Ok Google enrollment pops up randomly and interrupts anything im doing

[Android Central Question]

This question was asked once before by someone else and it went nowhere. So here's the situation.

I cought ok Google enrollment on my multitasking thing and it's been happening since I factory reset. I have an HTC u11 "life" with the edge sense USA veriant, and this issue first happened maybe two weeks ago.

I've disabled ok Google detection and I've even tried to disable verious Google related apps in the settings. I don't even know what ok Google enrollment is and I've not been able to find anything out about it anywhere. I hope by posting this, any one else experiencing this same issue would benefit from it as well.

The issue is, my screen flashes white and has the same animation of if you switch apps super fast. In a fraction of a second. J happened to catch it twice and I even took a screenshot of the app in question. It has my home screen in the app image with "ok Google enrollment" in the banner with the standard blue of the Google app.

It's really annoying and I can't do anything tasking, or generally anything. Most notably it's in chrome or YouTube, Infact it happens again typing out this sentence.

If there's anything else you need from me I'll do my best to update you on this increasingly annoying issue...

 

[B. Diddy]

Re: Ok Google enrollment pops up randomly and interrupts anything im doing, please help.

Welcome to Android Central! "Ok Google" is Google Assistant, one of Google's most prominent features on any Android phone. You can read about it here: https://support.google.com/assistant/?hl=en#topic=7546466

It looks like on the U11 Life, pressing and holding Home or the fingerprint sensor will try to launch Google Assistant. Since you haven't set it up, it would first prompt you to set it up. So this might be happening because you're inadvertently pressing and holding Home or the fingerprint sensor. https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...esnt-respond-to-ok-google.html&token=a1iLKgKe

 

[Notsurewhattoputhere]

Re: Ok Google enrollment pops up randomly and interrupts anything im doing, please help.

Hi. I'm the op.

So let's get into this. I set up assistant, I set up my lock screen and I set up everything else at the HTC setup at launch. Okay Google anywhere doesn't seem to have support on my device. It comes out of box with Alexa, and as I can remember, Google assistant doesn't come pre-enabled.

This device isn't supported by HTC nor is it receiving updates as of March. The last supported security update is March first with Android 8.0. it is not Android one and is stock.

If I'm being completely honest, support for this device is ultra slim, and I'm very sure I'm this isn't the only device with this issue. I don't believe it has anything to do with Google assistant or Google it's self, though I could be wrong. It uses the old classic blue "g" logo of googles old pre-jellybean Android os.

 

[B. Diddy]

Re: Ok Google enrollment pops up randomly and interrupts anything im doing, please help.

From what I read about the Life, it's supposed to work with both Google Assistant and HTC's customized Alexa integration. You mentioned that you set up assistant -- do you mean that you enabled and set up Google Assistant, or did the phone prompt you only to set up Alexa at launch?

Open the Google app, tap Menu>Settings>Google Assistant Settings>Phone. Is there a Voice Match section there? If so, make sure Access with Voice Match is turned on, which is essentially "Ok Google everywhere."

Can you also clarify if long-pressing the Home button or fingerprint sensor tries to launch Google Assistant?

 

[Notsurewhattoputhere]

Re: Ok Google enrollment pops up randomly and interrupts anything im doing, please help.

Yes, assistant has been working since I set it up at launch as well as skipped the additional setup of Alexa that was force enabled at default so, it wanted me to use and prefer Alexa as the default assistant... Wasn't happy about that as soon as I bought the phone.

This has only been happening since maybe 3 weeks ago as I've had the phone for maybe 3 months tops.

I had the voice recognition thing on from the start until maybe 5 or 6 weeks ago, idk sometime at the beginning of last month, when I some how got an AdSense virus or something, where ads would randomly pop up whenever I would tap in the screen or leave it sitting idle, even when my phone was locked. So I factory reset and it was fine for 2 weeks, and I suddenly started getting these random ok Google enrollment flashes the beginning of this month...

Oh and it so happens if I'm in multitasking mode, where two apps are open, the pop-up will still happen but will be tossed into the app switch/multitasking menu.

Is it possible that it might be related to the ad thing?

 

[B. Diddy]

I'm not sure why it would prompt you to enroll in OK Google if you've already set up Google Assistant. The next time it happens, take a screenshot and show it to us: http://forums.androidcentral.com/ge...ide-how-post-screenshots-android-central.html

 

[Notsurewhattoputhere]

I took that on the 23rd, it's exactly the same whenever it pops up, depending on what app I'm using while or whatever I'm doing. The thumbnail of the app is the same as the screen on whatever it is. One time I was watching TV on my spectrum app, which doesn't let me take screenshots of, but even that "captures" it, I won't be able to replicate it as it happens absolutely randomly and the spectrum app doesn't support spit app mode.. which is the best way I can catch the enrollment app, as it pops up "this app may not support split app mode" or something like that

 

[B. Diddy]

Aha, that's helpful to see. That makes me suspect it's some kind of adware or browser popup ad. You're correct, that "g" logo is really outdated, so it's highly unlikely an official Google app would still be using it. [see later post for correction]

Does this happen in Safe Mode as well? https://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-36632. This will temporarily disable any 3rd party apps (including adware). If the behavior goes away in Safe Mode, then something you installed is causing the problem. You may have to uninstall apps one by one to pinpoint the culprit.

 

[Notsurewhattoputhere]

So I went in safe mode, and noticed that assistant wasn't enabled and it wasn't happening.. I uninstalled a few apps after a few hours, mainly just cause I needed to, but it wouldn't make much difference. I restarted out of safemode and it happened almost immediately after I unlocked and launched YouTube, so I disabled assistant out of frustration, and to my surprise I haven't had the pop-up all day today or last night. I'm not sure why or what happened with assistant but I'm simply annoyed... Whatever the case it's fine for now... I guess I can live without assistant

Thanks for your help, really, it saved me maybe $400+ for a new phone!

 

[B. Diddy]

Ok, glad it's ok for you now, but I'm still not sure what was going on. If you decide to reactivate Google Assistant and still have problems, let us know.

 

[Notsurewhattoputhere]

Oof. So I just literally 1 minute ago just got the thing again, watching YouTube and suddenly it goes to the home screen, Google play finished an update and that second literally as that happened it booped me onto my home screen and put YouTube in pip. Oof just oof

It just happened again when I went to update this post and it's definitely still around. I've uninstalled everything that didn't come with the phone and disabled anything else that I don't use, can't disable any HTC apps and they're listed in the installed apps because they're updated and considered not factory apps. This HTC os is a heaping pile of "korian innovation".
But it does not happen in safe mode. So I'm extra salty and confused on that.

 

[B. Diddy]

Hmm, so it looks like I was completely wrong earlier. "Ok Google Enrollment" is in fact a legitimate system app -- I just looked at my Pixel 2 XL, and it's there, along with the oddly out-of-date "g" logo. To find it on your phone, go to Settings>Apps​, tap Menu>Show System, and then look for it. Now select it and tap Disable, and see if that helps.

 

[Notsurewhattoputhere]

Omfg thanks!!!!!
I completely forgot about the system apps button! Oof! This might help people out.

Thanks again!

 

[B. Diddy]

Sure thing! Can you tell yet if disabling that app gets rid of the problem?

 

[vincible]

Hmm, so it looks like I was completely wrong earlier. "Ok Google Enrollment" is in fact a legitimate system app -- I just looked at my Pixel 2 XL, and it's there, along with the oddly out-of-date "g" logo. To find it on your phone, go to Settings>Apps​, tap Menu>Show System, and then look for it. Now select it and tap Disable, and see if that helps.

Just signed up to comment on this.

I've had this issue since I got my phone. Thank you so very much, you have got no idea how much I appreciate this!

 

[Val V]

So this phone is a Motorola z2 play. And this problem doesn't interfere with the operation or other apps but concerned me. THANK-YOU SO MUCH for figuring out that it is ligit. Totally makes me relax about it!
I too signed up just so I could say thanks.

 

[gamingblob]

Hmm, so it looks like I was completely wrong earlier. "Ok Google Enrollment" is in fact a legitimate system app -- I just looked at my Pixel 2 XL, and it's there, along with the oddly out-of-date "g" logo. To find it on your phone, go to Settings>Apps​, tap Menu>Show System, and then look for it. Now select it and tap Disable, and see if that helps.

For some reason, I can't tap on disable only "force stop" :/

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! In that case, it's a system app that you can't Disable.

 

[Javier P]

For some reason, I can't tap on disable only "force stop" :/

Do you have Google Assistant enabled? It's possible that you can't disable that app when the Assistant is enabled.

 

[gamingblob]

Do you have Google Assistant enabled? It's possible that you can't disable that app when the Assistant is enabled.

Nevermind I found out how to disable it. Thanks for your help!