How to get rid of Galaxy Note10+ ad pop-ups, malware, and viruses | ways to remove and prevent virus, malware, ad pop-ups

A common problem for Galaxy Note10+ users is the presence of malware, viruses, and ad pop-ups. If you are one of these unlucky users dealing with this issue, this troubleshooting guide should help. This post gives you the fix to on-going problem to immediately get rid of them. More importantly, we also include ways to avoid falling for the same problem afterwards.

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How to get rid of Galaxy Note10+ ad pop-ups, malware, and viruses

Are you annoyed by the constant ad, malware, and viruses pop-ups on your Galaxy Note10+? Follow the suggestions below to remove them.

Galaxy Note10+ ad pop-ups fix #1: Reset browser settings to defaults

Many Android users often encounter Galaxy Note10+ ad pop-ups or download malware and viruses on their devices through their web browsers such as the default Samsung Internet browser or Google Chrome. If your device only shows these annoying pop-ups when trying to use a web browser, the first thing that you can do is to clear the settings and return the app to itse defaults. This is often an effective way to fix browser problems. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Go to the Home screen.
  2. Tap Apps icon.
  3. Open Settings app.
  4. Tap Apps.
  5. If you’re looking for a system or default app, tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
  6. Select Show system apps.
  7. Find and tap the appropriate app.
  8. Tap Storage.
  9. Tap Clear Data button.

In some cases, ads that show up are really just legit pop-ups that encounter a bug and may go away by restarting the browser. Try to force quit your browser app to see if they won’t return. These are the steps to restart your browser:

Method 1: Close an app using Recent Apps key

  1. On your screen, tap the Recent Apps soft key (the one with three vertical lines on the left of the Home button).
  2. Once the Recent Apps screen is shown, swipe left or right to look for the app. It should be here if you managed to run it previously.
  3. Then, swipe up on the app to close it. This should force close it. If it’s not there, simply tap the Close All app to also restart all apps.

Method 2: Close an app using App Info menu

Another way to force close an app is by going within the app’s settings itself. It’s a longer way compared to the first method above but it’s equally effective. You want to use this method if you plan on doing other troubleshooting for the said app like clearing its cache or data. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Apps.
  3. Tap the More settings icon (three-dot icon, upper right).
  4. Tap Show system apps.
  5. Find and tap the app.
  6. Tap Force Stop.

Galaxy Note10+ ad pop-ups fix #2: Forced reboot

If resetting or force quitting the app won’t work, your next move is to restart the device itself. Try restarting it normally first by pressing the Power button to access the boot menu. Then, select Restart option and see if that works.

Another way to restart the device is by pressing and holding the Volume Down button and the Bixby/Power key at the same time for 10 seconds or until the device’s screen turns on. This simulates the effect of having disconnected the battery from the device. If this works, this may unlock the device.

If doing the regular restart won’t help, then try this:

  1. Press and hold the Volume Down button first and don’t release it.
  2. While holding it down, press and hold the Power key.
  3. Keep both keys held down for 10 seconds or more. 

The second restart procedure tries to simulate the effects of removing the battery pack. On older devices, disconnecting the battery is often an effective way in fixing unresponsive devices. If nothing changed though, proceed to the next suggestions.

Rebooting your device regularly at least once every week can be beneficial. If you tend to forget things, we suggest that you configure your phone to reboot on its own. You can schedule it to do this task by doing these steps:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Device Care.
  3. Tap the 3-dot at the top.
  4. Select Auto restart.

Galaxy Note10+ ad pop-ups fix #3: Uninstall app

If you noticed that Galaxy Note10+ ad pop-ups started after installing a new app, you may have unknowingly added a bad app. Some developers may intentionally build legit looking apps to trick users into installing them. Once the bad app is inside, they can start contacting their command and control servers so they can start doing their nefarious jobs such as compromising a device’s security settings, allowing other apps into the system (without a user’s knowledge), stealing information such as passwords, bank accounts/records, monitoring browsing habits, or forcing ad pop-ups. One of the things that you can do in any of these situations is to remove the app you installed and see if that will fix the problem. 

Below are the steps to delete or uninstall an app

  1. From a Home screen, swipe up or down from the center of the display to access the apps screen.
  2. Open Settings app.
  3. Tap Apps.
  4. Ensure All is selected (upper-left).  If necessary, tap the Dropdown icon (upper-left) then select All.
  5. Locate then select the appropriate app. If system apps aren’t visible, tap the Menu icon (upper-right) then select Show system apps.
  6. Tap Uninstall to delete an app.
  7. Tap OK to confirm.

Galaxy Note10+ ad pop-ups fix #4: Turn off notifications from certain website

Even legit websites from reputable companies may use harmless ad pop-ups from time to time. If you’re positive that you are visiting a good website and your browser shows wholesome ads in the form of pop-ups, there’s really nothing much that you can do unless there’s a way to intentionally block them. Some sites may offer a user to do so in a limited manner. If you want to manage notifications from a website you regularly visit, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Chrome app.
  2. Go to a webpage.
  3. To the right of the address bar, tap More icon (three dots)
  4. Then, tap Info or Information.
  5. Tap Site settings.
  6. Under “Permissions,” tap Notifications.
  7. If you don’t see “Permissions” or “Notifications,” the site doesn’t have notifications turned on.
  8. Turn the setting off.

Galaxy Note10+ ad pop-ups fix #5: Observe on Safe Mode

One of the most common way for viruses, malware, and ad pop-ups to show up on Galaxy Note10+ today is through bad apps. If you can’t recall any particular app you added that may cause the problem, try restarting the device to safe mode. In this mode, all third party apps are suspended and only those that came with the original system software are allowed to run. If ad pop-ups are not showing on safe mode, you can bet that the problem is caused by one of the third party apps. Third party apps are those that you installed after setting up the device and these can include apps that come from Samsung, Google, or your carrier. 

To restart to safe mode here’s how to do that:

  1. Press and hold the Power button until the Power off window appears then release.
  2. Touch and hold Power off until the Safe mode prompt appears then release.
  3. To confirm, tap Safe mode.
  4. The process may take up to 30 seconds to complete.
  5. Upon reboot, “Safe mode” appears in the lower-left of the home screen.
  6. Check for the problem.

Don’t forget: safe mode blocks third party apps but it won’t tell you which of them is the real cause. If you think that there’s a rogue third party app in the system, you must identify it. Here’s what you need to do exactly:

  1. Boot to safe mode.
  2. Check for the problem.
  3. Once you’ve confirmed that a third party app is to blame, you can start uninstalling apps individually. We suggest that you begin with the most recent ones you added.
  4. After you uninstall an app, restart the phone to normal mode and check for the problem.
  5. If your Galaxy Note10+ is still problematic, repeat steps 1-4.

Galaxy Note10+ ad pop-ups fix #6: Remove malware with antivirus

Some ad pop-ups are brought about by malicious apps or virus. To remove a potential virus on your Galaxy Note10+, you can either use the built-in McAfee security package or a third party antivirus app. If you want to use the former, here’s how to activate it:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Device Care.
  3. Tap Security.
  4. Tap Activate to enable McAfee anti-malware. 

If you want to use a third party antivirus, visit the Play Store and install one. Make sure that you only use known good antivirus apps from reputable companies. Some malware may actually disguise themselves as antivirus apps. Do some research on which apps are good in getting rid of malware. We haven’t tried any good antivirus apps recently so we leave this task to you.

Galaxy Note10+ ad pop-ups fix #7: Factory Reset

If your Galaxy Note10+ has become frozen, unresponsive, or just plain unusable due to never ending ad pop-ups, the first thing that you want to do is wipe it. Factory reset will erase all non-system critical addition including potentially bad apps, viruses, malware, and codes that forces pop-ups. Make sure to create a backup of your personal data before doing this solution. Also, be sure to remove the Google account from your device to avoid problems that may be caused by Factory Reset Protection feature.

Below are the two ways to factory reset your Note10+:

Method 1: How to hard reset on Samsung Galaxy Note10+ via Settings Menu

This is the easiest way to wipe your Galaxy Note10+. all you have to do is to go under Settings menu and follow the steps below. We recommend this method if you have no trouble going under Settings.

  1. Create a backup of your personal data and remove your Google account.
  2. Open Settings app.
  3. Scroll to and tap General management.
  4. Tap Reset.
  5. Select Factory data reset from the given options.
  6. Read the information then tap Reset to continue.
  7. Tap Delete All to confirm action.

Method 2: How to hard reset on Samsung Galaxy Note10+ using hardware buttons

If your case is that the phone is not booting up, or it boots but Settings menu is inaccessible, this method can be helpful. First, you need to boot the device to Recovery Mode. Once you successfully access Recovery, that’s the time that you begin proper master reset procedure. It may take some tries for you before you can access Recovery so be patient and simply try again.

  1. If possible, create a backup of your personal data ahead of time. If your problem prevents you from doing that, then simply skip this step.
  2. Also, you want to make sure that you remove your Google account. If your problem prevents you from doing that, then simply skip this step.
  3. Turn off the device. This is important. If you can’t turn it off, you’ll never be able to boot to Recovery Mode. If you are not able to shut the device off regularly via the Power button, wait until the phone’s battery is drained. Then, charge the phone for 30 minutes before booting to Recovery Mode.
  4. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby / Power key.
  5. When the green Android logo displays, release both keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  6. The Recovery screen menu will now appear. When you see this, release the buttons.
  7. Use the Volume Down button until you are highlighting ‘Wipe data/factory reset.’
  8. Press the Power button to select ‘Wipe data/factory reset.’
  9. Use Volume Down to highlight Yes.
  10. Press the Power button to confirm the action to clear your phone data.

How to prevent Galaxy Note10+ ad pop-ups, malware, and viruses

The best way to deal with Galaxy Note10+ ad pop-ups, malware, and viruses is to not have them in the first place. You must strive to prevent bad stuff that might compromise the system, steal your personal information, or cause plain annoyance. Below are the some of the basic things that you can do to achieve this.

Prevent Galaxy Note10+ ad pop-ups step #1: Avoid suspicious websites

Whether you’re using a computer or smartphone, it’s always a good practice to avoid visiting bad websites. There are many advanced weapons that black hat hackers can infect your device by simply visiting a booby-trapped website. Many adult sites are notorious for sources of malware so try to steer clear of them. The general rule is to stick with official websites from companies that you know are clean. If you suspect that you may have visited a potentially bad site, reset your browser to its defaults or do a factory reset right away. 

Prevent Galaxy Note10+ ad pop-ups step #2: Install antivirus

Using antivirus apps to remove a virus or malware is like using medication to cure an illness after it has developed. As much as possible, you want to employ an antivirus app to NOT get infected in the first place. If pop-ups or malware has already set in even though you’re using an antivirus, that means that that antivirus is not effective in detecting and warning you of threats at all. Removing the threat may even be harder now. Understandably, there’s a constant cat-and-mouse situation between app developers and bad hackers so there may be a time when even a good antivirus app may not be able to fully protect your device from harmful apps. You must use antivirus apps together with other preventive measures like not visiting booby-trapped websites, getting apps from trusted sources only, or in conjunction with other security package in your device.

IMPORTANT: DO NOT install more than one antivirus apps in your device. If you’ve activated the default McAfee security app, stick with it and do not add more antivirus app. If you don’t want to use McAfee, get one from Play Store. Having more than one antivirus app on your Galaxy Note10+ can slow the system down and cause performance issues.

Prevent Galaxy Note10+ ad pop-ups step #3: Get apps from trusted sources 

Aside from apps being offered in the Play Store, Android users have the additional benefit of installing apps from other sources as well. While this sounds fun for adventurous and advanced users, getting apps from outside the Play Store is highly discouraged for less tech savvy users. The security threat is much higher from apps outside the Play Store so try to avoid outside apps like plague. Unless you know how to secure your phone properly or deal with any malware that you might encounter, we say that you get apps from official sources only. Bad guys regularly find a way to circumvent antivirus and Google Play Store protection. If annoying pop-ups return after a factory reset (keep in mind that legit and safe apps may use pop-ups to make money too), that’s probably because you’re not doing a good job in filtering your apps. If you are not sure whether an app or game is safe to install, do due diligence to know more about it. Use Google to find reviews about it, or you can check the reviews that other users have posted in the app’s installation page in the Play Store. If there are a lot of negative reviews and mentions of a virus or pop-ups associated with the said app, it’s probably a good idea to stay away from it.

We suggest that you also consider the publisher or developer of the app you install. Not all developers have good intentions in mind. If you think that a good looking app comes from an unknown, least known, or suspect developer, don’t install it. Again, do some research and see if the product they’re offering is safe. If you need a particular feature and you’re dying to have it on your phone, try to see if you can get it from another app.

Prevent Galaxy Note10+ ad pop-ups step #4: Be suspicious

When it comes to Android security, it’s good to have a suspicious state of mind. Android devices are the number one target of malware developers today that even Google can’t keep track of all bad apps in their Play Store. Even popular apps from seemingly reputable companies (with millions of downloads and thousands of positive user reviews), can inject viruses at will. Android devices are only one update away from getting infected by malware. Be sure to always know what apps you install. Don’t just install an app and hope that it won’t do something bad. Use as few trusted apps as possible to lessen the chances of ad pop-ups, viruses and malware on your Galaxy Note10+.

 


If you are one of the users who encounters a problem with your device, let us know. We offer solutions for Android-related problems for free so if you have an issue with your Android device, simply fill in the short questionnaire in this link and we will try to publish our answers in the next posts. We cannot guarantee a quick response so if your issue is time sensitive, please find another way to resolve your problem.

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