Any IT folks onboard?

[SPL db]

Look for some assistance with my phone. I have an older Samsung Galaxy 9+ that has served me very well. I use the Samsung Internet browser app but recently I have picked up a browser redirect that I can't seem to get removed. At random, the browser will display liftlore.com and then redirect the browser to a random advertisement site.

Really annoying...

I've gotten so used to it I know exactly when it is happening and it is almost a game to me now as I can get it shut down before it even has a chance to redirect. It will sometimes do it while I'm in Facebook as well where it will open another tab and try to take me to an advertisement site.

I've tried clearing browser cache, Google cache, running Malwarebytes, AVG & Advast virus checkers and it still persists. Tried to see if I could just block the website but can't seem to find that setting unless I turn on parental controls but then it wants me to set up a child account to mange and I don't want to do that.

Anyone have any ideas? I know I could maybe try another browser app but not really interested in setting everything up in a new browser app. But if I have to, I have to.

 

[airdronian]

Does that have the Google Play Store installed for app management ? If so, check your installed apps and see if there's anything unusual.

Another option, if you identify the version of Android you're running, you could Google "how to view running services on Android xx" with the xx being your version. There is likely a service there that is running the adware. It's not as straight forward as checking services on a Windows machine, but it's doable. If you identify the service responsible for the redirect, you might be able to identify the app behind it.

Other than that, you might want to do a trial of another virus/malware checker.

 

[Rudy]

The nuclear option is to do a full "factory" reset on the phone, but that blows out everything. It's like starting with a new phone, and any photos, downloads, etc. stored on it would be lost unless they are backed up elsewhere. The good side of this: The phone often runs better after a full reset.

I'd try another browser, even if you don't stick with it--just install long enough to test whether or not the adware loads in it or not.

There are some dodgy apps out there, even some that do legit things but may have aggressive/intrusive advertising. Like @airdronian says, carefully check your installed apps and see what is stored on the phone. (Go through your phone's Settings menu and dig down until you see a menu choices for "apps".) Some might look dangerous or have cryptic names, but some of those are part of the operating system and can be left alone. If it's unfamiliar and/or you haven't used it in a while, uninstall it.