How to remove ad pop-ups and virus warning on Galaxy A80 | malware removal tips

Are you having frustrating episodes of trying to deal with too much ad pop-ups or even virus alert pop-ups? In this guide, we’ll how you the tips on how to remove ad pop-ups on Galaxy A80.

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How to remove ad pop-ups and virus warning Galaxy A80

Ad pop-ups are annoying and can render a device virtually useless if they become more frequent. If you’re wondering how to remove ad pop-ups and virus warning Galaxy A80, follow our suggestions below.

Remove ad pop-ups step #1: Uninstall app

Adware pop-ups are usually caused by bad or malicious apps. If ad pop-ups follow after you recently installed an app, its likely that that app is to blame. In some cases, removing the identified bad app should also be the end of the problem. So, your first troubleshooting step in this situation is to try to remember if you installed an app lately. If you did, delete that app to fix the problem. 

Remove ad pop-ups step #2: Reset browser 

If pop-ups appear when you use a browser like the default Samsung Internet browser or Google Chrome, it’s possible that a malware may have hijacked the browser. This means that the browser may have been taken over by a third party or an app in order to display ads or ad pop-ups. Assuming that pop-ups only show when using a browser, you can focus on troubleshooting the browser. What you want to do in this case is to reset the app to its factory settings. This is usually effective in fixing malware that has overtaken a particular app. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Swipe down from the top of the screen to pull the notification panel down.
  2. Tap the Settings icon on the upper-right corner.
  3. Scroll to and tap Apps.
  4. Find and then tap the app.
  5. Tap Storage.
  6. Now, touch Clear data and hit OK.

Reboot your phone after doing this procedure and then try to see if the Messages has stopped error still shows up when you open the app.

Remove ad pop-ups step #3: Restart to safe mode 

If you are not sure which of your apps is causing the problem, don’t worry. There’s another way to check if ad pop-ups are indeed caused by a malware or bad app. You can do so by booting to safe mode. Safe Mode is a separate software environment from Android used by technicians to troubleshoot bad applications. You can also use it to identify which of your apps is problematic. While your Galaxy A80 runs on Safe Mode, all third party apps will be unable to load. So, if pop-ups are absent on safe mode but returns after you restart your A80 to normal mode, that’s a confirmation that one of the apps is causing it. To fix the problem, you must use the process of elimination to identify and remove the bad app from the system.

To restart the phone to safe mode:

  1. Turn the device off.
  2. Press and hold the Power key past the model name screen.
  3. When “SAMSUNG” appears on the screen, release the Power key.
  4. Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
  5. Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
  6. Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
  7. Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.

Once the device has booted to safe mode, observe it for some time to see if pop-ups return. If they do, delete the latest app you installed. Then, return the phone to normal mode and check for pop-ups again. If the pop-ups are still there, do another round of deleting an app and returning to normal mode. Do this cycle until you’ve identified the bad application.

 Remove ad pop-ups step #4: Use Play Protect 

Google offers a way to protect Android devices from malicious apps by scanning a device for threats. Make sure to use it as another alternative to finding malware in your device. Here’s how:

  1. Open your Android device’s Google Play Store app.
  2. Tap Menu icon.
  3. Tap Play Protect.
  4. Turn on Scan device for security threats.

Alternatively, you can also buy or download free antivirus apps to help deal with potential viruses. There are many good free antivirus apps from the Play Store. Make sure to use only the ones from reputable companies. When it comes to antivirus apps, having more than one is not a good idea. Only install one to avoid causing performance problems on your device.

NOTE: Some malware may disguise themselves as antivirus apps. Be sure not to fall for them. Do some research before you install an app you’re not sure of.

Remove ad pop-ups step #5: Turn off notifications from certain website

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.

Remove ad pop-ups step #6: Clean device with factory reset

Some ad pop-ups may show up from time to time while in others, all the time. If what you have is the latter and your phone has become almost unusable because of the frequency pop-ups, you need to do a more drastic solution. You’ll need to wipe your phone with factory reset. This is an effective method of cleaning a malware-infected phone but it can also potentially delete all your personal data. If your phone still allows you to create a backup at this time, be sure to save your photos, videos, documents, etc. to a computer or to the cloud. Then, afterwards, you can begin to factory reset. Also, be sure to remove the Google account from your Galaxy A80 to avoid problems that may be caused by Factory Reset Protection feature.

There are two methods to factory reset your Galaxy A80. 

Method 1: How to hard reset on Samsung Galaxy A80 via Settings Menu

This is the easiest way to wipe your Galaxy A80. 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.
  8. Be  sure not to install the same set of apps after setup.

Method 2: How to hard reset on Samsung Galaxy A80 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 button and the Bixby button at the same time.
  5. While still holding the Volume Up and Bixby keys, press and hold the Power button.
  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 factory reset.
  11. Be  sure not to install the same set of apps after setup.

Remove ad pop-ups step #7: Use antivirus app

Now that you’ve factory reset the device and remove ad pop-ups, its software is now clean again. That means that there are no longer bad apps or codes in the system. After setting up your device, your next task is to prevent your phone from getting infected again. You can do that by making sure that you install a reputable Android antivirus app. Aside from Google’s Play Protect feature, there are third party apps that can help screen apps that you install. While no antivirus apps are perfect, this should give you another layer of protection from viruses or malware. Keep in mind that antivirus applications can only help you to a certain degree. There’s a constant cat-and-mouse battle between good and bad guys. Once a bad guy has figured out how to negate the protection being offered by an antivirus, a new way of spreading malware gets invented. After some time, antivirus apps will learn of these new malware and they’ll be blocked again. This cycle continues forever so don’t put 100% trust in antivirus apps.

When selecting an antivirus app, it’s important to choose a reputable one. There are many viruses and malware that disguise themselves like legit antivirus apps. Make sure to read reviews from other users and use only the one from known developers.

Adding one antivirus will help protect the system from known bad apps during installation but is adding more better? NO! Having more than one antivirus app on your system is not a good idea. It can cause severe performance issue and other problems. Pick one and stick with it. Or, simply uninstall the first one before replacing it.

Remove ad pop-ups step #8: Be careful in installing apps

So can you do as a user? It’s really simple, be careful with what apps to install. Frankly, if your Galaxy A80 has ad pop-ups, you must be most likely to blame for it. Bad apps or viruses do not just install themselves in a device. Most of the time, a careless user is the main reason. Visiting a bad website, installing a bad app, or clicking on email links are the usual ways to infect an Android device. In majority of cases, ad pop-ups takes hold in a system after a user installs an innocent-looking app. If you don’t screen what apps you install or where you get them from, it’s only a matter of time before your phone will have malware. 

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.

 


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