You might have experienced this: Surfing the web on your smartphone and a pop-up window appears on the screen, claiming you’ve won a prize or that you have a virus and you need to call a tech support number. Or maybe they’re just annoying pop-up ads that won’t go away. What gives? Has your phone been hacked or infected with malware?
Though it’s possible that your smartphone has been hacked, it’s unlikely this would cause a rash of popups. Most people would never know their phone has been hacked until they see evidence of their personal data being made use of, such as charges to their bank account or new lines of credit opened in their name. This is because a hacker will run a script to scan the phone for user data and collect that without showing any evidence of having done so.
However, there are several other reasons for an unasked-for window pops up on your smartphone. And yes, some of them are malicious. Here’s how to stop them.
Fake virus alerts
A common scam circulating among both Android and iOS users is the fake virus alert, a pop-up window that tells the user their device is infected. These alerts often look as if they are coming from Google or Apple and usually contain a ‘Remove Virus’ button linking you to a supposed security app or a phone number to call for help. The aim, of course, is to scare the user into downloading malware or, in the case of a phone number, revealing valuable personal information to ‘tech support’.
How to fix it:
Shut down the browser window or tab. Be wary of popups or bad ads that may have fake buttons that resemble the usual close button – if clicked, you could end up downloading malware. It’s best to avoid interacting with the alert at all.
Alternately, if your browser isn’t locked up, you can simply navigate away from the site, by tapping in a new URL in the toolbar.
Check what webpage you were browsing and consider avoiding it for a while – it may have been hacked in order to push these malicious alerts.
Finally, avoid accidentally landing on sketchy websites by turning up the protection in your browser:
On Chrome, head to Settings > Site (or Content) Settings > Block Pop-ups to block these.
On Safari, head to iOS Settings > Safari and toggle on Block Pop-ups and also toggle on Fraudulent Website Warning.
Hijacked websites
Unfortunately, there’s also a chance that pop-up you saw is part of a trend for ‘malvertising’ – where malware makes it into ad networks and are distributed among the network’s myriad sites.
Even reputable sites can be hijacked without site admins realizing. Hijacked sites may also redirect you to webpages you never clicked on. These pop-ups and misdirects can continue to plague your browsing experience even after you restart your browser.
How to fix it:
First, make sure you never enter any information asked for in a popup, or a website that you didn’t specifically navigate to.
If the popups or redirects to another site keep happening, shut down your browser.
On iOS, half swipe up on your iOS device (or double tap your Home button) to see all open apps, then slide your browser app away.
On Android, tap the rightmost square to see all open apps, then flick away the browser app.
Also, clear your browsing data. On Safari, head to iOS Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data. On Chrome, open the menu (triple dots), then Settings > Privacy and Security > Clear Browsing Data.
Adware infection
If your smartphone browser continues to pop up alerts despite taking the above precautions, it’s possible your phone is already infected with a type of malware called adware. Adware causes advertisements to pop up on the infected phone, forcing users to view particular pages that earn revenue based on clicks. It can also pop up advertisements for downloadable content such as games, which, if installed, can have even greater consequences for users’ data and finances.
Malware can land on phones through downloading bad apps or by surfing to a website compromised by ‘drive-by downloads’ that allow malware to install itself on a user’s device without the user having clicked on anything.
How to fix it:
To rid your Android phone of malware, the easiest way is to run an antivirus scan with a mobile security app, such as from Avast or Norton.
However, if that doesn’t sort out your pop-up problem, you may need to do a factory reset that will clear your phone of all data – including the problematic app and malware.
For to reset your iPhone, head to Settings > General > Reset and then select Erase All Content and Settings.
To reset your Android phone, head to Settings > System > Reset Options > Erase all data.
Once you’re cleared, you can focus on prevention: always update your browser and your smartphone OS. Updates usually patch vulnerabilities that can be exploited by malware.
Obnoxious ads
We’ve all seen and heard them – huge banners, sneaky auto-playing music, and unasked for pop-up windows are all examples of intrusive ads that disrupt users’ browsing experiences while providing zero benefit to their purveyor. After all, if you’re not liking, you’re not clicking.
How to fix it:
On Android: The Chrome browser for Android has a pop-up- and ad-blocker that selectively prevents intrusive ads from displaying, using the standards set by the Coalition for Better Ads. This should be on by default, but if you’re still getting obnoxious pop-ups and/or ads, head into Settings > Site Settings and tap on ‘Pop-ups and redirects’ and ‘Ads’ to disable them from displaying. Note that the blocker doesn’t block all ads – only the irritating ones.
On iOS: Chrome on iOS doesn’t have the same ad-filtering feature, but iOS users on Chrome or Safari can still avoid pop-ups. On Chrome, head to Settings> Content settings > Block Pop-ups; for Safari, head into the main Settings > Safari and toggle on Block Pop-ups.
iOS users might also want to check out an ad blocker app, like AdGuard (Free). Once downloaded, you can enable them in Settings > Safari > Extensions and toggle on the filters you want to have on.
Website notifications
The most innocuous reason for a popup is that you have allowed a website to push alerts. Sites often request permission to push alerts of new posts, and you may have agreed at some point. But fret not:
How to fix it:
On Chrome, tap the three dots in the top right, then Settings > Notifications > Sites, where you’ll see a list of sites that can send alerts. You can uncheck certain sites or disable them all from showing notifications.
Safari on iOS doesn’t allow websites to send these push notifications.
Updated on 8/30/2022 with current instructions on handling pop-ups
[Image credit: smartphone with popup ad via BigStockPhoto]
Natasha Stokes has been a technology writer for more than 10 years covering consumer tech issues, digital privacy and cybersecurity. As the features editor at TOP10VPN, she covered online censorship and surveillance that impact the lives of people around the world. Her work has also appeared on NBC News, BBC Worldwide, CNN, Time and Travel+Leisure.
