RedViking
Nord of the South
Can’t remember if I posted something similar already.
I live in a community with a lot of elderly people, and I have become the resident IT guy. Most of the time I help with simple things like switching off flight mode, turning on mobile data, getting the volume working, or dealing with popups and malware taking control of their phones.
The last one is the real challenge. The cause is almost always the same: mobile games, clicking on adverts, and installing rubbish. But lately the behaviour from these apps has become extremely aggressive. I have seen the following on their devices:
So far, the only reliable solution is to fight with the ads or malware until I can force the phone to shut down, and then do a full factory reset. Most of the elderly residents forgot their Google password the day they created it, so there is no way to recover their Gmail, WhatsApp, or contacts afterwards.
Is there a better way to handle this and stop these ads or malware without doing a full format? I have tried battling long enough to get into the Play Store and install Malwarebytes, but it usually finds nothing.
Of course, the best solution is education so it does not happen again. But try educating a 75‑year‑old who cannot remember if they woke up that morning.
I live in a community with a lot of elderly people, and I have become the resident IT guy. Most of the time I help with simple things like switching off flight mode, turning on mobile data, getting the volume working, or dealing with popups and malware taking control of their phones.
The last one is the real challenge. The cause is almost always the same: mobile games, clicking on adverts, and installing rubbish. But lately the behaviour from these apps has become extremely aggressive. I have seen the following on their devices:
- Pop‑up ads that take over the entire screen and cannot be dismissed.
- The power button becomes blocked so you cannot switch off the phone.
- The phone takes control of itself. If you try to open Settings, it immediately closes.
- You cannot close recent apps, and similar issues.
So far, the only reliable solution is to fight with the ads or malware until I can force the phone to shut down, and then do a full factory reset. Most of the elderly residents forgot their Google password the day they created it, so there is no way to recover their Gmail, WhatsApp, or contacts afterwards.
Is there a better way to handle this and stop these ads or malware without doing a full format? I have tried battling long enough to get into the Play Store and install Malwarebytes, but it usually finds nothing.
Of course, the best solution is education so it does not happen again. But try educating a 75‑year‑old who cannot remember if they woke up that morning.
