....
I did a phone restore and added no apps after a day the spyware, clock apps and other apps started to install them selves again. So definitely in the system pre installed to show themselves after a day then they just get worse and bombard you with adds and slow down phone drastically. This is all with non of my own apps installed. Anyway I have downloaded a non root firewall as suggested by one of you and it has worked a treat. Blocks them all from installing. Log file is enormously long after only a few minutes of clearing the previous log file. At least it has stopped them and phone is usable. I broke my S8 so still on contract so have to stick to this phone until Nov. Then I will get a name brand one. Thanks for your help.
Just curious but which one did you install?
First tried noroot firewall worked great but got sick of clearing log file which was huge even only after a few minutes. So I installed Netguard works well but I don't seem to have to clear log files. Hopefully they are not building up in the background but won't let me clear them. Anyone have absolutely fixed the problem.