Have you ever noticed a game on your phone that you don't remember downloading? Have you ever updated your Android phone, only to find a dozen new apps you didn't ask for? If you want to stop this from happening, there are a few things you can try.Turn off auto-updating apps in the Galaxy Store Sometimes, the Galaxy Store, which is unique to Samsung devices, can automatically download games onto your device.It's rare, but it happens.
It can sometimes be related to whether or not certain apps need updates.If you find that your phone is constantly getting new apps you don't recognize, this is the first place to check on Android, just to be safe.To take care of this potential problem, open the Galaxy Store on your phone.
Tap on the three lines icon in the bottom right corner.Then, click on settings (gear logo on top of page) > tap "auto update apps" and choose the "never" option.This will prevent the Galaxy Store from making updates to apps and potentially adding new apps without your input.
You will have to update your Galaxy Store apps manually, but that's a small price to pay if this solves your issue.Turn off auto-updating apps in the Google Play Store Much like the Galaxy Store, it is also possible for the Google Play Store to update or add apps to your phone without your permission.You'll want to do the same thing here that you did for the Galaxy Store.
Just open the app, go into the settings, go to Network Preferences, and disable the "Auto-Update apps" feature.This should prevent the Google Play Store from making changes to your phone without your permission.If you want to go the extra mile to try to stop these apps from doing things without your consent, you can also remove their permissions or disable background data usage.
By removing permissions or the ability of the apps to use data even when they are not open, you can be doubly sure they are not acting without your explicit input on what apps to download.To do this, go into your phone's settings, go to Apps, locate both the Galaxy Store and the Google Play Store apps, and disable those settings.In a perfect world, this would solve all of your problems.
Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world, and there's one other possibility for why your phone downloads games without your permission, and this possibility is much harder to conclusively deal with.Your carrier may be downloading apps on your phone without your input In some situations, it's actually your carrier that is putting games and other apps on your phone without your input.But it's not without your permission; you probably agreed to it when you signed your contract with the carrier.
This happens most often when you buy a locked phone from a carrier.You see, carriers are often paid by companies to install their apps on your phone.And if you agreed to that in your contract with the carrier, there's not a whole lot you can do about it.
You can always uninstall the game or app, but you're very likely to see it again later.There is one thing you can try, but it's not guaranteed to work.You'll need to search for certain types of apps, generally carrier bloatware.
It may have a name associated with your character, or it may not.After you go into your phone settings and into the Apps section, look for apps like Mobile Services Manager, DT Ignite, Meta App Manager, or a carrier-specific app, like Verizon or AT&T App Manager.If you can find one of these apps, click on it, force it to stop, then disable it.
You can revoke its permissions too, just to be safe.How-To Geek Report: Subscribe and never miss what matters Unlock your tech-savvy potential and master the digital world with How-To Geek.Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can unsubscribe anytime.It is possible that this will stop the carrier from downloading random apps and games onto your phone.However, even if you disable these apps, it's possible they might be automatically enabled again whenever your phone has an update.
Unfortunately, as long as the terms of your contract say that the carrier can download things on your phone, there's not a whole lot you can actually do about it.Make sure you read the fine print of your contract so you know what you're agreeing to.The good news is, if you finish your contract with your carrier and get your phone unlocked, you won't have to worry about this anymore.
This type of carrier contract usually only happens when your phone is locked because you purchased it alongside a contract from them.Once the phone is unlocked, this is no longer an issue.Unfortunately, the number one culprit for apps showing up on your phone unexpectedly is carrier contracts, which are the most difficult thing to remedy.
If all else fails, you can always stick all of those unwanted apps into a folder and bury them in a corner of the homepage somewhere, never to see the light of day.Or just outright hide those apps so they're at least out of sight.Just be sure to try all of these other steps before resorting to that.
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