How to Stop Scammers From Showing Ads on Your Android Device After Every Phone Call
If you’re an Android user and see ads appearing after phone calls, don’t think it’s some new feature you just have to accept. It’s actually an ad scam, and there are steps you can take to stop it. Researchers have identified dozens of apps in the Google Play Store that are capable of displaying ads over Android phone interfaces—a scam known as “AfterCall.”
How Ads Hijack Android Calls
This scam starts with seemingly harmless apps downloaded from the Google Play Store, such as calendars, alarms, and notepads. Once installed, they request overlay permissions, allowing them to appear on top of other apps—and thus display ads during phone calls. These apps can detect when a call ends and then launch full-screen ads, wrapped in a fake screen with call information. Because they appear to be simply part of the call interface, users are less likely to suspect that they are actually malicious.
It’s worth noting that on-screen display permissions cannot be granted through the standard pop-up window during app installation. This is a type of “special permission” that requires the user to access system settings to enable. Android apps must request these permissions contextually and provide a clear explanation of why. Scammers using AfterCall claim that alarms cannot work or display correctly without on-screen display permissions, although some apps simply crash if users refuse these permissions.
How to remove AfterCall ads
Because the ads appear out of context—after a phone call and with content unrelated to the service app—it’s harder for users to understand what’s causing them. Service apps aren’t overtly malicious and don’t appear in recent app lists when ads are shown, so it’s not obvious they’re the problem.
If you’re seeing ads on your Android device after phone calls, check whether apps have permission to appear over other apps. Go to Settings > Apps > Special App Access (this option may be hidden behind the three-dot menu) and select the permission type. Find any apps you don’t recognize or that shouldn’t be granted permission to appear over other apps and uninstall them. Review these permissions regularly and disable any unnecessary ones.
From a user perspective, these apps seem more like a nuisance than outright malware collecting your sensitive data, although installing any app that requests unnecessary permissions can pose a significant risk. In any case, these apps are likely wasting brands’ advertising budgets and can damage their reputation among users—but you’re probably just wondering how to stop seeing them after making calls.