Advertising on Android: why it appears and how to remove it forever

Pop-up banners, annoying notifications and advertising windows that block the screen - every third smartphone owner on Androidfaces this problem. Most often, advertising appears unexpectedly: you open your browser, launch a game, or even unlock your phone, and a banner appears on the screen offering you to install a dubious application or win an iPhone. In 80% of cases, the reason lies in infecting the device with adware (adware), but sometimes the smartphone manufacturers themselves are to blame, integrating advertising into the firmware.

This article will help you figure out where advertisements on Androidcome from, how to distinguish a virus from legitimate ones banners (for example, in free games) and completely clean the device without data loss. We will look at both software methods (blockers, antiviruses) and manual system settings, including hidden developer options. Important: if advertising appears even in the settings menu or on the lock screen, this is a sure sign that software with administrator rightsis installed on the smartphone, and a simple reboot will not solve the problem.

1. Reasons for the appearance of advertising on Android

Before removing advertising, you need to understand its source. All cases can be divided into three categories:

• 📱 Adware viruses — malware that displays banners on top of all windows. They are often disguised as useful utilities (optimizers, cache cleaners) or pirated versions of popular applications.
• 🎮 Legitimate advertising - built into free games and applications (for example, AliExpress, TikTok, PUBG Mobile). Usually appears only inside the application itself.
• 🔧 System advertising - banners from the smartphone manufacturer (Xiaomi, Samsung, Realme) or telecom operator. They can be displayed on the lock screen, in the notification menu or in branded shells (for example, MIUI, One UI).

The most dangerous option is adware. Such apps not only show advertising, but can also:

• 🔗 Redirect you to phishing sites (for example, fake login pages for Google Account).
• 📊 Collect data about your actions (what applications you launch, what sites you visit).
• 💰 Subscribe to paid SMS newsletters without your knowledge.

As a rule, adware penetrates the device through:

• 📎 Attachments in SMS/messengers (for example, “You won prize.apk”).
• 🌐 Sites with pirated content (movies, games, hacked apps).
• 📦 APK files not downloaded from Google Play (even if the source seems reliable).

⚠️ Attention: If advertising appears even in safe mode (we'll talk about it below), this means that the virus has acquired superuser rights (root) or has been flashed into the system partition. In this case, only a full reset of settings will help. flashing.

2. How to determine the source of advertising: step-by-step diagnostics

Before you start cleaning, you need to identify the culprit. Follow this algorithm:

1. Check the list of recently installed applications.
   

   Open Settings → Applications → All applications and sort by installation date. Pay attention to apps with unknown names (for example, System Update, Flash Player, Clean Master Pro).

2. Start your smartphone in safe mode.
   

   On most devices, you need to hold down the button Shutdown, then hold your finger on the option Turn off the power before the request to switch to safe mode appears. If the advertisement has disappeared, one of the installed applications is to blame.

3. View active notifications.
   

   Scroll down the notification panel and check if there are any banners from unknown services (for example, Ads Service, Push Notifications).

4. Use the built-in activity monitor.
   

   See which applications consume the most energy. Adware often disguises itself as system processes (for example, Settings → Battery → Usage batteries see which apps are consuming the most energy. Adware often disguises itself as system processes (for example, com.android.system).

If you find a suspicious application, but cannot remove it (the button Delete is inactive), this means that it has rights administrator. deviceTo revoke them:

1. Go to Settings → Security → Device administrators (on some smartphones the path may differ: Settings → Biometrics and security → Other security settings).
2. Uncheck the box next to the suspicious application.
3. Go back to the list of applications and delete it.

3. Removing adware viruses: antiviruses and manual cleaning

If diagnostics showed that advertising is caused by malware, follow these instructions:

Method 1: Antivirus scanners

Use specialized utilities that can detect adware:

• 🛡️ Malwarebytes —the free version finds and removes most ad viruses. After scanning, be sure to restart your device.
• 🔍 Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus —paid, but there is a trial period. Effective against deeply embedded threats.
• 📱 Bitdefender Mobile Security —a lightweight scanner with minimal impact on performance.

Important: Do not install antiviruses from unknown sources —they themselves may contain advertising modules. Download only from Google Play and check the number of downloads (must be at least 10 million).

Method 2: Manual removal via ADB

If a virus has blocked access to settings or the antivirus cannot cope, you can remove it via ADB (Android Debug Bridge). This method requires connecting the smartphone to the computer.

Instructions:

1. Enable USB debugging in Settings → About phone → Build number (press 7 times, then return to Settings → System → For developers).
2. Connect your smartphone to the PC and install ADB Tools.
3. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and enter:

adb devices
adb shell pm list packages | grep "suspicious_keyword"

Replace suspicious_keyword with part of the name of the suspicious package (for example, ads, push, offer).

4. Uninstall the found application with the command:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.example.adware

Where com.example.adware is the name of the package from the previous step.

⚠️ Attention: Removing system applications via ADB can lead to unstable operation of the smartphone. Do not delete packages whose names include android, google or qualcommif you are not sure about them. purpose.

What to do if ADB does not see the device?

1. Check if USB debugging is enabled (sometimes confirmation is required on the smartphone screen).

2. Install drivers for your model (for example, for Xiaomi — Mi PC Suite).

3. Try a different USB cable (preferably original).

4. Restart both your smartphone and your computer.

4. Blocking system advertising from the manufacturer

Some brands (for example, Xiaomi, Oppo, Realme) firmware. It may appear:

• 📱 On the lock screen (banners with promotions).
• 🔍 In system search results.
• 🛒 In branded application stores (Mi App Store, Galaxy Store).

You can disable it through hidden settings:

Manufacturer	Path to settings	What to disable
Xiaomi (MIUI)	Settings → About phone → Version MIUI (press 7 times) → Advanced → Advertising	Disable "Personalized advertising" and "MIUI Recommendations"
Samsung (One UI)	Settings → Notifications → Advanced settings	Disable "Marketing" notifications"
Realme/Oppo (ColorOS)	Settings → Privacy → Advertising and recommendations	Disable all switches
Huawei (EMUI)	Settings → System → About phone → Model number (press 7 times) → Developer settings → Disable advertising	Activate the "Disable" option advertising"

If your firmware does not have such options, try:

• 🔧 Install ADB and run the command:

adb shell settings put global captive_portal_detection_enabled 0

This will disable the Internet connection check, which some manufacturers use to display advertising.

⚠️ Attention: On some smartphones (Redmi, Poco), advertising may return after updating the firmware. In this case, only disabling automatic updates or installing custom firmware will help (for example, LineageOS).

5. Ad blockers: which ones work in 2026

If you have removed all viruses, but advertising still appears in the browser or applications, a blocker will help:

1. Local blockers (without root)

• 🌐 AdGuard — creates a local VPN that filters traffic. The free version blocks major trackers.
• 🛡️ Blokada —open software with support for custom rules. Works without registration.
• 🔒 DNS66 —blocks advertising at the DNS level. Does not require a VPN, but needs to be configured manually.

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If you have root, install:

• 🔧 AdAway —modifies the file hostsby blocking advertising domains at the system level.
• 📱 AFWall+ —a firewall that can completely cut off Internet access for specific applications.

Settings AdGuard (step by step):

1. Download the application from Google Play.
2. Run and select Start using → Configure manually.
3. Enable HTTPS filtering (certificate installation required).
4. B section DNS filters add:

• AdGuard DNS (default)
• EasyList (to block banners)
• EasyPrivacy (to protect against trackers)

Important: some banks and payment systems (for example SberBank Online, Tinkoff) may block access when using a VPN or custom DNS. In this case, add them to exceptions in the settings AdGuard.

6. Clearing the browser and cache from advertising scripts

If advertising appears only in the browser (Chrome, Yandex Browser, Opera), the problem lies in:

• 🍪 Cache and cookies —advertising networks store data about your preferences.
• 🔗 Extensions — some add-ons (for example, for downloading videos) contain hidden advertising modules.
• 📌 Bookmarks and history —malicious sites can be added to bookmarks automatically.

How clear:

For Google Chrome:

1. Open ⋮ → History → Clear data.
2. Select All the time and check:

• 🗑️ "Cookies and site data"
• 🗃️ "Cached images and files"

3. Click Delete data.

For Yandex.Browser:

1. Go to ⋮ → Settings → Privacy.
2. Select Clear data → Advanced.
3. Tick the boxes next to from:

• 📋 "Visit log"
• 🍪 "Cookies"
• 🖼️ "Cache"

After cleaning, check the list of extensions (⋮ → Additional tools → Extensions) and delete suspicious ones. Pay attention to extensions with few reviews or strange names (for example, Super Video Downloader, Free VPN Proxy).

7. Reset settings: when this is the only option

If none of the methods helped, the last option remains - reset to factory settingsThis will delete all data from the device, including viruses and settings, but also erased:

• 📸 Photos and videos (if not saved in Google Photos).
• 📱 Contacts (if not synchronized with Google Account).
• 🎮 Game saves (if not linked to developer account).

How to reset:

1. Create a backup copy of important data (via Settings → System → Backup or manually).
2. Go to Settings → System → Reset settings.
3. Select Delete all data (reset to factory settings).
4. Confirm the action and wait reboot.

After a reset:

• 🔒 Do not restore data from a backup if one has been created after appearance of advertising (the virus could be saved in the backup).
• 📥 Install applications only from Google Play.
• 🛡️ Immediately install an antivirus and ad blocker.

⚠️ Attention: On some smartphones (Samsung, Xiaomi) after a reset, system advertising may remain. In this case, you will have to manually disable it, as described in section 4.

8. How to protect Android from advertising in the future

To prevent the problem from returning, follow these rules:

• 📥 Install applications only from Google Play.
  

  Even if you need pirated software, download APK only from trusted sources (APKMirror, APKPure) and check hash files.

• 🔍 Check application permissions.
  

  If the messenger requests access to SMS or Calls, and the game requests access to Contacts, this is suspicious.

• 🔄 Update the firmware regularly.
  

  Manufacturers are closing vulnerabilities through which adware penetrates. Check for updates in Settings → System → Software update.

• 🛡️ Use an ad blocker.
  

  Even if there are no ads now, AdGuard or Blokada will protect against future ones threats.

• 📶 Disable installation from unknown sources.
  

  Go to Settings → Security and deactivate the option Unknown sources.

If you often install APK files, check them before installing VirusTotal:

1. Upload the file to the site VirusTotal.
2. Wait for analysis (usually takes 1-2 minutes).
3. If more than 2-3 antiviruses show a threat (for example, AdLoad, HiddenAds), do not install the application.

💡

The most reliable method of protection is Google Play Protect. Enable it in Settings → Security → Google Play Protect and run the scan manually. This system scans installed applications for malicious code.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about advertising on Android

🔍 Why do advertisements appear even after removing all suspicious applications?

The virus is probably hidden in the system partition or has administrator rights. Try:

1. Start the smartphone in safe mode and repeat the check.
2. Use ADB to remove (instructions in section 3).
3. Reset the settings if other methods did not help.

📱 Is it possible to remove ads on the lock screen without root?

Yes, but the methods depend on the manufacturer:

• On Xiaomi: disable "MIUI Recommendations" in the theme settings.
• On Samsung: deactivate "Marketing notifications" in the notification settings.
• On Huawei: install a third-party launcher (for example, Nova Launcher).

If the advertisement remains, it could be a virus - check your device with an antivirus.

🛡️ Which antivirus best finds adware?

According to tests of 2026, the best results show:

1. Malwarebytes - specializes in adware and PUPs (potentially unwanted apps).
2. Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus - detects even deeply embedded threats.
3. Bitdefender - minimal impact on performance.

Do not use Clean Master, DU Speed Booster and similar "optimizers" - they themselves often contain advertising modules.

🔧 What to do if advertising blocks the screen and does not allow you to open the settings?

In such cases, it will help:

1. Safe Mode: hold down the power button, hold Turn off power until a request to switch to safe mode appears. Remove the virus there.
2. ADB: connect the smartphone to the PC and remove the application via the command line (instructions in section 3).
3. Hard reset: if nothing helps, perform a reset via Recovery (press Power + Volume up with the phone turned off).

📵 Why after after resetting the settings, did the advertising return?

This happens for two reasons:

1. The virus is in the backup. copies: if you restored data from a backup created by after infection, the adware could return. Do not restore backups made while the virus was active.
2. System advertising: some manufacturers (Xiaomi, Realme) build advertising into the firmware. After resetting, you need to turn it off manually (see section 4).