Picture this: You're browsing the web peacefully on your Samsung or other Android device when suddenly ads start popping up everywhere. Sound familiar? We’ll show you how to stop pop-up ads on Android by adjusting settings in Chrome, Firefox, and other installed apps. Then, automatically block pop-ups with a secure browser for a smoother, ad-free experience.
Installing a pop-up blocker is the most effective way to prevent ads from showing on your browser. You can also stop pop-up ads directly through your browser's settings. To stop pop-ups in Chrome, go to Settings > Site settings > Pop-ups and redirects, then flip the toggle off.
Different browsers let you block ads in slightly different ways. We’ll give you detailed instructions on how to do this in Chrome and Firefox. But if ads are popping up on your Android home screen, third-party apps are likely the culprit. So, how do you remove pop-up ads and turn off constant Android notifications?
If you’re getting pop-ups on your Samsung home screen, swipe down after you get a notification to bring down the notification panel. Long-press the pop-up to open the app’s notification settings, then tap Turn off notifications. Or, tap Settings to further customize the app’s pop-up settings, allowing you to stop the pop-ups completely.
You can stop pop-ups on Android for multiple apps at once through your Android settings:
Open your Android Settings.
Scroll to Notifications and tap it.
Select App Notifications.
Tap All, then filter the list by Most recent.
Toggle off notifications for apps that are bothering you with pop-ups.
You can also tap a specific app to open advanced notification settings and customize the individual pop-ups further.
Hopefully you never have to ask yourself "How do I stop pop-up ads on my Samsung?" again. If ads keep popping up on your Galaxy or other Samsung device, your phone may be infected with spyware, which can track your activity and send your data to advertisers. Read our guide to learn how to remove spyware from your Android.
Besides coming from third-party apps, pop-up ads on your Samsung can also come from the web. But don’t worry — you can also stop online pop-up ads from appearing on an Android in a browser like Chrome or Firefox.
The best way to stop Chrome pop-up ads on Android is by customizing your overall Site settings. Turning off ads in Chrome will make viewing some sites, for instance recipe sites and online shops, a much better experience. But for many other sites that rely on pop-up login prompts, like news or banking pages, blocking pop-ups can prevent the pages from loading properly. If a site isn’t loading as expected, you may need to enable pop-ups for that site in Chrome.
Here's how to stop pop-ups in Chrome on Android:
Open Google Chrome.
Tap the three dots menu in the top-right corner.
Choose Settings.
Tap Site settings.
Open Pop-ups and redirects.
Flip the toggle to the left to block pop-ups and redirects in Chrome.
This should help stop pop-ups in Chrome for Android. If you still get pop-up ads in Chrome, it’s likely because you allowed notifications for specific websites. To get rid of them, clear your Android browser cache.
Blocking Firefox pop-ups on Android, or on your computer for that matter, is easy. Firefox has a built-in ad blocker that helps block pop-up ads on Androids by default. You can also block Firefox pop-up notifications from reaching your Android home screen.
To stop pop-ups from reaching your home screen, just open Firefox, tap the three dots menu, tap Settings, select Notifications, then choose Blocked.
If you’re still seeing pop-up ads on your Android device, it might be time to switch browsers completely. AVG Secure Browser comes with a built-in ad-blocking feature that stops disruptive pop-up ads and gives you control over what kinds of ads you want to see, if any. Install AVG Secure Browser for free in seconds.
You can control Android pop-ups and notifications from specific websites by modifying site permissions and preferences on your device. This also allows you to restrict access to your camera and microphone and customize other privacy settings.
To stop website ads and pop-ups, open Android settings, tap Apps, then choose the browser you want to customize permissions for. Tap Permissions, then select Notifications. Toggle off to block notification permissions for the Android browser.
Ads usually pop up on your screen to promote a product or service, and they’re mostly harmless. The occasional pop-up ad can even be helpful if targeted to you correctly by marketers. But if your phone’s getting bombarded with ads, it could be a result of malware like adware or other scams.
Scammers and hackers will often try to redirect your attention through pop-ups. If you notice a sudden influx of ads on your phone, you may have a malware infection from downloading an infected file or tapping a malicious link.
Adware invades your phone in sneaky ways. When you visit unsafe websites, anything you click could take you to a different malicious site where adware is loaded. Some adware-infected links might even appear innocuous, like prompts to take part in a survey.
Apps, even some installed from official app stores, can also spread malware. The more time you spend looking at ads, the more money it generates for ad publishers.
Companies pay apps to get their ads in front of your eyeballs, so many apps are essentially just ad-delivery vehicles in disguise. If your phone keeps showing ads, an adware cleaner tool can sniff out the perpetrator.
If random ads are popping up on your Android phone, they might be scams targeting your sensitive data. A common pop-up tactic is the fake virus warning, which urges you to click a link to remove an imaginary virus. By doing so, real malware is installed.
Fake prize pop-ups also ask people to provide financial details to claim their rewards — don’t fall for it.
Scammers can use surveys to collect personal data to use for identity theft. And pop-up ads that appear as texts are often phishing expeditions to get access to your contacts. As a precaution, don’t click links in ads or texts from unfamiliar sources.
Malware is malicious software that aims to harm other software or hardware, and it comes in many forms, such as viruses and ransomware. Some viruses can take over your Android and fill it with pop-ups, while Android ransomware can hijack your entire device and its contents.
Malware gets into your phone through bogus apps, unsecured websites and downloads, and patchable software vulnerabilities.
Ensure your Android phone is updated to keep new ad threats at bay. See our guide on why your Android phone isn’t getting updates if you're having issues. And run a malware and virus scan to automatically detect and block malicious ad-spewing apps on Android.
For deeper device protection against cybercrooks and the threats that come with them, install AVG AntiVirus Free. Our built-in phishing protection and Web Shield features help block dangerous websites and protect you against threats hiding in malicious pop-ups.
To stop pop-up ads coming from a third-party app you first need to find the offending app. Check your recent apps to see which one sent you a pop-up. The ad-serving app should be near the top. There’s no standard way to do this across all Androids, but the options should be similar across most Android devices. Here are a few ways to tell which app is sending pop-up ads to your phone:
On Google websites, such as YouTube, Google subdomains, and other sites that partner with Google, you’re served personalized ads by default. You can change these settings and block Google from using your personal data in advertising through My Ad Center.
Here’s how to disable personalized Google ads on Android:
Open My Ad Center in Chrome.
Next to Personalized ads, tap the drop-down menu and select Turn off.
Tap Got it to confirm the change.
If you still see personalized pop-up ads, you may need to wait longer for the setting to take effect.
After you identify an ad-serving app, sometimes it’s best just to uninstall it. Long-press the offending app on your Android home screen and an uninstall option should appear. If it doesn’t, follow these steps:
Go to your Android settings.
Scroll to Apps and tap it.
Tap the app you want to get rid of and select Uninstall (you may need to tap Enable if the app is asleep).
Then, tap OK to finish uninstalling the app serving pop-ups.
If you had malware installed as a result of the ad-serving app or can’t find which app to delete, you might consider doing a factory reset to be safe. But be sure to back up any important files before taking this step.
Practicing Android app safety can keep your personal details private, and so can using some of the best privacy apps for Android. But these tips alone can’t stop pop-up ads. You’ll want a secure browser with an automatic ad-block feature to do this.
To keep other pop-up ads off your phone, you’ll also need to watch out for bogus apps. Here are a few tips to avoid Android pop-up ad-serving apps:
Read the reviews.
Low ratings are a bad sign. Users will mention if the app has given them pop-ups or other troubles. Google usually blocks apps that spread viruses, adware, or other malware, but sometimes malicious apps slip through.
Read the description.
A skimpy description is a red flag, as well as misspellings or unprofessional language. If little care has gone into the app description, it’s possible the developers don’t care about what happens to your phone.
Check the download count.
If the app has a low download count, it could simply be a new release — or it could signal the app is unreliable. High download counts are usually a better sign that the app is popular and more trustworthy.
Check the permissions.
Android permissions let apps use parts of your phone, like the camera and microphone. Read our guide to Android app permissions to avoid permissions that allow pop-ups or grant access to your private info.
Review the Terms and Conditions.
Sometimes apps trick you into consenting to pop-up ads or giving access to your data. Reading the fine print can let you know whether an app is legit or just trying to flood you with adverts on your Android.
Research the developer.
You can usually find out if a developer has a bad track record by doing a quick Google search. If a developer has a history of terrible apps that are little more than advertising services, it will come up on a search.
All the optimized settings in the world can’t completely block ads on your phone. AVG Secure Browser gives you control over how restrictive you want your ad blocker to be. Want to block pop-up ads and 99% of other ads while you browse? Set the ad blocker to “strict” and let us do the work. Install AVG Secure Browser for free to help keep ads off your Android.
Push notifications only appear if you allow the website or app you're browsing to send you notifications. The growing popularity of push notifications is due to the power it gives you over what you want to see and when you want to see it, providing you the option to change your mind as needed.
Interstitial ads resemble full-screen pop-up ad banners but appear inside applications and sometimes in browsers. Interstitial ads can be quite disruptive, because they’re designed to grab your attention quickly by promoting a specific call to action or offering a special deal before you attempt to close the window.
Typically, static opt-ins are found on the sidebar or footer of a website and offer the option to sign up for a newsletter or download a free resource. As a non-intrusive option, this emerging pop-up trend seems to be picking up steam because it allows further exploration before signing up for anything.
Slide-ins quietly appear on the side or bottom of a page and can be triggered by a specific action, such as clicking a particular button. In-line opt-ins are fully integrated into the web page's content, making them less invasive. These two types of emerging pop-up ad trends are gaining popularity thanks to their subtle approach to capturing your attention.
Block pop-ups and ads and protect against tracking with AVG Secure Browser
Free install
Block pop-ups and ads and protect against tracking with AVG Secure Browser
Free download
Block pop-ups and ads and protect against tracking with AVG Secure Browser
Free download
Block pop-ups and ads and protect against tracking with AVG Secure Browser
Free installPrivacy | Report vulnerability | Contact security | License agreements | Modern Slavery Statement | Cookies | Accessibility Statement | Do not sell my info | | All third party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
We use cookies and similar technologies to recognize your repeat visits and preferences, to measure the effectiveness of campaigns, and improve our websites. For settings and more information about cookies, view our Cookie Policy. By clicking “I accept” on this banner or using our site, you consent to the use of cookies.
I ACCEPT
