What is this floating remote icon on my screen

A

AC Question

Yesterday I noticed this floating remote icon on my screen. Looks like a remote in a gray circle. I didn't add any new apps. Anyway, if I press it my phone just freezes. All I can do is move it around.
 

kashaya18

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Feb 5, 2016
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Yes, what is it? i noticed mine this morning when i woke up, i clicked on it and it froze my screen... i had to restart my phone by holding down the power and “volume down” buttons at the same time... i accidentally touched the icon when it appeared again, and the same thing happened. Please define what it is, and how to remove it from my phone.
 

Samsung 2016

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Feb 7, 2016
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Thank you for posting this. I have no idea how this installed or why but it is gone now and I have full use of my phone again.
I had to remove the battery to restart every time if you pressed it. If you press and hold it you can be drag it out of the way but that's it.
It's like a virus or something and only the top of the screen is accessible. Just got my Note 4 a few weeks ago so thought something had gone wrong with the touch screen. Thanks again!
 

Javier P

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Feb 21, 2014
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Thank you for posting this. I have no idea how this installed or why but it is gone now and I have full use of my phone again.
I had to remove the battery to restart every time if you pressed it. If you press and hold it you can be drag it out of the way but that's it.
It's like a virus or something and only the top of the screen is accessible. Just got my Note 4 a few weeks ago so thought something had gone wrong with the touch screen. Thanks again!

That Peel remote is an app to control the IR blaster. It started to give problems to many people a few days ago. Some members have reported that the devs released an update yesterday that finally fixed the problem. You can check that in the Play Store. If you don't use the IR blaster the best thing could be keeping this app disabled.
 

redxav0073

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Feb 7, 2016
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Hi guys. I have the same problem, but i accidentally touched the icon about 15 minutes ago, and now my phone has been frozen for that long. Only the very top of the phone is available, and the rest of the screen is tinted grey and doesn't respond to any touch movements. I have a Galaxy S6 Edge, so i have no removable back and therefore can't take out the battery to restart my phone. And Kashaya18's way of holding down the volume buttons and the power buttons at the same time isn't working. What else can I do? is there another way to fully restart my phone? or manually delete the app from another device? Any suggestions or solutions would be much appreciated
 

ddddd-12

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Feb 8, 2016
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This has happened to me also. Went to sprint and they did not know about this. After 4 times I reset my phone to factory setting. Did not work. I just disabled the remote start app. Hope this works. Keep info going if you all have any problems or suggestions
 

PapaJeff2016

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Feb 8, 2016
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Thank goodness I know I'm not going crazy. It appeared yesterday, floating on my S6 Edge desktop, doubling itself to 2 icons and then creating a virtual screen protector that completely disabled my ability to do anything. I couldn't power off, restart, nothing. I've tried to attach a photo, screen shoot that I managed to get. The only way I found to defeat it was to hold the volume down button, power button and home screen button for a long time which eventually led to the Safe Mode reboot mode. Then, it disappeared. There's no sign of it. I downloaded virus software, it scanned, found nothing. This is some nasty stuff. Makes a case for that crapola Iphone!Virues S6 - 1.jpgVirus S6 - 3.jpg
 

PapaJeff2016

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As noted. Hold down the Down Volume, Power and Home Button for as long as it takes to reset. For me and others this makes the phone reboot and the Remote App thingy "seems" to be gone. I also have S6 Edge, Hmmmm...
 

Karyn_T

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Feb 8, 2016
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[SUB]I have the HTC one M9 and this thing appeared after the new update. To restart my phone I had to press and hold the volume up button and the power button. Now I'm going to try and disable this stupid thing. Hope this helps, with the power issue anyway :)[/SUB]
 

amholdahl

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Feb 8, 2016
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Galaxy S6 - Sprint
I have also been dealing with this. Sometime last week it popped up, and I had to turn my phone off with the volume down and power buttons as well. It came back today.

Today I disabled the app, cleared the data, uninstalled updates, force stopped the application, and turned off notifications for the Peel Smart Remote. The Permissions on this are INSANE.

You have some run of the mill ones such as; read phone status and identity, change audio settings, expand/collapse status bar, Wifi access, and transmitting infrared for the remote function.

But then...
Record Audio
GPS location
Read Contacts
Add and modify calendar events and send email to guests WITHOUT owners' knowledge
Read calendar events PLUS confidential information
Modify or Delete contents of SD card
Find Accounts on the device
access BlueTooth settings ( my phone would not connect my audio to my car while my bluetooth was on, showing it was connected, I wonder if it had anything to do with this app hindering or altering the connection somehow.)
Pair with bluetooth devices
Draw OVER other apps
and last but not least
Write diagnostic information

Now, if you do open the app from your Samsung folder, you can go sign in, set up a TV, etc. I wonder if setting this up would avoid the screen dysfunction....
 

CEG7668

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Feb 9, 2016
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Don't touch it!!!! I noticed the same thing today and I accidentally touched directly on it when I tried to move it out of my way and now I cannot use my phone at all :'(

Does anyone know how to re-activate touch screen after hitting this little grayed out icon that looks like a remote control or mini cell phone?

Help :'(
 
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