By Staff Start here: how to get help on Android, iPhone or iPad

[Jack]

Start here: get help with an Android phone, iPhone or iPad

New help topics in this forum are opened with Get help: choose Android or iPhone / iPad. It takes a few minutes, and you can stop and come back later:

1. Answer a few questions about your device and what happens.
2. Attach the screenshots it asks for (at least two). Only you and the helpers can open them.
3. A helper replies in your topic. You watch it automatically and get an alert when they answer.

Open Get help →

Good to know​

• You are helped by volunteers in their free time, at no cost to you. Please be patient.
• Phones have no scanner that produces a full log like FRST does on Windows. Your description and screenshots are the evidence, so the more precise they are, the faster we can help.
• We don't help with work or school phones managed by an organization. Contact your IT department instead.
• If you think someone you know installed spyware on your phone and you could be in danger, think about your safety first. Removing an app or changing a password can alert that person. Contact a local domestic-abuse or technology-safety service, or the police if you are in immediate danger.
• Only the moderating team and the authorized Malware Removal helpers give removal instructions here. Reply within 3 days, even if only to say you need more time. The forum rules apply.

Do this first​

• Don't tap any more "update", "clean" or "virus found" pop-ups, and don't install apps or APK files that a pop-up, message or caller tells you to install.
• If accounts may be compromised, change passwords from another device you trust, starting with your email account. Then sign out all other sessions and turn on two-factor authentication.
• Don't factory-reset yet unless you have to. Take the screenshots first, because they tell us what happened.

Reference: what the screenshots show​

Get help asks for these screens. Helpers can link this part when a member needs to take them again.

Android​

1. Phone model and Android version (Settings → About phone).
2. Where the problem shows: full-screen ads, notifications, the browser, the home screen, an app you can't uninstall, and so on. Include a screenshot of the pop-up or notification. Long-press the notification and tap the gear icon to see which app sends it.
3. Google Play Protect: open Play Store → profile picture → Play Protect, and screenshot the result.
4. Recently installed apps: Play Store → profile picture → Manage apps & device → Manage → sort by "Recently updated". Screenshot the list. Also list any app you installed from outside the Play Store (APK).
5. Device admin apps: Settings → Security (or Biometrics and security / Security & privacy) → Device admin apps. Screenshot the list.
6. Accessibility: Settings → Accessibility → Installed apps (or Downloaded apps). Screenshot which apps are turned on.
7. VPN and Private DNS: Settings → Network & internet (or Connections → More connection settings). Tell us whether a VPN or Private DNS is set, and by which app.
8. Home app: if your home screen changed, go to Settings → Apps → Default apps → Home app and tell us which one is selected.

iPhone / iPad​

1. Model and iOS / iPadOS version (Settings → General → About).
2. Where the problem shows: Safari pop-ups, calendar invitations full of ads, notifications, unknown purchases, and so on. Include a screenshot.
3. VPN & Device Management: Settings → General → VPN & Device Management. Screenshot it, including any profile listed there.
4. Calendar subscriptions: Settings → Apps → Calendar → Calendar Accounts (on older iOS: Settings → Calendar → Accounts). Tell us whether there is any "Subscribed Calendar" you didn't add.
5. Safari: Settings → Apps → Safari → Extensions. Screenshot which extensions are on.
6. Apple Account: Settings → your name → scroll down to the list of devices. Tell us whether there is any device you don't recognize.
7. Whether the phone is jailbroken, or whether you installed apps from outside the App Store.

Before posting screenshots, cover any phone number, email address or account name in them.