Why Did Unknown Tabs and My Lock Screen Wallpaper Appear Overnight?
Asked by
MellowCedar42
I'm using a Realme 8 running Android with realme UI 3.0. Overnight, five unfamiliar tabs appeared on my phone even though I hadn't opened them. A couple seemed to show casino advertisements I had encountered before. I also noticed that my lock screen wallpaper had changed, while the home screen wallpaper stayed the same. Each time I unlocked and locked the phone again, the lock screen image appeared to change.
I haven't knowingly installed anything unusual recently. The only recent downloads or creations were a reaction meme, an Alien Stage Picrew image, and a Dork Diary character. I also don't remember tapping any advertisements that automatically download games. What could have caused this, and should I be worried about malware or a virus?
Answers
First try a full restart rather than just exiting apps. Also check your browser’s open-tab history, recently installed apps, notification permissions, and wallpaper or lock-screen settings. Some phones rotate lock-screen wallpapers automatically, and unwanted tabs can sometimes come from an app or a browser notification without meaning the phone has a serious virus. If it happens again, take screenshots before closing anything and run the phone’s built-in security scan.
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There isn’t enough information yet to identify the cause. The phone model, Android version, which browser was involved, and the exact appearance of the tabs or wallpaper would help determine whether this was a browser issue, an ad-supported app, or a system feature. Since the tabs were already closed and no screenshots were saved, it may be difficult to tell what happened from the description alone.
MellowCedar42: It’s a Realme 8, model RMX3085, running Android with realme UI 3.0. I didn’t note which browser the tabs belonged to before closing them.
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MellowCedar42: I usually close apps when I’m done with them, but I hadn’t restarted the phone recently. I did power it off a couple of times yesterday, though.