Screen overlay problem on mobile.

THX758

This is the second time it happened. This time I downloaded Call Recorder on my LG G5 and it asked me for permission to record audio. Next thing, it said "screen overlay detected. To change this permission setting, you first have to turn off the screen overlay from Settings>Apps. At the bottom of the screen it says " Unable to write to external storage".
When I open settings, it got me to the apps page but I cannot find what to do after that.
First time it happened, it was when I could not add a picture to my messages because of a screen overlay. I tried everything I saw online but to no avail. So I was so fed up I have done a factory reset, and then it was back to normal.
This time, with call recorder, after trying a dozen times to go through with the permission, the overlay had eventually gone and I could go through with granting permission, which I find a bit strange.
Does anyone knows what that screen overlay is and why it appears it seems at random, and what to do when it appears again?

AndyPix

A screen overlay is usually used by malware writers to trick you into clicking something that they want you to click.


I would go through your apps one by one and delete any that you dont really need or have come from less than reputable sources/vendors ..


Also, go into security settings and ensure that "allow install from unknown sources" is UNticketd


Andy

RumRat

Not necessarily anything to do with malware.
Go into app permission settings, find which apps are allowed to appear/draw over other apps. Then either turn all the permissions off or do it one by one until you find the culprit.

THX758

All my apps come from google play store or amazon underground.
It started again after I downloaded call recorder, which was downloaded from the google play store.
Does that mean that some of the apps from the google store are not safe?

AndyPix

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2423672/amazon-underground-offers-paid-apps-for-free-but-with-a-sting-in-the-tail


-_-

indesisiv

Just because things come from google play store doesn't necessarily mean that its adverts can't cause the odd issue.

I used to use GO SMS Pro until about a month ago when they changed their adverts to give my phone a custom lock screen. Soon uninstalled that. I don't mind ads just not to obtrusive like that.

As RumRat says check the overlay settings:
On my phone its in Settings : Apps: Configure apps : Draw over other apps.

As for amazon underground ... no thanks.

THX758

I had a look, and quite a few apps are overlaying over the others, quite a few of them are set to overlay on the first screen, but are set to not overlay on the next screen and the settings is greyed out so I can't change it.
I have disallowed permission to what I think is unimportant apps, like games and wallpaper apps, and a few others, I'll just have to wait and see. The greyed out settings are mainly anything involving google and lg, youtube, etc. So I don't really know if they overlay or not.

THX758

Is Amazon underground troublesome? I had a look at Amazon underground, not many interesting game, and I downoaded it more to get my hand on the amazon videos apps, which I couldn't find anymore on the google play store.
Should I uninstall it, to be on the safe side?

RumRat

Usual suspects are Master Cleaner type battery saving apps and sometimes apps that are used to change screen brightness etc.
It won't do any harm to turn them all off then turn them on one by one to see if one is playing silly buqqers.
You can uninstall anything you might have put on there just before the problem started.....It's easy to reinstall if required...
I think this is a problem some experienced since upgrading to Marshmallow.
Of course a factory reset may solve it, if it's not going to cause too much inconvenience...

THX758

Well, a factory reset is a major inconvenience as after this I need to get everything back to the way I like it and it takes hours.
I use DU battery saver pro, could this be the culprit? Saying that, it is set to not overlay the other apps, I might have changed the setting for it earlier on, so it might have been it.
The first time it happpened, on top of DU battery saver, I used to have Clean Master, CM Locker,AppMgrIII, except for the battery one I didn't reinstall the others.

Carrot007

THX758 wrote: »

Is Amazon underground troublesome? I had a look at Amazon underground, not many interesting game, and I downoaded it more to get my hand on the amazon videos apps, which I couldn't find anymore on the google play store.
Should I uninstall it, to be on the safe side?

No, and the unnoficial amazon app is the only way to get amazon video as google don't want competittors in the store.

I think people are saying there is likely more adware in the apps that are free rather than the paid version on google, however they have provided no evidence and free versions on google are just as bad so it all depends on what you install!