Seeing ads in my notification bar?

[imb951]

The offending app was "Traffic Jam Free," which updated the other night.

Airpush Detector didn't catch it (different api), but Addons Detector provided clues to "LeadBolts."

Left negative comment & UNINSTALLED!

Thanks, this method worked. Beware! Airpush detector will not detect apps with the Leadbolt addon which pushes ads to your notification bar. Addons Detector allowed me to find which offending app had the Leadbolt addon. In my case it was Hangman Free. Screw that. Uninstalled.

 

[androidtechrep]

If you have root access you can download AdFree Android from the market. It blocks ads from apps and from coming to your phone.

 

[hangfirew8]

My offender turned out to be Angry Frogs, which was quite a disappointment. I don't mind in-game ads in free games- that's part of the deal, I accept that- but pushing stuff all the time, that's out of bounds.

LeadBolt has an opt-out page, you enter your IMEI:

LeadBolt Ad network- Advertise and Monetize traffic on Mobile web, Android and iPhones

I'll list AirPush's opt-out page again for everyone's convenience:

Android Ad Network | Push Notification ad network | Mobile Ad network | Android app monetization

IMEI is found on my Thunderbolt under:

Home Menu->Settings->About Phone->Phone identity

-HF

 

[ninja_reject]

My offender turned out to be Angry Frogs, which was quite a disappointment. I don't mind in-game ads in free games- that's part of the deal, I accept that- but pushing stuff all the time, that's out of bounds.

LeadBolt has an opt-out page, you enter your IMEI:

LeadBolt Ad network- Advertise and Monetize traffic on Mobile web, Android and iPhones

I'll list AirPush's opt-out page again for everyone's convenience:

Android Ad Network | Push Notification ad network | Mobile Ad network | Android app monetization

IMEI is found on my Thunderbolt under:

Home Menu->Settings->About Phone->Phone identity

-HF

Eww. No way airpush or leadbolt is getting my imei number. My offender, oddly enough wasn't either. It was either quattro or Mobfox. No way of knowing which, but my ads are gone! Yay. I think it is terrible when they don't warn you that they are going to spam you. I had to live with these ads for like a month. Forced advertising should be illegal.

 

[Roze]

I think it is terrible when they don't warn you that they are going to spam you. I had to live with these ads for like a month. Forced advertising should be illegal.

I completely agree with you :/ Google should do something about these types of ads and make developers state that they do use airpush or leadbolt.

 

[RawlingsSc]

Traffic Jam Free has been updated again and the dev says he removed the notification bar ads.

 

[Umito]

Hi, I am one of the developers of Addons Detector, as mentioned in this thread.
We are just about to release a updated version of it, with filtering on categories, so you can see all the push notifications addons for example.

Mentioned here is for example mobfox, but I am positive this one has nothing to do with push notifications. Quattro is also very doubtful. Both are normal adproviders for in app advertising (something you can like or not, but is not really spam). Anyway, would love to hear if you got spammed by a app that does not get detected for Leadbolt or Airpush by our Addons Detector. This way we can improve our app and your phone!

 

[sydb]

Started getting these in a recent update to Cat Sounds, Addons Detector found it, thanks, it uses AdMob, AdSense and LeadBolt - talk about coverage. Cat Sounds promptly removed. From now on I will have to meow manually to entertain my cat! I don't mind discrete ads in apps but push notifications? No, bang goes your revenue losers.

The irony is that CatApp is much better than Cat Sounds, and doesn't pull this trick! At least that's what my cat tells me.

 

[Frisco]

Eww. No way airpush or leadbolt is getting my imei number.

The danger of that already known spammer harvesting and selling/using those IMEI numbers in the future would seem to be pretty realistic.

 

[hangfirew8]

The danger of that already known spammer harvesting and selling/using those IMEI numbers in the future would seem to be pretty realistic.

Well, call me crazy, but I did it. The ads kept coming.

So, contacted LeadBolt, opened a support ticket, and they fixed the issue. It seems on the Thunderbolt there was some issue matching the last digit when comparing for opt-out. At least, that is what they said.

It's been several days now with zero ads, and the game is still installed. We'll see if there are future ramifications on the IMEI.

 

[Mr Bee]

The last couple of days I've been getting a message in my notification window with a green cross beside it for FlirtyMob Photo Chat, it isnt a text because it doesnt appear in my messages. Ive checked my phone and I cant find any application matching its description either in the installed apps or Astro file brow. Any idea why I keep getting them or how I stop them?

I definitely havent signed up to anything such thing and dont know where it's come from. There seems to be some sort of 'optout' number but Im reluctant to contact it in case it makes the problem worse.

 

[chanchan05]

There must be an app that uses Airpush ads in your phone. For example the First Aid app does this kind of ads.

 

[wayrad]

One of your apps is using either AirPush or Leadbolt. Download "Addons Detector" from the Market and uninstall the offending apps (after leaving a Market comment to warn others, if you so choose).

 

[Mr Bee]

Thanks, I'm installing airpush detector now. Looks like its an mp3 music downloader causing it, will soon get that removed.

 

[Mr Bee]

The addon detector marked most of the apps Ive downloaded as potential threats. The mp3 downloader Airpush Detector found is a recent download so I'm hoping thats the cause.

 

[my2sense]

I'm willing to bet it's the mp3 downloader. I got those notification ads too. Uninstalled the mp3 downloader and they ever came back since.

 

[wayrad]

The addon detector marked most of the apps Ive downloaded as potential threats.

Most of the things it detects are just in-app advertising (to support free apps) or the AdMob stuff that can be enabled/disabled in your Market settings. It's only AirPush and Leadbolt (so far) that will hijack your notification bar in that slimy way.

 

[Harry2]

... It's only AirPush and Leadbolt (so far) that will hijack your notification bar in that slimy way.

As I know there are two more of them:
Appenda and IAC.

Harry

 

[wayrad]

As I know there are two more of them:
Appenda and IAC.

Harry

Have you any more info on those? A quick Google search didn't find any information on them in connection with notification bar spam, except for one ambiguous note that Airpush detector also detected IAC and Appenda "frameworks".

 

[claus1953]

Great find... i had the same problem of spam on the notification bar and found so the culprit "Birthday Notification". Uninstalled it and got no more spam. Thanks for this.

 

[Harry2]

Have you any more info on those? A quick Google search didn't find any information on them in connection with notification bar spam, except for one ambiguous note that Airpush detector also detected IAC and Appenda "frameworks".

Detection of Push Notification (known as "AirPush"):

'AirPush Detector' detects:
AirPush
LeadBolt
Appenda
IAC

'Addons Detector' detects:
AirPush
LeadBolt
Appenda

Infos are from the app's discriptions in market

Harry

 

[trev1011]

Mp3 music down loader. I was getting a + in the notification tab. Checked it out and it was an ad about winning a mac book. downloaded air push and it was mp3 music down loader. bye bye.

 

[wayrad]

Detection of Push Notification (known as "AirPush"):

'AirPush Detector' detects:
AirPush
LeadBolt
Appenda
IAC

That does imply that those methods do push notification, even if they don't say so outright. I suppose IAC and Appenda just aren't getting much attention because of being lumped in with AirPush.

 

[aysiu]

Am I the only who's (knock on wood) never experienced this? Is this only shady apps that do this, or is this really becoming mainstream?

 

[dr.pepper1]

I had a (spam) push notification from Leadbolt in my notification tray. Used Addons Detector and found out it was coming from Nightfall Live Wallpaper Free. Uninstalling it and leaving a negative review.