Question Locket App Bombarded with Ads Wont stay uninstalled

[Lexalyn]

I have an AOCWEI tablet. No problems until a few weeks ago. I started getting bombarded with Ads. After trying several malware/antivirus apps that failed to find the issue, Play Protect picked up a App called Locket. The description says it uses my device to commit advertising fraud. Locket App has installed itself into my system folder. I've used uninstall but it keeps coming back. I've found it in my system Apps and uninstalled it from there. It came back. I did a full system restore and it still there. I have removed all permissions but it won't go away. How do I get rid of it for good?

PS tablet is factory, not rooted, I've never downloaded from 3rd party only Google Play store.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! I wouldn't be surprised if this was due to something baked into the device's firmware (e.g., a system app that automatically installs various kinds of bloatware/adware). The fact that it's an off-brand device from China makes it suspect.

See if you can boot into Safe Mode: https://www.androidauthority.com/how-to-enter-safe-mode-android-801476/. If you can, then uninstall that app, and keep using the tablet in Safe Mode (unfortunately, you won't be able to use any 3rd party apps during this test period). If that app doesn't reinstall in the usual time frame, that would suggest that some other 3rd party app on the device is responsible. But if it does reinstall, that would suggest something in the system is responsible.

 

[Mooncatt]

I'll second the motion that this is likely baked into the OS by the manufacturer. Those "companies" with random letter names are known to sell dirt cheap Android devices like this, where they modify the OS to include adware that you are unable to fully remove. That's how they make their money, on the ads and not the device.

My suggestion would be to replace it with something name brand that you can trust.