Redirect & pop-up issue on Android Samsung Galaxy S4

[IzzysMom]

Any help will be appreciated - Hoping to avoid having to buy a new phone.

 

[TwinHeadedEagle]

Hello,

Do you remember how it started?

 

[IzzysMom]

It started about a week ago with the pop-up video ads....random apps. I'd open my texting app -- or words with friends - gmail app and all of a sudden a 15 second Sprint Wireless video would take over the screen. (As far as I can remember, always the same video)
I always exit out and then kill all open windows. Then probably a day later the redirects started.
I thought for sure it was the text app - even though I had it for a long time - it had ads....so I deleted it. But obvs that didn't solve anything. I had not installed anything for at least a week when they started. I did go back & delete any apps that were "newer" to the phone. Still no luck.
Thought for sure it was the router DNS virus I've seen posted in forums....except that it happens both at home & work -- and I turned the wi-fi off on the phone...still getting them.

 

[TwinHeadedEagle]

Hm, let's see what we can do. I want you to temporarily uninstall Google Chrome.

Can you connect your phone to your PC?

 

[IzzysMom]

I can connect it to the PC, but Chrome is a stock app, it wont let me uninstall it - it will just let me reset the app to the original settings. (Which I did yesterday, to no avail.)

 

[IzzysMom]

I should have probably also mentioned that the redirect & pop up ads (in apps other than chrome) are really random. It's not happening every time I open the same apps - not does it happen with every browser session. I haven't found a pattern yet...very frustrating.

 

[TwinHeadedEagle]

Free android apps often show ads, it is their way of earning money for their authors.

 

[IzzysMom]

Yes, that I know...but in the 2 1/2 years I've had the phone - I've never had them pop up as videos on any of these apps. And the google redirect is obviously a new occurrence. If you've got any suggestions, I'm all ears.

 

[TwinHeadedEagle]

Can you boot to safe mode in your phone?

Simply bring up the power menu and long-press the "Power Off" entry, then you'll be asked if you'd like to boot into Safe Mode. Press "OK" on this popup, then the phone should automatically reboot.

Go to Apps and uninstall any downloaded apps you don't recognize.