THE SHORT ANSWER

Start with this check.

Do not click the ad. For a notification, touch and hold it to identify the sender. For ads over Home or other apps, review recent installations and your launcher.

Do not install an advertised cleaner or grant accessibility, remote control or payment access to dismiss a warning. A message claiming to find viruses does not prove infection.

Which situation matches yours?

It is a Chrome notification with a domainRevoke that website’s permission.
It appears only inside one appReview that app and its terms; you can stop using it.
It appears on Home or over other screensInvestigate the launcher and recent apps.

Let’s go step by step.

0 of 5 checks completed

Mark each check to keep track during this visit.

01

Record where and when it appears

Note whether it happens after unlocking, opening a PDF, browsing or receiving a notification. Avoid ad buttons during diagnosis. Record a visible app name or domain and approximately when the behaviour began.

What to look for

A specific location separates website permission, app content and a changed home screen.

02

Identify the real notification sender

For an Android notification, touch and hold it and check which app sends it. If Chrome appears, identify the website domain. Do not confuse logos or wording drawn inside the alert with the system’s sender label.

What to look for

If another app sends it, Chrome settings will not address that source.

03

Revoke the identified website permission

For Chrome alerts, independently open its settings and review Site settings → Notifications. Block the identified site. Labels can vary by version. You do not need to open the advertising link to inspect permissions.

What to look for

Check whether new alerts from that domain stop, and separately dismiss old items in the notification tray.

Read the official documentation
04

Review installations and Home behaviour

For advertising outside Chrome, review apps installed shortly before the change. If Home now opens a different screen, use the launcher guide. If a suspicious app coincides with the start of ads, follow the uninstall guide.

What to look for

Avoid deleting system apps randomly. Record the name and evidence connecting it to the symptom.

Read the official documentation
05

Use safe mode if the app remains unclear

Check the manufacturer’s safe-mode procedure for your model. Compare the same trigger and return to normal mode afterwards. If the issue disappears, review downloaded apps individually, preserving needed content before removal.

What to look for

Disappearance in safe mode points towards a downloaded app but does not identify which one.

Read the official documentation

When to stop and ask for help

If you shared passwords, installed remote control or authorised payments through an alert, review the affected account or service from a trusted device. If ads prevent Settings access, get manufacturer help before resetting and losing data.

Does a step differ from what you see? →

Common questions

Must I install another antivirus or cleaner?

That is not the first step here. Identify the sender, permission and installed apps first.

Are all PDF viewers dangerous?

No. Investigate the particular app’s behaviour and permissions rather than its category alone.

Do disappearing ads prove everything is secure?

Not necessarily. If you shared information or installed something else, review those actions separately.

Sources and review

Project owner: Eudald Ferrer Ibáñez. Report a correction.

This guide uses official documentation and our own troubleshooting sequence. Menus may change between versions. Documentation reviewed on September 28, 2026; practical device testing is still pending.

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