Go SMS random FULL SCREEN ads after texting

[mrbonelly]

RESOLVED! it's Go SMS. See image/post #15

Hello everyone,

First would like to state that I did a search on the forum for "go sms" and nothing came up.

Second, this isn't your typical go sms advertisement where you get a text msg. It is a full screen ad, think of Words With Friends Free ads(image only).

I have used go sms on my vibrant and S2, know my way around the settings quite good(IMO). Have blocked the generic text bombing already but this baffles me. It happens maybe once/twice a week according to my notes. It only happens after sending text messages(after exiting to home)
My S4 is about two weeks old. Stock launcher. Other downloaded apps are:

amazon app store
go sms pro w/iphone theme
swiftkey official
colornote
pixlr express
flashlight
iheartradio
package buddy free
photobucket
ebay
barcode scanner
alarm clock xtreme (purchased)
stopwatch xtreme free
convertr
teamviewer free
androzip
and a few credit card/bank apps

Here's a screen cap of one of them(all seem different). the "i" icon at the bottom says Ads by Google when touched. From my records, this one was taken on 08/17, another popped up 08/20, and now today.

http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/e...shot_2013-08-17-07-38-24_zps9fc15316.png.html

Now here's another thing. Going by a text message sent to a relative, this started happening on around 08/14, two days prior I had downloaded Amazon App Store(hmmm.. coincidence?). I'm leaning more on Go SMS as it only happens after sending text messages(after exiting to home)

 

[Petrah]

That's a Google ad (see the tiny i on the bottom left corner.. if you tap it, it says Ads by Google). I get those without any 3rd party apps installed.

Nothing you can do about those unless you root the phone and install an ad blocker (which are now hosted off the Play Store since Google banned them).

 

[funkylogik]

The good news is that google have banned this kind of advertising so it wont be long before its a thing of the past. I dropped Go Sms a few months ago after years of abuse because of their crap. I found that the AOSP android sms app is pretty damn good

 

[chanchan05]

That's a Google ad (see the tiny i on the bottom left corner.. if you tap it, it says Ads by Google). I get those without any 3rd party apps installed.

Nothing you can do about those unless you root the phone and install an ad blocker (which are now hosted off the Play Store since Google banned them).

I never ever have those ads on my phone unless it's part of an app. Only happens inside of a free app.

Anyway, I ditched Go SMS a long time ago because of the annoying ads and it slowing down. Switched to Handcent which has all the same features and no big ads. There's just a small flyer at the settings menu and that's it.

 

[mrbonelly]

That's a Google ad (see the tiny i on the bottom left corner.. if you tap it, it says Ads by Google). I get those without any 3rd party apps installed.

Nothing you can do about those unless you root the phone and install an ad blocker (which are now hosted off the Play Store since Google banned them).

This doesn't seem accurate, can someone confirm this is true.

 

[Hadron]

Hmm, that looks like an interstitial ad, which generally appear when you are running the app that serves them, making Go SMS the most likely. I just downloaded Go SMS and scanned it with Addons Detector, and while it had the usual admob & adsense, there were no push nasties - not that they'd be needed to serve an in-app ad. Did the same with Amazon, just in case.

With the new policy in-app interstitials are still allowed, but they need an unmistakable close button.

Petrah, I have never received an ad like this on any of my devices (unless I run Angry Birds with my firewall off ), and don't have an ad blocker installed (though I have an apk in case needed). Is this just with your S4, or was it on other devices too?

 

[scott_]

I had somehow download an app called "network" that was supposed to be "adobe flash player" from the play store, I started getting pop up adds after I unlocked, when I opened messaging, mail apps, etc....
You bet your horses heinie I uninstalled that app asap and all the pop ups stopped.

 

[Petrah]

Hmm, that looks like an interstitial ad, which generally appear when you are running the app that serves them, making Go SMS the most likely. I just downloaded Go SMS and scanned it with Addons Detector, and while it had the usual admob & adsense, there were no push nasties - not that they'd be needed to serve an in-app ad. Did the same with Amazon, just in case.

With the new policy in-app interstitials are still allowed, but they need an unmistakable close button.

Petrah, I have never received an ad like this on any of my devices (unless I run Angry Birds with my firewall off ), and don't have an ad blocker installed (though I have an apk in case needed). Is this just with your S4, or was it on other devices too?

My boyfriend and I both are seeing the very same full page ad, and you do not have to have any apps open to see it. It just pops up taking over the entire screen.

I do have some of my apps folders backed up onto the extSDCard (some apps that were even tried and deleted may still be backed up there). Could this be causing the ad to show up right after I've reset the phone without downloading any apps at all?

Our Galaxy Nexus phones from the Play Store were both rooted with custom host files to block the ads, but neither of us have rooted the S4 GPE yet.

I have more paid apps than free, so I'll list the free apps that I do use.

ES File Explorer
Barcode Scanner (by ZXing Team)
Dolphin
Dropbox
Facebook
Homesmack (Teslacoil Software.. same guy that made Widget Locker)
UCCW
Our Groceries (by HeadCode)
Clueful - Bitdefender

UCCW, Homesmack, and Our Groceries all have ads that show up when you open the app.

I've scanned all of these apps with the apps that are recommended in your OP in the stickied thread, and also with Clueful. Not finding anything useful to determine where this full page ad is coming from. I also have the notifications disabled for the free apps (even Facebook). Seems like with this new ad (Google Adsense perhaps?) that it matters not if those notifications are turned off.

Here's a screenshot that I took recently right after a factory reset of the phone. I took the screenshot because I was a bit shocked to see an ad on my brand new S4 without downloading any 3rd party apps or having any apps actively open.

Spoiler

If this is a Google Adsense ad, that may be the reason why Google banned the adblock apps from the PlayStore (since their revenue is mostly from advertisements).

 

[scott_]

that may be the reason why Google banned the adblock apps from the PlayStore

I've started using an app called "AppBrain Ad Detector" from the play store. It won't block the adds per se, but at least it can sniff the programs and tell you which ones are capable of the popup crap as well as what the apps have access to in you phone.
I've used it to help figure out what apps to delete and/or to disable.

 

[Hadron]

That is freaky if it's popping up even with no app open, on a factory cleared phone.

I don't think app folders on ext SD can be it if you've not reinstalled the apps.

I don't like where the logic leads. If you see it on a factory reset phone, then it's not one of the apps you've subsequently installed, whether free or paid (a paid app shouldn't be posting ads, but it's not technically impossible). The phone is not rooted, so after a factory reset all that's installed is the system apps. The only other possibility I can think of is that if you've backed up your app data with Google it may automatically reinstall something when you log in (I don't generally let Google back up my data, so am not sure how that behaves). But if not, the implication is that it's a system app that's serving this. I could believe that on a phone full of carrier bloat, but on a GPE device that is disturbing.

A popup appearing when you aren't running an app is disturbing too. Google's adMob can serve such ads, but their developer documentation is entirely about serving these in-app. But it sounds like the only app you were running is the launcher.

Just to put these thoughts to rest, could you scan with Addons detector, but in the settings untick the option to skip system apps? Just curious as to whether any of the system apps might include advertising ad-ons (not necessarily push stuff).

 

[Harry2]

There might be a slight chance to catch the culprit app that caused that kind of pop up ad if you'd use the ADB tool on your PC, running a logcat with USB debugging on your phone.

Wait until the ad pops up.
Run "adb logcat" on PC, then start the ad on your phone's screen.
Now on logcat you'd see the activity which has thrown the ad ... and activity should give away the name of the culprit app.

Note, I've not any experience with the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) tool on PC ... maybe someone could chirp in who knows about the usage of the APG tool.

Edit: After I reread my own post I corrected chance to slight chance

Harry

 

[mrbonelly]

what the heck?! did you just copy the screenshot from my previous post?

Here's a screenshot that I took recently right after a factory reset of the phone. I took the screenshot because I was a bit shocked to see an ad on my brand new S4 without downloading any 3rd party apps or having any apps actively open.

Spoiler

 

[mikedt]

A popup appearing when you aren't running an app is disturbing too. Google's adMob can serve such ads, but their developer documentation is entirely about serving these in-app. But it sounds like the only app you were running is the launcher.

If one is using something like GO Launcher, that could very well be doing the same ads as GO SMS.

TBH I would avoid "GO" anything these days. One because of the ads, and two, do you really want the possibility of the Chinese government knowing everything you do with your phone?

 

[Hadron]

I do avoid Go, but Petrah had this on a clean Google Edition S4, and that's what I find disquieting.

 

[mrbonelly]

Ok, so like clockwork, on another Friday and another ad. Same one. It IS GO SMS. I used the Home Key long press for active apps and what do you know, there it was the ad w/Go SMS logo id'ing it as the offender. See screen cap below. GRRR so annoyed. I loved go sms features. Handsent here I come.
PS. I used Lookout Ad network and go sms didn't come up as AdMob only, then again many other free apps previously listed above did as well so I didn't put much thought on it.

http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/e...4-43c8-bfef-3b9993098ea7_zpsa6b3f166.jpg.html

 

[chanchan05]

Ok, so like clockwork, on another Friday and another ad. Same one. It IS GO SMS. I used the Home Key long press for active apps and what do you know, there it was the ad w/Go SMS logo id'ing it as the offender. See screen cap below. GRRR so annoyed. I loved go sms features. Handsent here I come.
PS. I used Lookout Ad network and go sms didn't come up as AdMob only, then again many other free apps previously listed above did as well so I didn't put much thought on it.

Well I came from Go SMS and went to Handcent, since it had almost all of the features of Go.

 

[Petrah]

what the heck?! did you just copy the screenshot from my previous post?

No.

I do avoid Go, but Petrah had this on a clean Google Edition S4, and that's what I find disquieting.

Apologies for not getting back to you sooner... on vacation, so sporadically answering posts here and there (typing on a slippery oleophobic screen on bad roads in a bouncy ass car sure does suck!).

You were right... I forgot to untick the boxes in Backup & Reset. Looking at my different Cover Pages, there sits Amazon App Store. I've uninstalled it to test, and haven't seen a full screen add again (knock on wood... you watch, I'll see another one tomorrow).

 

[KupKrazy]

I know this thread is old, but has it indeed been confirmed that Go SMS is the culprit with this? The images above no longer exist, so I couldn't confirm it was the same as I was getting, but it sure sounds like it. I've had enough and will be going back to Handcent or Textra... but I was wondering if Go SMS really was the bad boy.

 

[Petrah]

Did you see the first sentence of the first post? Ads may or may not be random, so images could be different. Either way, Go apps are well known for ads.

For those apps that do have ads and do not require data access, I've got them locked down with Mobiwol. The apps still work, they just can't connect to data so therefor have no ads. MUWAHAHAHAHAHA!

 

[KupKrazy]

Did you see the first sentence of the first post? Ads may or may not be random, so images could be different. Either way, Go apps are well known for ads.

For those apps that do have ads and do not require data access, I've got them locked down with Mobiwol. The apps still work, they just can't connect to data so therefor have no ads. MUWAHAHAHAHAHA!

lmao yes i did but it was your post that made me doubt it because it sounded like you were getting the same thing without go sms installed! but i couldn't see the images so wasn't sure. lol - ok, i've rid myself of the Go stuff... I had the launcher too!

Hmm, that's a great ideal with Mobiwol - I have to look into that. Thanks!

 

[mrbonelly]

lmao yes i did but it was your post that made me doubt it because it sounded like you were getting the same thing without go sms installed! but i couldn't see the images so wasn't sure. lol - ok, i've rid myself of the Go stuff... I had the launcher too!

Hmm, that's a great ideal with Mobiwol - I have to look into that. Thanks!

linked the images again