Help What is causing these ad notifications?

[victek]

I recently started receiving a spam notification which opens a browser window with an advertizement. This is not an SMS or email message. I'm guessing it was caused by something I installed but how can I figure out what, and more importantly how can I disable or block the ads? TIA

 

[TheAtheistReverend]

I had the same thing happen to me when I updated my market through an external link a while ago. That was the only thing I did to change anything on my phone that could cause it. I scanned my phone with Lookout and found "no malware", but uninstalled the updated market and went back to the original and haven't had a problem since.
I don't get it though, nobody else on the thread I got the updated market from had any of the same experience.
Have you updated your market recently?

 

[victek]

I had the same thing happen to me when I updated my market through an external link a while ago.

Have you updated your market recently?

Can't remember when I last updated and if I did it internally or downloaded an APK. I'm running 3.3.11 - what version do you have? I saw an option in Market settings for personalizing ads from Google and Admob - maybe that's the problem? I turned it off.

 

[TheAtheistReverend]

Can't remember when I last updated and if I did it internally or downloaded an APK. I'm running 3.3.11 - what version do you have? I saw an option in Market settings for personalizing ads from Google and Admob - maybe that's the problem? I turned it off.

I am running the same now, and that is what I had updated to from the 3rd party site.
I'm assuming you didn't update via a 3rd party site, so that's out. I'm hoping your switching off personalized ads does it for you (I might have inadvertently done the same thing when I uninstalled my update, then updated normally)
Let us know if that did it...

Kinda creepy isn't it? I just about lost my sh*t when those started popping up.

 

[Rush]

I recently started receiving a spam notification which opens a browser window with an advertizement. This is not an SMS or email message. I'm guessing it was caused by something I installed but how can I figure out what, and more importantly how can I disable or block the ads? TIA

Installed this application ... http://qiz1.qr.ai It will find the app that is causing this.

Best of luck.

 

[victek]

Installed this application ... http://qiz1.qr.ai It will find the app that is causing this.

Best of luck.

Air Push Detector - this may be the answer. It found one Go Launcher theme which I uninstalled. thanks!

 

[Rush]

Air Push Detector - this may be the answer. It found one Go Launcher theme which I uninstalled. thanks!

You're welcome.

 

[bberryhill0]

AirPush sounds nasty. Here is their opt-out app. Some comments say the ads come through even after opting out.

http://market.android.com/details?i...51bGwsMSwyLDEwOSwiY29tLmFpcnB1c2gub3B0b3V0Il0.

 

[TheAtheistReverend]

If these "Airpush" ads get out of control, we'll lose a lot of Android users. I hope this gets squashed.

 

[cmybliss]

If these "Airpush" ads get out of control, we'll lose a lot of Android users. I hope this gets squashed.

Amen.

 

[TheAtheistReverend]

Amen.

You did that on purpose didn't you?

 

[cmybliss]

You did that on purpose didn't you?

Why, yes, yes I did. :-b

 

[blackepoxy]

Lookout should make an update to scan installed apps for this and notify you.

I will send them an email comment about it.
Maybe every one running it should follow suit, so they get a lot of requests for this feature.
I haven't seen any yet and don't want to.

 

[TheAtheistReverend]

Lookout should make an update to scan installed apps for this and notify you.

I will send them an email comment about it.
Maybe every one running it should follow suit, so they get a lot of requests for this feature.
I haven't seen any yet and don't want to.

I see what you did there! Look-out, hehe...

I'm on it. Email will be sent.

Now.

 

[blackepoxy]

I see what you did there! Look-out, hehe...

I'm on it. Email will be sent.

Now.

Awesome, I want to keep on using Android & and don't want this nasty stuff on my phone.

Send the email to feedback@ myl ookout. c om
Title the message air push notification spam


I am sure y'all can handle the rest.

 

[TheAtheistReverend]

Awesome, I want to keep on using Android & and don't want this nasty stuff on my phone.

I truly hate to think of what depths I would reach if this got out of control and was persistent. I'm talkin' iPho...


...No, I'll go back to my landline, Yellow Pages, Rand McNally maps, and photo album first.

 

[hilmar2k]

I truly hate to think of what depths I would reach if this got out of control and was persistent. I'm talkin' iPho...


...No, I'll go back to my landline, Yellow Pages, Rand McNally maps, and photo album first.

Don't forget about your Sony Walkman. C'mon man, it's got auto-reverse.

 

[blackepoxy]

You had better get a messager bag to carry all that stuff around. By the way that would look much better than having an i with one of those horrid looking otterbox defender cases on it with the two triangles at the top, man those are some kind of U G L Y.
Makes me want to toss my cookies on the spot every time I see one of those...Abominational little things...

 

[swordsx48]

i just joined to say was it the jamaica weed theme? @victek

 

[victek]

i just joined to say was it the jamaica weed theme? @victek

There's a theme called the "Go Launcher Ganga Weed Theme" (which actually has some interesting wallpapers). Is that the one you mean? I just had a look at the permissions it requires and they seem excessive. It was too long ago now for me to remember which theme it was, but it wasn't this one. The Air Push Detector app flagged it though and after I removed the theme the ads stopped.

 

[swordsx48]

i had a "jamaica weed theme"
i dont even know what air push is but i went to air push detector and that said go to addons detector, got that and this theme was the only thing under air push and it was one of the apps i had recently installed so i got rid of it and. gone.

 

[blackepoxy]

I see what you did there! Look-out, hehe...

I'm on it. Email will be sent.

Now.

Looks like Lookout listened and gave us what we wanted.

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.lookout.addetector

When it finds an offending app don't choose opt out, just uninstall, you should not have to give up your imei/esn # etc, to have them stop the ads. That's giving them even more info.

It also lets you share your results with others, like so...

My device has no apps that send push ads - check yours with this #Android app from @Lookout http://bit.ly/addetector

 

[Cb1rocket]

Easier way to find out where the add is coming from is to press and hold then click app info. It shows where the offending advert is coming from which app. Then uninstall, simples

 

[TheAtheistReverend]

Easier way to find out where the add is coming from is to press and hold then click app info. It shows where the offending advert is coming from which app. Then uninstall, simples

I think that only works for 4.0+ doesn't it?

 

[Cb1rocket]

Yeah sorry if the os we are talking about is for an earlier release