If you’re suddenly bombarded with annoying pop-up ads on your Android phone, you’re not alone. These intrusive ads usually come from a recently installed app acting like a virus—showing full-screen pop-ups, redirecting you to suspicious websites, or even placing ads on your home screen. But the real challenge is figuring out which app is behind it.
Many malicious or ad-heavy apps disguise themselves as harmless tools like flashlight apps, video players, or wallpaper managers. Once installed, they start launching ads in the background, often without any indication of which app is responsible. So how do you catch the culprit?
Step-by-Step: Catch the App That’s Causing Ads
1. Look for Recent Installs:
Start by checking the apps you’ve recently installed. Go to Settings > Apps > Recently Installed. If you notice anything that looks unfamiliar or suspicious, that could be a good starting point. However, this is still a guessing game and might not give you a clear answer.
2. Monitor Which App Opens When the Ad Pops Up:
If a full-screen ad appears while you’re not using any apps, try to note what you’re doing at the time. Sometimes ads are triggered by unlocking the phone, opening certain apps, or connecting to Wi-Fi.
3. Use ROX Security’s “Popup Ad Detector”:
The most reliable and easiest way to track down the source of pop-up ads is by using a trusted app like ROX Security.
Stop Pop-Up Ads with ROX Security
ROX Security is a free and powerful app designed to help users detect harmful apps and stop pop-up ads caused by virus-like software. One of its best features is the “Popup Ad Detector” tool, which makes finding the source of pop-up ads incredibly simple.
Here’s how to use it:
- Wait for the Pop-Up to Appear: As soon as you see one of those intrusive ads, don’t close it right away.
- Open ROX Security: Quickly switch to the ROX Security app.
- Start a Scan: Tap the scan button, and ROX will analyze and show you the most recently launched app—this is usually the app that triggered the ad.
- Uninstall the Offending App: Once identified, uninstall that app from your device to eliminate the problem for good.
With ROX Security, you don’t need to guess or randomly uninstall apps. Just let the detector do the work, and get back to enjoying your phone ad-free.