How to stop pop-ups on Google Pixel 3 XL

Is your Google Pixel 3 XL showing a lot of pop-ups? Learn what to do by following our suggestions below.

How to stop pop-ups on Pixel 3 XL

Removing pop-ups can sometimes be a tricky challenge because there’s no obvious cause for them. If you are unsure what to do, follow the steps below:

Disable pop-ups in web browser

If you’re getting pop-ups whenever you use your web browser, then your main troubleshooting step for it is to deal with the app in question. Since the stock web browser of Pixel 3 XL is Google Chrome, follow the steps below to turn off pop-ups on this app:

  1. Open Google Chrome app.
  2. Tap on More Settings icon at the upper right (three dots).
  3. Tap Settings.
  4. Tap Site settings.
  5. Select Pop-ups.
  6. Disable Pop-ups by moving the switch to the right.

If you have a different web browser app, use Google to find a way to disable pop-ups (if it’s available).

Other third party browsers offer more robust protection against popups. Try them if Google Chrome can’t seem to control the pop-ups. Good examples of alternate browsers are Mozilla Firefox and Samsung Internet browser.

Delete web browser cache and data

Another way to deal with a particular app, especially when it’s having an issue with pop-ups, is to clear its cache. If that won’t work, then you can go ahead and revert it to its defaults.

To troubleshoot it, you can try to clear its cache first. Follow these steps to clear an app cache on your Google Pixel 3 XL:

  1. From a Home screen, touch and swipe up to display all apps.
  2. Go to Settings.
  3. Tap Apps & notifications.
  4. Tap See all ‘xx’ apps.
  5. Tap the appropriate app.
  6. Tap Storage.
  7. Tap Clear cache.
  8. Restart your Pixel 3 XL.

Should the problem continue afterwards, you can then try to clear the app’s data.

  1. From a Home screen, touch and swipe up to display all apps.
  2. Go to Settings.
  3. Tap Apps & notifications.
  4. Tap See all ‘xx’ apps.
  5. Tap the appropriate app.
  6. Tap Storage.
  7. Tap Clear data.
  8. Restart your Pixel 3 XL.

Check for bad third party app

Pop-ups in Android are usually brought about by a bad third party app. To check, you can restart your device to safe mode.

  1. Press and hold the Power button.
  2. On your screen, touch and hold Power off.
  3. Tap OK.
  4. After you see “Safe mode” at the bottom of your screen, wait to see if the problem goes away.

Remember, safe mode blocks third party or downloaded apps. If there are no pop-ups while your Pixel 3 XL is on safe mode, that means one of the downloaded apps is to blame. To identify which of your downloaded apps is causing the problem:

  1. To exit safe mode, restart your device.
  2. One by one, uninstall recently downloaded apps. After each removal, restart your device. See whether removing that app solved the problem.
  3. After you remove the app that’s causing the problem, you can reinstall the other apps that you removed.

Delete apps

As mentioned above, apps is usually the reason for pop-ups in Android. To lessen the chances of issues on your device, we recommend that you get rid of apps you don’t use. This is especially true if you find out that one of the apps is the reason for the problem after booting the device to safe mode. This troubleshooting step is a continuation of the previous solution (safe mode) so be sure that you do it methodically. As a general rule, apps that you haven’t used for the past 2 weeks or more can be considered non-essential to your lifestyle. If you have a lot of such apps, it’s a good idea if you get rid of them. Doing so is a potential solution to your problem. It also helps in making more room in your device internal storage.

Wipe your device (factory reset)

This is the most drastic troubleshooting that you can do in this case. As the name suggests, this will return all software settings to their defaults. This is usually an effective fix for a lot of software-related issues. If the cause of the problem is a software bug, this might help.

To factory reset your Pixel 3:

  1. Create a backup of your personal data.
  2. Make sure to know the username and password for Google account in the phone.
  3. Open Settings app.
  4. Tap System.
  5. Tap Advanced.
  6. Tap Reset options.
  7. Tap Erase all data (factory reset) and then Reset phone. If needed, enter your PIN, pattern, or password.
  8. To erase all data from your phone’s internal storage, tap Erase everything.
  9. When your phone has finished erasing, pick the option to restart.
  10. Set up your phone and restore your backed-up data.

Use antivirus app

Factory reset will most likely remove the cause of pop-ups in your device but the problem may return afterwards if you re-install the same set of apps. To lessen the chances of a bad app from being installed again, you can install an antivirus app after a factory reset and before you install your apps again. This is so that the antivirus app can filter the apps you try to install.

Install updates

Keeping Android operating system and apps up-to-date is one of the best ways to prevent and,  sometimes, fix problems. Outdated OS can be a source of bugs but so are incompatible apps. To lessen the chances of problems from developing, you must ensure that the software side of your device runs the latest versions. To make this as less of a hassle as possible, let the system do it automatically. By default, your Pixel 3 should download and install updates on its own. If you change this before, you want to regularly check for updates.

To check for software updates (for Android OS), you can go under Settings > Software update.

Filter apps when installing

As a user, you are the first line of defense of your device. If you fail to properly filter your apps or screen them before installing, there’s a chance that pop-ups due to viruses or malware can happen. You want to check the apps you want to add so you know they’re safe. Keep in mind that not all apps are created equal. Building an app is expensive. Even the most simple ones can cost a small fortune. This is the reason why publishers don’t really offer their apps for free. They’ll find a way to monetize their products in other means if there’s not enough revenue from legit sources. One of the non-legit means to make money out of an app is to compromise a device to allow pop-ups. Unfortunately, current Android security is most of the time not enough in detecting bad apps. To minimize the chances of adding bad apps, you want to make sure that you only add apps from reputable sources.

Some of the general tips to follow include the following:

Check app reviews. App users who may find problems will most likely write reviews in the Play Store. Make sure to check these reviews if you are not sure if an app you’re trying to install is secure or not.

Take note of developer or publisher. While Google has a system in place to check the integrity of a developer, it’s not perfect and many developers usually find a way to circumvent rules. These types of developers are usually the ones who monetize their products using non-legit means. Try doing some Google research about these developers to know if they have history of building bad apps.

Stick with official apps. As much as possible, you want to use apps from reputable developers only. Since you’re the only one who know your usage lifestyle, there’s no particular guidance that we can give you. The general rule is to use known popular apps from good sources.

Limit the number of apps. The more apps you install, the higher the chance of having problems. Keeping the number of your apps low is one of the ways to avoid bugs. Stick to the ones you need, not those that you want for a short time.

 



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