Google Play Opens to an Ad Every Time I unlock my Phone - Google Pixel

[Android Central Question]

Every time I unlock my phone it opens the Google Play Store and specifically to Live Case.

I have tried the following things:

Booting in safe mode - Result: Still opens to google play store

Factory Reset and reload back up - Result: Still opens google play store to same ad

Download Live Case - Result: opens google maps every time I unlock phone

Force Stop, Uninstall, delete data for all none google apps - Result: opens google play store to same ad.

Delete cookies and data from chrome on Desktop and Phone - Result: open google play store and same ad.

Disable google play store - Result: Opens an error related to a tag file.

Remove ad preferences in google - Result: Opens google play store and same ad.

Check Running Apps - Result no none google running apps.

Checking Memory Used in running services after leaving phone alone and opening - Result: Settings, Android System, com.qualcomm.qcrilmsgtunnel, bluetooth, google play services, carrier services, android services library, data transfer tool and gboard.

Help! I do not know what to do next! I am out of apps to remove and services to check!

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! That's odd -- it shouldn't happen in Safe Mode, unless you got malware installed to the root somehow. Have you installed any apps from outside the Play Store lately, or tapped on any suspicious popups?

You could try doing another factory reset, and make sure you don't restore anything from a backup -- set it up like a brand new phone.