Warning about critically low memory

[Android Central Question]

I bought a new Google Pixel 2 in August. This evening while using an app on my phone, a robot voice (not the Assistant voice) out of nowhere said that my phone was running on "critically low memory" and then the Google app store opened up to an app it suggest I download.

I instinctively shut everything down thinking it was phishing or something. But I just wanted to ask here if this is something I should be concerned about?

I was able to check and the average memory use in the last three hours is 2.5GB out of 3.8 GB. I have no idea what that means.

 

[Ampo2222]

I've had no luck with those. A factory reset didn't help either. I'll try checking running services next time it happens to see if I can find anything but I presume that it won't help either otherwise that as a successful solution would have been posted here already I'm thinking.

 

[Ampo2222]

Happened to me with do not disturb enabled... which makes it even more creepy.

 

[fuji0309]

I have an HTC 10. Yesterday this happened to me as well. My phone was sitting on my desk, not being used and suddenly this voice started warning me of low memory on my phone. I dont download any apps from anywhere other than the Playstore. Adware sounds totally plausible. Has anyone potentially learned anything more about this?

 

[CTS_AE]

I just had this happen to me this morning. At first I thought it was a virus, but now after reading this it is obviously not from any specific app. It must be coming through something like an ad network, but it is weird because I didn't have anything open at this time in the foreground. I wonder if it's through the browser or an app. It's only a matter of time that someone can continue exploiting this before it gets patched I assume. Hopefully it's fixed soon enough though. Until then we're at the mercy of this bug. Formatting your device won't fix anything.

 

[Jon York]

I just got this warning tonight - and very happy to have found this thread talking about it exactly!

Anyway, just wanted to post so I can get updates on new comments.

I don't think it has anything to do with a web page. My web browser wasn't open when it came in. And the only thing new that I've installed recently is the Samsung system update which got installed late last night. Other than that I haven't installed any new apps in ages. (3-4 months).

 

[Mooncatt]

Other than that I haven't installed any new apps in ages. (3-4 months).

Have you recently updated any existing apps? If this is associated with apps, it's possible an existing app got an update that included this.

 

[Ampo2222]

I wonder how many of us are on the latest security patch? I'm still on the October patch myself, maybe that will take care of it?

 

[ludwig_gaspar]

Hi all.
Just happened to me too. Scared the **** out of me of me Haha. Im brand new to android, so all this malware and adware stuff is s little confusing, but I'll get there. Loving Samsung thus far!

 

[Ampo2222]

Hi all.
Just happened to me too. Scared the **** out of me of me Haha. Im brand new to android, so all this malware and adware stuff is s little confusing, but I'll get there. Loving Samsung thus far!

Welcome to Android. I've been having this exact issue as well, my first intrusive adware with over 9 years using various Android devices. It looks like the browser might be the culprit, or atleast a site/ad visited. Try clearing the cashe/cookies/browsing history in the settings. A user on a Reddit thread is reporting 6 days free of this issue since doing that. I just cleared mine yesterday so fingers crossed.

Hopefully the next security patch blocks this annoying pop up.

 

[KColvin]

I have had the same thing for a few weeks deleted all cache from browser and with holding volume up, home and power from off state...

It was gone for over a week but is back now and pissing me off. It cost me auctions I was bidding on as it redirected me with 3 seconds left on auctions and was on ebay app not browser.

google should throw the app from the playstore nothing on my phone should take me away from anything I am on to try and get me to download something.

 

[Ampo2222]

I have had the same thing for a few weeks deleted all cache from browser and with holding volume up, home and power from off state...

It was gone for over a week but is back now and pissing me off. It cost me auctions I was bidding on as it redirected me with 3 seconds left on auctions and was on ebay app not browser.

google should throw the app from the playstore nothing on my phone should take me away from anything I am on to try and get me to download something.

You may have clicked on the same sort of thing that caused it before? So far clearing the cashed, history, cookies has worked for me but I'm also not clicking on stuff I suspect may have infected the browser to begin with.

As for the redirect itself, someone else was saying that the app doesn't actually exist on the PlayStore so it's been removed already if it ever did. Seems like it's trying to trick people into clicking on "install" and who knows what that will get you.

I'll report back if it does return on my device again though.

 

[jazzfog]

Got the same message today,
this is unacceptable, Google must fix that!

 

[VidJunky]

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and a good antivius app to start.

Malwarebites I agree with, but use it and delete it. I don't think I'm alone when I say that the majority of the Android community will agree that virus apps are a complete waste. They prey on our instinctual culture of anti virus for your PC culture because they are vulnerable. Android is not as spectacle to viruses and 99 out of 100 issues with Android are bad apps or apps with too many permissions that take advantage of users. This issue is obviously one such case. Someone is getting credit for redirecting you to the app page, and get more credit if they've scared you into downloading the POS app that I'm sure it is. Check the reviews probably just as many 1 star reviews as 5. You also have to be cautious of these redirects because they will rename themselves making it very difficult to uninstall them. All I can say is be cautious about what you download and critical of permissions you allow apps to have. I mean does a game really need to know your location, or be able to read your SMS?

 

[Arr C]

Just got this.

I stupidly clicked on a cookie box on a site saying continue just to get it out of the way thinking it was just for a cookie policy.

I suspect this has to do with PushCrew notifications. Was the only thing that seemed odd when I was clearing cookies/site data/etc from the past hour. Haven't gotten a bout of it yet but guess I'll see over the next little while.

Read up on the PushCrew and one of the things they advertised was that any sort of agreement by the user enables them to push whatever notifications. I'm assuming me clicking on continue was me agreeing to push notifications.

 

[EndermanOrea]

Reply

This is indeed a new angle in spam. It gets in through one of the ad networks used by app makers to generate revenue.

My spouse and I have both had this happen. I immediately removed the one sketchy app I'd installed recently and the spam hasn't returned. She has several time waster games on her phone, any one of which could be responsible for the ad continuing to pipe up every few days.

What game/app did you uninstall

 

[ozron]

Hi all.
Just happened to me too. Scared the **** out of me of me Haha. Im brand new to android, so all this malware and adware stuff is s little confusing, but I'll get there. Loving Samsung thus far!

it is unusual to get this sort of issue, it's bad luck, though Android is not quite as secure as ios as it is a much more open system, but ios is not immune eg Pegasus spyware, last months safari hack on macOS

 

[ozron]

This behavior sounds a bit like an overlay attack, it might just be showing you a fake screen of Play store, that is why when you go to the real Play store the app is not listed.

Do not click on it or download anything. Back out of screen.