What can I do if a phone acts like it's been taken over by a suspicious app?
Answer
This is usually caused by a malicious or overly permissive app rather than an actual remote takeover. Removing the app's permissions and force-stopping it, then uninstalling it, resolves this in most cases.
Before you start: stop right away if…
- Do not enter your password or payment information if the phone shows an unexpected security warning or pop-up asking for it.
Follow these steps
Restart the phone
Power the phone off completely and turn it back on, which can interrupt a misbehaving app's background activity.
You should see: The phone restarts normally and you can access the home screen.
Force stop the suspicious app
Go to Settings, then Apps, find the code reader app, and select Force Stop.
You should see: The app shows as stopped and is no longer running in the background.
Remove the app's permissions
Open the app's permissions page in Settings and turn off access to camera, contacts, files, microphone, SMS, and accessibility services if any are enabled.
You should see: All listed permissions show as turned off for that app.
Uninstall the app
From Settings or the app drawer, uninstall the code reader app completely.
You should see: The app no longer appears in the app list.
Check the browser and home screen for changes
Look at the default browser and home screen for any unfamiliar shortcuts, extensions, or settings changes, and remove anything you don't recognize.
You should see: The browser and home screen look like they did before the app was installed.
Run a security scan and update the phone
Open the phone's built-in security app or Play Protect, run a scan, and install any pending system updates.
You should see: The scan reports no threats found, and the phone shows it is up to date.
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Extra tips
What to look for: Unexpected pop-ups, a changed home screen or default browser, or apps opening on their own after installing a QR or barcode scanner app.
Before you change anything: Confirm which app was installed right before the problem started. Check the app's permissions before removing it, so you know what it had access to. Confirm you are downloading any replacement app from the official app store. Never enter your password or payment details if the phone shows unexpected pop-ups.