How to spot and remove the Android app that displays pop-up ads

If browser popup ads weren’t annoying enough, we also have ads on our Android smartphones. What could get more frustrating than trying to make an urgent call and waiting for a fifteen-second ad to end? Or playing a game only to be interrupted in the middle of a crucial point with ads for clothing? Let’s look at some of the ways to eradicate these popups.

If you’re the type of person who keeps their phone spick and span and ad-free, you’ll want to know what app is causing these ad outbreaks. Remember that not all popup ads are safe, some of them can be malware. So, even if you don’t care, you should care enough to know what can be unsafe.

The first step would be to clear all your recent apps and then restart your phone. Ensure that no app is working in the background. Greenify is an app that lets you hibernate the apps which have no functional use at the time. Once you’ve done that, recollect the time around which the popup started to appear. Head to the Play Store to see the apps installed recently and check the reviews to see if they have any adware or malware built-in. This will help you if you require the app/apps or not. Continue checking for all apps in case any updates have resulted in the addition of adware.

There’s another way to catch the culprit app. If the ad shows up in the notification bar, it’s easy to know which app is causing said ads by long pressing the ad. You’ll either see an 'i’ icon or three options to manage the notifications from the app. By clicking on them, you’ll be taken to a permissions page of the app where you can modify how they post notifications.

Furthermore, when you encounter an add, instead of closing it, switch over to the recent apps menu by touching the button to the right of the home screen. You’ll know which app is displaying the ad. Long press will reveal the 'i’ icon, tap on it to reveal the app’s permissions.

Keep in mind that while it’s easy to spot the app if there are in-app ads. Most of the time it’s tricky to zero-in on the culprit app. If you wish to cut corners and make things simpler, then there’s a free app called Ad Detect Plugin. This app checks if your installed apps have any connection to ad networks. You can uninstall the app that gets detected.

Ad network detectors are enormously helpful due to the prevalence of ads today. Some strong ones are Lookout Security and Antivirus and AppBrian Ad Detector. These tell you what apps are showing ads from what network. Addons Detector is another app within the same category.

A sure shot way to ensure an ad-free performance is to delete the app.