How do u uninstall the smart cleaner app

[Android Central Question]

Adds keep popping up when I'm watching a vid or going through Facebook. I can't find the smart cleaner in my apps, preventing me from deleting it.

 

[ManiacJoe]

Which phone?
Which version of android?
Which carrier?
Which "smart cleaner" app?

If the smart cleaner came with the phone, it is probably not the problem, and you probably cannot uninstall it but only disable it.

 

[Eric Wagner1]

Having the same problem. Is there an answer to this?

 

[ManiacJoe]

The same questions still apply.

 

[CalvinHJohnson]

Which phone?
Which version of android?
Which carrier?
Which "smart cleaner" app?

If the smart cleaner came with the phone, it is probably not the problem, and you probably cannot uninstall it but only disable it.

I have the same problem. My version of Android: 8.1.0; Carrier: T-Mobile; App: Smart Cleaning, version 7.0.9.

I can Force Stop the app, but it only restarts each time it scans my phone. When that happens, it pops up an advertisement first. I cannot get this stupid thing to uninstall.

 

[Javier P]

I have the same problem. My version of Android: 8.1.0; Carrier: T-Mobile; App: Smart Cleaning, version 7.0.9.

I can Force Stop the app, but it only restarts each time it scans my phone. When that happens, it pops up an advertisement first. I cannot get this stupid thing to uninstall.

Welcome to the forums. As ManiacJoe said, is this an app that came preinstalled or did you download it from the Play Store? What phone do you have?

 

[CalvinHJohnson]

Welcome to the forums. As ManiacJoe said, is this an app that came preinstalled or did you download it from the Play Store? What phone do you have?

The app came preinstalled, although I do remember it installed as part of the set up. Now it just pops up an ad each time it loads to "optimize" the phone. Can you help me remove it?

 

[CalvinHJohnson]

The app came preinstalled, although I do remember it installed as part of the set up. Now it just pops up an ad each time it loads to "optimize" the phone. Can you help me remove it?

Also, the "Disable" button for the app is greyed out.

 

[Javier P]

The app came preinstalled, although I do remember it installed as part of the set up. Now it just pops up an ad each time it loads to "optimize" the phone. Can you help me remove it?

Preinstalled apps usually can't be uninstalled, only disabled. Do you have this option available?

 

[CalvinHJohnson]

No. I go to disable the app, but the Disable option is greyed out. It does NOT appear in the Phone Administrators list.

 

[Javier P]

That probably means that this app is not causing the ads. See this guide for some ideas on how to identify the culprit.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=901497

 

[Javier P]

No. I go to disable the app, but the Disable option is greyed out. It does NOT appear in the Phone Administrators list.

Again, which phone do you have?

 

[CalvinHJohnson]

Again, which phone do you have?

I'm sorry that I left that out. It is an LG Q7+

 

[Javier P]

I'm sorry that I left that out. It is an LG Q7+

Smart cleaning is a system feature included in many LG devices. It shouldn't be the cause of those ads and, in theory, it only performs the cleaning when you select that option in your settings.

 

[CalvinHJohnson]

Hmm. When I go the App Info page for that app in my settings, all that I see are the Disable and Force Stop buttons (Disable greyed out), and nothing to let me select the option to have cleaning run. When the ad appears, I can close the ad, but the page for cleaning appears right after it, which is why I am let to believe that the ad is associated with the app.

 

[CalvinHJohnson]

Smart cleaning is a system feature included in many LG devices. It shouldn't be the cause of those ads and, in theory, it only performs the cleaning when you select that option in your settings.

Is there an app you recommend that would help me figure out which app is running that allows the ad to pop up?

 

[Javier P]

Is there an app you recommend that would help me figure out which app is running that allows the ad to pop up?

Take a look at that guide I linked before. In my experience using the running services in the Developer Options is the quickest way to find the culprit.

 

[CalvinHJohnson]

Take a look at that guide I linked before. In my experience using the running services in the Developer Options is the quickest way to find the culprit.

I looked at the Guide you provided and went into the Developer Options, Running Services sections, but could not find anything out of the ordinary. I would still welcome other suggestions.

 

[Javier P]

I looked at the Guide you provided and went into the Developer Options, Running Services sections, but could not find anything out of the ordinary. I would still welcome other suggestions.

Not sure what else to suggest. Let me check with some volunteers that own LG devices.

 

[Mooncatt]

The stock OEM Smart Cleaning app should not be sending ads, so there's a couple things to check.

First, make sure you're seeing the OEM app or one of the mirea myriad of similarly named apps in the Play store.

To access the OEM app, you go into the main phone settings, and you'll see the Smart Cleaning as one of the options. Select that as it'll bring you to its cleaning options. Tap the menu button at the top right to access the app settings. Under notification, is it set to never? If so, then we can rule that app out as the culprit.

Go to the Play store and check your installed apps. Look for anything named similar to the Smart Cleaning app. I.e. Smart Cleaner, Smart Cleaning by _____, Smart Clean, etc. Chances are that is the problem app.

If that doesn't work, wait until the ad pops up again and press the recent apps button before you clear the ad out. In the list, the most recent app would be the culprit. Press and hold the app icon on the left side of that "card" in the recent list. That would change the "X" in the upper right to an "i". Tap the "i" and it'll take you to the app's entry in the application manager, which should confirm the culprit.

Let us know what you find and if it gets you on the right track to removing the ads.