Pop Up ads on iPhones

wildcat fan · ‎03-23-2010

For the past year my husband and I have noticed pop ups when we use Safari on our iPhones (8 and 6). It doesn't happen on our laptops or iPads--only the phones and only at home on our wifi. The pop ups are very similar saying something like this:

Congratulations Amazon Customer! Click here to be entered for a $1000 gift card.

It says the gift card is for use at Amazon or Walmart. Sometimes it says "Congratulations ___ Customer" (insert name of our internet company).

I have called Apple and gone to Apple Store. We have the latest iOS. The history has been cleared and even restored to factory settings, but the pop ups keep happening. Apple says it's probably an issue with my internet provider.

My internet provider says the problem is our phones. They changed our wifi password but the pop ups keep happening.

This week I saw reports that Apple and Amazon devices may have been hacked, but both companies and Homeland Security deny it. Seems odd coincidence that our Apple products keep showing pop ups about winning an Amazon gift card, though. Also strange that it's only happening on our iPhones but not the other devices. Any suggestions to get these pop ups to stop?

ETA:

The Safari settings have turned on "Block Pop-ups" and "Prevent Cross-Site Tracking" and "Ask Website's Not to Track" and "Fraudulent Website Warning." In the Apple Care forum, someone suggested to block cookies too, but I found I couldn't read most websites if the cookies were blocked.

proudlyfromNJ · ‎05-01-2010

@wildcat fan wrote:
For the past year my husband and I have noticed pop ups when we use Safari on our iPhones (8 and 6). It doesn't happen on our laptops or iPads--only the phones and only at home on our wifi. The pop ups are very similar saying something like this:

Congratulations Amazon Customer! Click here to be entered for a $1000 gift card.

It says the gift card is for use at Amazon or Walmart. Sometimes it says "Congratulations ___ Customer" (insert name of our internet company).

I have called Apple and gone to Apple Store. We have the latest iOS. The history has been cleared and even restored to factory settings, but the pop ups keep happening. Apple says it's probably an issue with my internet provider.

My internet provider says the problem is our phones. They changed our wifi password but the pop ups keep happening.

This week I saw reports that Apple and Amazon devices may have been hacked, but both companies and Homeland Security deny it. Seems odd coincidence that our Apple products keep showing pop ups about winning an Amazon gift card, though. Also strange that it's only happening on our iPhones but not the other devices. Any suggestions to get these pop ups to stop?

@wildcat fan. Don't get them on my phone, but I hardly use it. Just recently I have been getting them on my IPad. Don't know how to stop it.

itsmagic · ‎08-08-2011

I get those same ads on my iPad too. I don’t know why either.

geezerette · ‎03-16-2010

I started getting those Amazon pop up ads quite a while ago on Safari when I went to one certain website (not Amazon). I installed an ad blocker and have not had it reappear since.

wildcat fan · ‎03-23-2010

@geezerette Could you share which ad blocker app you're using? Thank you 😊

icezeus · ‎10-30-2010

I receive those same annoying pop ups. It always happens right in the middle of me reading an article or news story on my phone, and then trying to get out of it is impossible. It tries to force you to go through steps to finish. I usually just push the home button on my phone, and swipe up and start all over again with whatever I am trying to read. I have an I-Phone 6 plus.

geezerette · ‎03-16-2010

@wildcat fan wrote:
@geezerette Could you share which ad blocker app you're using? Thank you 😊

@wildcat fan

Sure. I use Norton’s Ad Blocker, the free version. It works just fine for my needs. It’s easy to use, which is a must for me. The only ad that ever bothered me was that Amazon one you mentioned, but I rarely have any other ads anywhere now.

There are some websites that won’t let you use them if you use an ad blocker. But you can exclude any websites you want with this. (Available at the App Store.)

🙂

anin · ‎12-18-2013

i have same problems with my ipad

Montana · ‎03-09-2010

Occasionally I get the “Congratulations, you have won ... “ pop up on my iPad while using Safari. I just close out of the entire site. It’s really annoying.

gabstoomuch · ‎03-16-2010

Ad Block Plus has a free version also. I use it on my desktop also. It is amazing how many ads it blocks. It's icon is a tiny stop sign up in the right hand corner of my desktop (I actually don't know if has an icon on the mobile version?). Anyway, at the end of my time on computer, there is a number overlaying the icon to show how many ads were blocked, and sometimes it can be up as high as 80 if I am online for a few hours (I read a lot). That is a LOT of pop up ads!

Another way around it is not use Safari. I use Chrome or Firefox Mobile and never get those annoying ads using those browsers. I hardly ever use Safari anymore.

iPhone 6, ios 11 (NOT upgrading to 12. Read that the iPhone 6 is having trouble with the is12. I will wait to see if they work out the bugs.).