S4 downloading files w/o my permission!

[graysonk95]

Today I got home from work and took my phone out of Airplane mode, plugged it into the wall and the usual download arrow started running in my notification bar. I figured it was just Google Play updating apps (I have it set to auto-update when charging), however no apps are installing.
The download manager is trying to download three files called "video", "video", and "video" but it is making no progress.
There's no way for me to tell what app is trying to download these files. All I can do is force close Download Manager only to have it start downloading them again.
Nobody else seems to have this issue, so I'm left deleting random suspicious apps which aren't the culprits.

How can I tell what app is causing these downloads and stop them?!

Posted via Android Central App

 

[UJ95x]

Sounds like it might be an app that's downloading videos to your phone for whatever reason. Reboot your phone into safe mode (When turning it on, hold your finger over where the menu button should be) and see if it still happens. If it does, uninstall any apps you have downloaded recently until you find the offending one.

 

[Kelly Burby]

Today I got home from work and took my phone out of Airplane mode, plugged it into the wall and the usual download arrow started running in my notification bar. I figured it was just Google Play updating apps (I have it set to auto-update when charging), however no apps are installing.
The download manager is trying to download three files called "video", "video", and "video" but it is making no progress.
There's no way for me to tell what app is trying to download these files. All I can do is force close Download Manager only to have it start downloading them again.
Nobody else seems to have this issue, so I'm left deleting random suspicious apps which aren't the culprits.

How can I tell what app is causing these downloads and stop them?!

Posted via Android Central App

Well if the Google play is downloading the application, automatically means you have given it the permission to update the application over the WiFi or mobile networks. You can switch it off by going into the Google Play store settings. Rest the application video, video and video is concerned tell me one thing have you installed any application named video, video ... in your device ? If the answer is no I think someone else might be using gmail account because next comes is the gmail only that can give the permission to install application remotely. :O

 

[UJ95x]

Well if the Google play is downloading the application, automatically means you have given it the permission to update the application over the WiFi or mobile networks. You can switch it off by going into the Google Play store settings. Rest the application video, video and video is concerned tell me one thing have you installed any application named video, video ... in your device ? If the answer is no I think someone else might be using gmail account because next comes is the gmail only that can give the permission to install application remotely. :O

He mentioned that it's not apps that are downloading, but files from online. It is possible to remote install apps from the Play Store, but not remote download files from browsers...

 

[Kelly Burby]

He mentioned that it's not apps that are downloading, but files from online. It is possible to remote install apps from the Play Store, but not remote download files from browsers...

Well, you've put me in a confusion now I am not able to decide what's going on !! At first I was thinking the problem might be at the PlayStore but remote download files from browser, seriously no idea about it. Still I think this might be because of some application so I would say why don't OP tried installing an antivirus and check for the buggy application or ..... :O

 

[UJ95x]

Well, you've put me in a confusion now I am not able to decide what's going on !! At first I was thinking the problem might be at the PlayStore but remote download files from browser, seriously no idea about it. Still I think this might be because of some application so I would say why don't OP tried installing an antivirus and check for the buggy application or ..... :O

That's why I recommended that he reboot into safe mode. If the issue is gone, that means it's a third party app causing the problem

 

[Kelly Burby]

That's why I recommended that he reboot into safe mode. If the issue is gone, that means it's a third party app causing the problem

Yes I do think that might be the best solution for the OP. It will eliminate the confusion that is occurring in the mind of us as well as the OP.

 

[graysonk95]

All of this is very strange.
To address some confusion, yes this is NOT Google Play downloading files, and yes I do have Antivirus installed (AVG).
I tried a couple spam app detectors and they came up empty and I also changed my Google password.

I let my phone rest overnight; at that point the download manager had two downloads- the three videos from an unknown app and Flipboard (from Google Play) was queued to update after the 3 videos finished.
I just woke up 6 hours later and all four items were still queued with no progress being made, so I force stopped the DM and cleared its data.
After I did so, the DM restarted itself and my apps began updating and successfully completed.
So far there's no sign of the videos.

This problem is unrelated to Google Play, something was hogging the download manager.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[graysonk95]

Update:
4 hours later when I plugged into the wall the download arrow started going, this time download six files named "video".
I still have no way to find the app that is queuing these downloads which never start.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[UJ95x]

Update:
4 hours later when I plugged into the wall the download arrow started going, this time download six files named "video".
I still have no way to find the app that is queuing these downloads which never start.

Posted via Android Central App

I mentioned above that you should reboot your phone into safe mode, to make sure that it is in fact a third party app causing this. If the issue is still there, then it's something else and a factory reset might be in order.

Sent from my Galaxy S4 running SlimKat 4.4.2

 

[avion2007]

Download 'network log' from the play store. Will tell you what app or process is using bandwidth and how much.
Hth

...

Sent from my SM-G900H using Tapatalk

 

[avion2007]

Sorry, that's root only.

For non root use 'network connections' by Anti Spy Mobile.

...

Sent from my SM-G900H using Tapatalk

 

[graysonk95]

I mentioned above that you should reboot your phone into safe mode, to make sure that it is in fact a third party app causing this. If the issue is still there, then it's something else and a factory reset might be in order.

I guess I'll give this a try next.
Even if I do find out it is 3rd party, I have no way of figuring out which app it is.

@avion2007- Thanks for the idea, but network log won't be of any help.
These "video" files aren't downloading, they're persistently queued to download.
They never actually start downloading.

An app that tells me what apps have files queued in the download manager would be ideal, but no such app exists to my knowledge.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[UJ95x]

I guess I'll give this a try next.
Even if I do find out it is 3rd party, I have no way of figuring out which app it is.

@avion2007- Thanks for the idea, but network log won't be of any help.
These "video" files aren't downloading, they're persistently queued to download.
They never actually start downloading.

An app that tells me what apps have files queued in the download manager would be ideal, but no such app exists to my knowledge.

Posted via Android Central App

In that case you'd have to individually uninstall them until you find out which one it is. Do you have a lot?

Sent from my Galaxy S4 running SlimKat 4.4.2

 

[SpookDroid]

This is probably a webpage you opened with a video file that 'got stuck' in the browser (remember, closing the browser actually doesn't close the tabs, they stay open... I hate this behavior, but it's how it works on mobile, it seems). I've had something like that happen to me once or twice when updating SwiftKey beta, which sends you a link to the download page. The link, for some reason, stays 'open' and every time I opened the browser, it would re-spawn the download. Here's what I'd try:

1) Go to the Application Manager in your settings, scroll to the 'All' tab and find "Download Manager". Clear cache and/or data (just make sure you've backed up your downloaded files elsewhere just in case).
2) If that didn't do it, find the browser you have installed in your phone and clear cache/data for those.

 

[graysonk95]

Booted into safe mode and as soon as lovely Touchwiz loaded up, the first icon in the notification bar was the six downloads. This is definitely a problem with the download manager itself.

@Spookdroid- I have cleared the DM cache and data 5 times now and it always comes back.
I'll try clearing everything from all of my browsers and see if it makes a difference.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[graysonk95]

Cleared all of my browser's data and it seems to have gone away.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[graysonk95]

Nope, it's back again. This is going to drive me crazy.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[graysonk95]

I cleared the DM cache again and this time taking a screenshot seemed to trigger the 6 videos.
Along with them, a "Preparing Network" notification appeared and quickly vanished. Possibly related?

So far I have determined:
-It is no 3rd party app causing this (it happened in safe mode)
-It's not related to apps updating nor does it interefere with other downloads
-The "videos" do not actually download, the 'thinking' bar just runs like they are queued to download
-It is not a browser causing it
-It is very annoying

Posted via Android Central App

 

[UJ95x]

I cleared the DM cache again and this time taking a screenshot seemed to trigger the 6 videos.
Along with them, a "Preparing Network" notification appeared and quickly vanished. Possibly related?

So far I have determined:
-It is no 3rd party app causing this (it happened in safe mode)
-It's not related to apps updating nor does it interefere with other downloads
-The "videos" do not actually download, the 'thinking' bar just runs like they are queued to download
-It is not a browser causing it
-It is very annoying

Posted via Android Central App

The only thing I can suggest then is that you perform a factory reset :-\
Back up your personal data first.

Sent from my Galaxy S4 running SlimKat 4.4.2