Question Problems with PDF Reader apps, can you help please?

[rogerbid]

Hi Everyone,

I am writing to try to get help for a problem on my wife's Samsung A8 Tablet (SM-X200).

For sometime now my wife has enjoyed using two apps, Codewords and Wordscapes, without any problems. Lately though she has been getting frequent popups suggesting an update is required for an app titled "All PDF Reader". The popups vary a bit, sometimes she is given the option to install an update or alternativley to 'Fix Problems'.

These popups became so intrusive (and seemed to relate to other PDF apps) as well and in desparation I uninstalled ALL the PDF reader apps completely. With no PDF apps the two apps she enjoys ran for a day with no problems and now the popups are back.

If we click on the tab to 'update' nothing much changes and the popups continue, and the same applies if we click 'Fix Problems'. Checking the Apps listed in Device Maintenance shows there are now 2 apps installed, both titled "All PDF Reader" yet one is shown as 144MB and the olther is 150MB

Can anyone explain what exactly is happening and suggest a way to resolve the issue?

Thanks and Christmas wishes to everyone,

Roger B

 

[SeeBeeEss]

It sounds as if your problem may be pop-up ads for All PDF Reader delivered from either Wordscapes or Codewords. I don't know anything about the Codewords app, but I used to use Wordscapes and I do know that the free version delivers a lot of ads. There has also been a bit of anger directed at Wordscapes over at Reddit, where users indicate that they are getting pop-up ads even when they have the paid version of the app. In all likelihood, when you tapped the popups that said "update" or "fix problems," you were actually installing the All PDF Reader from a pop-up ad.

To troubleshoot the popups issue, first uninstall the 2 new All PDF Reader apps. Then uninstall Wordscapes. Restart the device and monitor to see if the pop-up ads are now gone. If they aren't, uninstall Codewords, restart and monitor if the pop-up ads are now gone. If uninstalling one of your wife's favourite apps fixes the pop-up issue, you will have to decide if you 1) are willing to live without a favourite app, 2) are willing to accept the popups as a condition of using the app (just don't press anything that pops up), 3) want to investigate and purchase an ad blocker (which may have its own set of problems), 4) want to risk purchasing an ad-free version of the offending app to see if that helps.

You can also probably reinstall one (should be enough) of the PDF apps you uninstalled to try and correct the original pop up issue.

Happy holidays to you and yours.

 

[rogerbid]

It sounds as if your problem may be pop-up ads for All PDF Reader delivered from either Wordscapes or Codewords. I don't know anything about the Codewords app, but I used to use Wordscapes and I do know that the free version delivers a lot of ads. There has also been a bit of anger directed at Wordscapes over at Reddit, where users indicate that they are getting pop-up ads even when they have the paid version of the app. In all likelihood, when you tapped the popups that said "update" or "fix problems," you were actually installing the All PDF Reader from a pop-up ad.

To troubleshoot the popups issue, first uninstall the 2 new All PDF Reader apps. Then uninstall Wordscapes. Restart the device and monitor to see if the pop-up ads are now gone. If they aren't, uninstall Codewords, restart and monitor if the pop-up ads are now gone. If uninstalling one of your wife's favourite apps fixes the pop-up issue, you will have to decide if you 1) are willing to live without a favourite app, 2) are willing to accept the popups as a condition of using the app (just don't press anything that pops up), 3) want to investigate and purchase an ad blocker (which may have its own set of problems), 4) want to risk purchasing an ad-free version of the offending app to see if that helps.

You can also probably reinstall one (should be enough) of the PDF apps you uninstalled to try and correct the original pop up issue.

Happy holidays to you and yours.

Hi to you all,

Thanks for the quick reply and for the helpful suggestions. I will follow your instructions and see how things go,

Thanks again and Happy Christmas to all

 

[intelligent_zombie]

i think the best reader app Adobe Acrobat Reader adobe originally developed pdf in 1992, it will give you a more stability without pop up updates

 

[IsHacker]

i think the best reader app Adobe Acrobat Reader adobe originally developed pdf in 1992, it will give you a more stability without pop up updates

Not recommended. I'd recommend MJ PDF Viewer or MuPDF.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Could those apps be found in ads within those games? Is she tapping on an ad whilst playing one or both of those games?