Unknown Russian app

[GD Livo]

Every now and then I have this "app" on my phone screen when I first wake it up in the morning. I then get system messages that the System UI is not responding. Biometrics doesn't recognise and PIN fails as well. I have to Restart the phone. I have a screen shot of the phone but I can't see anywhere here to attach images.
When first appearing there is some Russian Text in what appears to be a "chat". This immediately disappears. I'll try to describe the "app".
It takes up bottom 2/3 of phone screen, mainly white with a blue band across bottom. The middle section has an oval shaped button with 3 icons being the Google Lens, microphone and keyboard. Lens and keyboard are grey but microphone is colour (active maybe). Outside the oval on the right is the symbol for the mapping compass. Above the compass is Russian text that looks like 3AeCb. The "A" is not an A but more like 2 x 3 line rectangle shapes, one on top of the other. The "e" is the same size as uppercase.
Across the left side of the blue band are 3 "words" and a larger word on the right hand side. I don't have Russian characters on my PC.
The large / uppercase word looks like "HAYATb" but the Y is not the same as an English Y. The nearest I can get to the smaller 3 words is
"PacwNpbTe BO3MOKKHOCTM AccNCTeHTa" These are not the exact character set.
Any clues what this might be and how to get rid of it would be helpful.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Welcome to Android Central.

What device do you have? Has this unusual text always been there, or is it something new? Have you installed any new apps recently?

 

[J Dubbs]

It sounds like those Ruskies have you by the short hairs

 

[GD Livo]

It is a Sony Xperia G8141. No. It has not always been there and this is either the third or 4th time I've experienced it in the last few months. Every couple of weeks or so, it just pops up. I have no idea what it is or where it came from. I have not installed any new apps or done anything unusual with this phone.


When it first opens there is other Russian style text in the blank white top section but it disappears.

 

[belodion]

Google Lens and Google Translate working together reveal that the meaning of the words in the blue box is "Expand your Assistant. Start."
The word above on the right means "Here".

 

[anon(50597)]

It looks like Google Assistant in Russian.

 

[GD Livo]

Ok, thanks. That's good to know. Why is it starting up by itself (while I'm asleep) in Russian? Why does the System UI fail when it is running? My secure phone biometrics and PIN fail to open the phone and the only option is to press the side button to select either Power Off, Restart or Screen Shot. I have never used Google Assistant in English, let alone Russian.

I've just checked my phone and it doesn't appear that the "Assistant" app is even installed. I have the option to install it from Google Play Store. I have not installed it which makes it very concerning to me that it is opening and operating on my phone, in Russian, while I'm asleep.

I have AVG Protection (Free version) and a scan reveals no threats. I'm not convinced this is something to ignore but I have no idea how to find what is going on.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! You don't need a separate Assistant app to be installed -- it's all part of the Google app.

The Xperia XZ Premium is 5 years old, so it's possible some update to the Google app is not playing nice with the phone's out-of-date firmware.

Open your Google app, then tap your profile pic at the upper right, then Settings>Google Assistant>Languages. What's selected there?

 

[GD Livo]

Well that's great, I can choose Russian or North Korean (possibly Chinese! I don't know). However, it appears that my phone wants to belong to a communist network. This is fairly odd as my phone language and region are set for Australia.



Anyway B. Diddy, you have been a great help. I'll change those settings.

Any idea why this would be starting up in the middle of the night and causing System User Interface crashes and requiring restarts?

 

[B. Diddy]

That's pretty odd. What country are you in?

Try clearing the Google app's cache/data. Go to Settings>App, select the Google app, then Storage, then Clear Cache/Clear Data, and then Force Stop. Now open Google again and give it a few seconds to sync with your Google account again. Does the same thing happen?

 

[GD Livo]

I'm in Australia. I'll proceed with suggested procedure and let you know how it looks.

Again, thanks.

 

[B. Diddy]

I'm curious about the Beta message there -- are you using the main Google app, or did you also install the separate Google Assistant app? I just use the main Google app on my Pixel 6 Pro (which includes Assistant), and I'm part of the Beta program, and I don't get that little message.

If you installed the Google Assistant app separately (and joined that Beta program), then consider uninstalling it and seeing if you can access Assistant through the main Google app instead.

 

[GD Livo]

I did nothing. I installed nothing and I don't use the google app. I know it's there in the background as I'm logged on using my google account (Gmail address). I use the phone as a phone for calls, I send and receive sms and mms messages, it has email setup but it's a pain so I rarely read emails on it, I have Facebook Messenger for our family chat group. When I do rarely browse the internet I use Chrome. There are a few other apps for required gov't services and bank etc.

I have not installed google assistant or engaged beta versions.

 

[B. Diddy]

Hmm, that's odd. Usually, you have to opt in for beta features.

What's the app version number for your Google app?

 

[mustang7757]

Do other people have access to your phone?

 

[GD Livo]

I have cleared the cache and forced stop. When restarted the language has remained at English.

Mustang7757, No. Other people live in our family home but nobody uses my phone and it is usually only opened using my fingerprint biometric or sometimes my PIN. Both of these fail when this Google Assistant app starts itself in Rusky. I've never seen the Oriental symbol language occur.

Hopefully, changing the language will help.

I think this is the right version number: 13.30.26.arm64. (Google app / Settings / About)

Incidentally, it is probably close to 2 years (or possibly more) since I was required to perform a factory reset. This was under instruction from Sony Tech Support as my notifications sounds stopped working and nothing they could suggest would fix it.

 

[mustang7757]

I have cleared the cache and forced stop. When restarted the language has remained at English.

Mustang7757, No. Other people live in our family home but nobody uses my phone and it is usually only opened using my fingerprint biometric or sometimes my PIN. Both of these fail when this Google Assistant app starts itself in Rusky. I've never seen the Oriental symbol language occur.

Hopefully, changing the language will help.

I think this is the right version number: 13.30.26.arm64. (Google app / Settings / About)

Incidentally, it is probably close to 2 years (or possibly more) since I was required to perform a factory reset. This was under instruction from Sony Tech Support as my notifications sounds stopped working and nothing they could suggest would fix it.

Ok had to ask sometimes kids can be sneaky or Adults acting like kids lol

 

[B. Diddy]

I have cleared the cache and forced stop. When restarted the language has remained at English.

Mustang7757, No. Other people live in our family home but nobody uses my phone and it is usually only opened using my fingerprint biometric or sometimes my PIN. Both of these fail when this Google Assistant app starts itself in Rusky. I've never seen the Oriental symbol language occur.

Hopefully, changing the language will help.

I think this is the right version number: 13.30.26.arm64. (Google app / Settings / About)

Incidentally, it is probably close to 2 years (or possibly more) since I was required to perform a factory reset. This was under instruction from Sony Tech Support as my notifications sounds stopped working and nothing they could suggest would fix it.

I'm currently on 13.30.10.29. See if there's an update right now.

 

[Mr Bojangles1]

Go settings->Google settings->settings for Google apps->search, assistant & voice->language and region->search language->set to English (us).

 

[GD Livo]

Mr B, sorry for the delay in replying. Language was already set to English. but thanks anyway.

Update: Early last night the Google assistant app started itself again with the same screen but this time it was in English. I was able to just close it and there was no issue with needing to restart the phone. This time the phone was in my pocket and not sitting on the bench. I have no idea why it just appears when I do nothing.