Play store opening when clicking on Web links

[AC Question]

I have a Galaxy S5 and today it has started opening up the playstore when you click on a link whilst using the Internet. For example if I was to Google The battle of Waterloo and press on the Wikipedia link, the play store would open and show Wikipedia's app, if I Google BBC news and click the link then their app comes up. This happens on every website I've tried that has an app. I've ran an anti virus check using avg and it was all ok and I've deleted Internet cookies but it's still doing it, anyone come across this??

 

[trash5099]

The same thing is happening to me on my Note 3 with 5.0. Just started today. Links for Wikipedia, iMDB, and TechTalk all have gone to the Google Play Store to install their respective apps. Very frustrating. Have tried clearing caches and data on various apps, but no luck. Halp!

 

[trash5099]

I discovered from another search that disabling Javascript stops this from happening. Don't know if Javascript is the problem or just the means by which the problem does its mojo, but it stops the redirect. It sucks, because it cripples the browsing experience, but it's better than being redirected from the desired site to Google Play all the time.

 

[redbaronk]

OMG! I have a note 3 and this started happening for me this weekend too... It's driving me nuts. If you click on a link from the built in Samsung browser it does this, but chrome does not suffer from it. In Google search results a click of a link opens google play store... But if I click and hold onto a link, then hit "open" the correct site opens.

I am thinking maybe an app I updated came with an ad malware, any of you here updated survivalcraft, LA fitness ap, SwiftKey, or waze this weekend?

 

[Timothy Angus]

******* annoying, started today hope someone figures it out, using Chrome for now is the quick fix

 

[trash5099]

It happens with the Samsung built-in browser and Dolphin, but not with Chrome. Haven't tried any other browsers.

 

[redbaronk]

Could this be caused by something we downloaded or updated? Any of u guys use any of those apps I mentioned? Or is this being done by Google itself?

 

[trash5099]

I have none of the apps that you mentioned. I believe it has something to do with the redirect protocol within certain browsers. If you do a Google search on this problem, you should find a thread on one of the tech sites that describes the issue. I don't know why it's suddenly started again, but like a previous poster stated, a good and easy fix for right now is to use Chrome.

 

[redbaronk]

Anyone find a solution yet besides using Chrome that I mentioned? No one knows why all of a sudden a perfectly fine browser just turned into crap?

 

[trash5099]

Actually, it went away on its own, which leads me to believe that it was a problem outside of our Android devices. Maybe a problem with some servers? Dunno. All I know is that I'm able to use the built-in Samsung browser again.

 

[redbaronk]

Not for me.. Still doing it. Ugh.

 

[trash5099]

Try clearing cache and data for your browser, then power cycle and see if that helps.

 

[redbaronk]

Already cleared cache and deleted data from Samsung browser.. Didn't work. Anyone know the location of the physical Samsung browser folder? Maybe it's worth a manual delete?