How to stop pop-up ads on an Android phone
2 min read · 7 steps · Updated 2 October 2026
If the ads appear as notifications from a website, open that site in Chrome, tap the icon to the left of the address, tap Permissions, then Notifications, and switch them off. If ads appear over other apps, an app you installed is the cause: find it in safe mode and uninstall it.
Pop-up ads on Android have two main sources. Either a website was given permission to send notifications, or an app shows ads outside its own window. The fix is different for each, so start by looking at where the ads appear.
Menu names below are from Google Pixel phones on a recent Android version. Samsung, Xiaomi and other brands rename some of them.
Step by step
Look at the ad
An ad in the notification shade with a small Chrome icon comes from a website. An ad that covers the screen while you use other apps, or right after unlocking, comes from an app.
Stop notifications from a website
Open Chrome and go to the website named in the notification. Tap the Page info icon to the left of the address, tap Permissions, tap Notifications and switch off Show notifications.
Check all websites at once
In Chrome, tap the three dots, Settings, Site settings, Notifications. Remove every site you do not know from the Allowed list.
Make sure pop-ups are blocked
In Chrome, tap the three dots, Settings, Site settings, Pop-ups and redirects. The switch should be off, which means blocked.
Find a misbehaving app in safe mode
Safe mode switches off the apps you installed. If the ads stop there, one of your apps is responsible. The steps are in how to start an Android phone in safe mode.
Uninstall recent apps one by one
Remove the apps you installed shortly before the ads began, one at a time, and restart normally after each to test. Typical culprits are free torches, cleaners, wallpaper and keyboard apps. Keep a list, so you can put back the innocent ones.
Turn on Play Protect
Open the Play Store, tap your profile picture, tap Play Protect and then Settings. Switch on Scan apps with Play Protect, and run a scan.
Good to know
Warnings in the browser that claim your phone has a virus and ask you to install a cleaner are ads themselves. Close the tab. Do not tap the buttons.
Other signs of unwanted software, according to Google: a changed home page or search engine, and redirects to pages you did not ask for.
To see which app is showing an ad at this moment, open the recent apps view while the ad is on the screen. The name and icon at the top often give it away.
Related: how to uninstall apps on Android and how to turn off notifications from an app on Android.
In short: Website ads: Chrome, Page info, Permissions, Notifications off, check Site settings. App ads: safe mode, uninstall recent apps one by one, Play Protect on.
- Google Chrome Help: Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware
Rules and prices change. Check the official source before you act.