This suddenly appeared on my homescreen this morning

[sfrrr]

An advert for Open Sea (Go Down Mo) by The Pixelizers.

An ugly, cartoony widget connecting to the play store listing for this game. Who invited it??? I'd guess I installed something yesterday that left me this present last night. (Someone left you a present last night was our little attempt at humor when the puppy had an accident on this living room rug.)

I looked up The Pixelizers on the play store, but they listed only this one game.

I deleted it from my screen, but can't find it in the manage apps list. And Lookout never picked up on it. I want to make sure every uninvited bit of it is gone, and I want my personal revenge on the entity that installed that widget. (All that means is that iwant to ensure i don't do business with them ever again.) And I want a security app on my G3 that works.

I'm not happy about this.

Sent from my GT-I9300

 

[funkylogik]

use Ad Network Detector by Lookout Labs mate. it will track down the dodgy "free" apps that do things like that and let you delete them

global s3, UK. Ask me anything and ill reply even if its just an intelligent (or stupid) guess

 

[funkylogik]

install AppBrain Ad Detector for the future and it warns you as soon as you install a new app
its sometimes over sensitive and warns u about harmless permissions but look out for the ones that can add apps to homescreen or notification bar

global s3, UK. Ask me anything and ill reply even if its just an intelligent (or stupid) guess

 

[Nazty111]

can disable notifications from specific apps now with jellybean. nice touch!

 

[sfrrr]

Thanks, you guys. Lookout's ad network detector missed this one. In fact, it hasn't caught anything yet (been using it for six months, at least.) And I didn't know you could turn off app notifications one by one. The problem is that this was not a notification. It was a widget connecting to the play store. I removed it from my home screen yesterday and, so far, it hasn't returned.

It's not listed on the Manage Applications list, so I can't uninstall its master program. I want to know what app installed it on my phone without asking me.


Sent from my GT-I9300

 

[funkylogik]

youll have to think of what free apps you installed. sometimes theyre sneaky and wait a few days before pushin ad's. read reviews of free apps before u install.
A.N.D should really have caught it. did u try the appbrain one? not sure if that can run a full scan....

global s3, UK. Ask me anything and ill reply even if its just an intelligent (or stupid) guess

 

[sfrrr]

I'll try appbrain's thingy right now. I'm very careful about free apps. I read the permissions before I OK the installation. I'll bet it was the point apps I downloaded 3 or 4 days ago. I had to leave my office in a few minutes and I was trying to finish the power apps before I left.

Sent from my GT-I9300

 

[funkylogik]

p.s, you have to run an Ad Network Detector to find these apps, it doeset work in realtime, whereas the appbrain one does so maybe run a full scan with A.N.D

global s3, UK. Ask me anything and ill reply even if its just an intelligent (or stupid) guess

 

[sfrrr]

Got it. Thanks. Am running a scan right now.

Sent from my GT-I9300

 

[sfrrr]

Update: the app brain security program is detecting more things than lookout did (and gives me more info). Ago I've uninstalled lookout and (separately) uninstalled my premium subscription.

Sent from my GT-I9300

 

[funkylogik]

yeah appbrain detects a lot of things but remember most of its harmless permissions that an app needs to perform its function

global s3, UK. Ask me anything and ill reply even if its just an intelligent (or stupid) guess

 

[sfrrr]

Thanks. I realize that. It's the fate of PC security programs but I prefer too much info to not enough.

Sent from my GT-I9300

 

[funkylogik]

defo mate

(definately, aquantance)

global s3, UK. Ask me anything and ill reply even if its just an intelligent (or stupid) guess

 

[Frank Noonan]

Just tried 'appbrain', found out it was 'tubemate' pushing ads to desktop/homescreen ! Thanks.