To remove ads from Google Pixel 3 phone, head to Google Play Store app > Menu icon (three horizontal lines) > Play Protect, then turn on Scan device for security threats. For other possible solutions to remove ads and viruses from your device, read further.
Remove Ads from Phone and Viruses from Your Google Pixel 3 Phone
The Android malware list is growing by the day. Sooner or later you may encounter some pop-ups telling you that your phone is infected and that you need to do a full system scan if you want to remove ads from phone to get “protected” but the fact is if you do that, your phone will probably start to act crazy. Some users of the Google Pixel 3 actually turned to online forums to seek for assistance because of the virus pop-ups that, according to them, keeps showing up regardless of what they’re doing.
It’s a very annoying problem and you may want to address it the first instance you encounter the ad or the pop-up message. Don’t worry, you don’t need to have expert knowledge to get your phone to work perfectly again without all the dialog boxes that shows up at will. So, continue reading as this post may be able to help you one way or another.
Before we move on, if you are looking for a solution to a different problem, make sure to visit our Pixel 3 Help Guides page for we have already addressed some of the most common issues with this device. Find issues that are similar with yours and feel free to use our solutions.
Going back to our troubleshooting, here’s what you need to do if your Pixel 3 keeps popping up dialog boxes that says your phone is infected with a virus or something…
- Run your phone in safe mode to disable all third-party applications including the one with the adware.
- Uninstall applications that might be triggering the popups.
- Factory reset your Pixel 3.
Let me explain briefly why you need to do these things if you want to remove ads from phone:
First, you need to run the phone in safe mode because most of the time the apps that bring adware or malware are ones you download and/or sideload. Pre-installed apps don’t trigger these things because the manufacturer or your provider make sure your experience with the device is good. Considering you’re using the Pixel 3 which is made by Google, you can expect your phone to be free from all suspicious apps and codes.
By running your phone in safe mode, you’re temporarily disabling all third-party applications and this will prevent the malware from spreading or infecting other apps. Here’s how to do it:
- Press and hold your device’s power button.
- On your screen, touch and hold Power off.
- If needed, tap OK.
- Your device starts in safe mode. You’ll see “Safe mode” at the bottom of your screen.
While in safe mode, find out which of your apps is causing the problem. I know this would be a bit of a challenge but start from ones you sideloaded or installed manually. Google is very particular with security so you can almost expect that applications from the Play Store passed Google’s meticulous eyes. So, if you have apps that you manually installed using their APKs, you must try uninstalling them first. Then go after the ones that seem suspicious. To know if you’ve removed the correct app, restart your phone in normal mode. If the pop-ups won’t show up, then you’ve removed apps that cause the issue. Here’s how to uninstall an app from your Pixel 3:
- From a Home screen, touch and swipe up to display all apps.
- Tap Settings app icon.
- Tap Apps & notifications icon.
- Tap Right arrow icon and see all apps.
- Tap an app.
- Tap Uninstall.
- Tap OK to confirm.
Lastly, if the virus infection pop-ups still keeps on bugging you even after doing these procedures, then you have no other choice but to reset your Pixel 3. This will deleted everything and bring the settings back to factory defaults. Apparently, it will fix the problem as well as remove all malware or adware from your phone. However, make sure to create a backup of your important files and data as they will be deleted during the process. Here’s how to reset your Pixel 3:
- Create a backup of your personal data.
- Make sure to know the username and password for Google account in the phone.
- Open Settings app.
- Tap System.
- Tap Advanced.
- Tap Reset options.
- Tap Erase all data (factory reset) and then Reset phone. If needed, enter your PIN, pattern, or password.
- To erase all data from your phone’s internal storage, tap Erase everything.
- When your phone has finished erasing, pick the option to restart.
After the reset, don’t restore or download anything. Set your phone up again and then download an antivirus. After that, continue using your phone as you usually do.
I hope that we’ve been able to help you fix the problem with your device. We would appreciate it if you helped us spread the word so please share this post if you found it helpful. Thank you so much for reading!
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