Preliminary information
Before getting to the heart of this guide and explaining, in practice, how to eliminate the annoying message “Congratulations, You Win” on Android, let me give you some more information about the nature of the same.
Even if some of the variations of this message are well done and often too credible, know that follow the instructions attached to it (press a particular button, view a given link, download an app, enter information and so on) they do not reont in any winnings e, indeed, in most cases, it leads to very unwelcome consequences.
An example? Most advertising of this type involves the activation of payment services, also called services premium or services YOU GO (value-added services) which provide for the occasional receipt of various types of material (news, multimedia content, statistics, etc.) via SMS, against the payment of a daily, weekly or monthly sum, automatically withdrawn from the residual credit of the SIM o charged to the payment method chosen.
Fortunately, the activation of VAS services is not as simple as it used to be, unless you have voluntarily deactivated the preventive blocking of the content services on your telephone number (this block was activated by default by all the providers in the May 2021 following the entry into force of the AGCOM resolution 10/21 / CONS). In the event that I had deactivated the preventive blocking of the VAS, in fact, a tap on a particular button, link or image would be enough, suitably placed in a strategic position (e.g. the classic X closing the page) and the damage would soon be done. Tremendous, right?
The purpose of this guide will therefore be to teach you to permanently eliminate the message "Congratulations, you won", by intervening on the browser settings or by identifying the guilty apps of the same, as well as requesting the complete and definitive deactivation of the VAS services to the operator: you can find everything explained below.
How to remove “Congratulations you won” on Android
Now that you have all the necessary information, it's time to show you, in practice, the steps to take to eliminate the unwelcome and persistent advertising message from your device.
Disable pop-ups in the browser
In most cases, the “Congratulations you won” message on Android is caused by a Popup specially orchestrated, coming from some website. If you have never heard of them, popups are small windows that, on the Web, are often used to show “treacherous” advertisements. Closing a pop-up window on a computer is extremely simple, while on smartphones and tablets it might seem like an impossible task, as it literally takes up the entire screen.
In spite of what it may seem, however, preventing the appearance of advertising pop-ups is not difficult: just activate the blocking in the browser settings, if this had been previously deactivated.
For example, to enable the popup blocker in Google Chrome for Android, start this app, tap the button (⋮) located at the top right and choose the item Settings from the menu that appears on the screen.
Pray tap on thela voce Site settings placed in the box Advanced, then on the option Popups and redirects and move up OFF the homonymous lever located on the next screen, in order to prevent sites from showing automatic pop-up windows.
Once this is done, go back to the Google Chrome home panel, tap on square located at the top right (the one containing the number of open tabs, so to speak) and close the tab relating to the "offending" site.
If, on the other he, you have encountered a full-screen popup and you are unable to view the Chrome top bar, you must completely close the browser, proceeding as follows: return to the screen Home of Android, after pressing the appropriate button or executing the gesture you configured, access the menu Settings> Apps and notifications> Show all apps, tap on the item related to Google Chrome and press the buttons Force break and OK.
If, even in this way, you are not able to access the Chrome settings, you just have to completely reset the browser, by going to delete all data related to it: I know, it's a bit drastic procedure, but sometimes it turns out to be the only solution.
To reset the browser, go to the menu Settings> Apps and notifications> Show all apps of Android, tap the item for Chrome, tap on the item Storage space and finally press the buttons Clear storage space, Erase all data and OK.
Deactivate paid subscriptions
After viewing the “Congratulations you won” page on your Android device you have been activated a paid subscription (also defined value added service is YOU GO)? Do not worry, it is an unpleasant eventuality, but which can still be remedied and in a rather simple way.
The most immediate way to do this is to contact the Single Deactivation Center. This service, as easily understood from its name, allows you to deactivate the VAS active on your user. To use it, call the toll-free number 800 442 299 and follow the instructions of the voice guide, so as to deactivate any paid services that may be active.
Alternatively, launch the app Messages of Android and look for, among the SMS received recently, the one related to the subscription activation confirmation: in the luckiest of hypotheses, you should find inside the instructions necessary to deactivate the paid content.
Generally, it all comes down to sending an SMS with it in writing DO NOT o STOP at the number indicated or contact a telephone number and follow the instructions of the voice guide to request the cancellation of the VAS.
Following the above procedures, you should receive a SMS confirmation of the cancellation of the value added service; if this does not happen, repeat the operation and contact your telephone operator to request cancellation (e, if desired, preventive blocking of all VAS services on the line). Below you will find all the relevant instructions.
- TIM - you can proceed in different ways: by calling the operator at the number 119 and requesting the deactivation of active VAS services plus the total blocking of future VAS activations; by sending a SMS al 119 writing deactivation of VAS services, to cancel all active subscription services and prevent their future activation. More info here.
- Vodafone - contact a "human" operator by calling the number 190 and request the cancellation of all active VAS, together with the blocking of future ones. More info here.
- WINDTRE - make a call to 159 e, after following the instructions of the voice guide to access assistance from an operator, tell the latter your desire to block active and future VAS services.
- Iliad - access your personal area and check the appropriate option or call the 177. More info here.
- Fastweb - contact customer service at 192.193, follow the instructions of the voice guide to get in touch with an operator and ask the latter to deactivate the active (e future) VAS services on your telephone line. If you have difficulty in reaching the appropriate section by phone, you can request to be called back by the technical staff, following the instructions I have given you in this guide.
However, if you have discovered that you have VAS services active on your line for less than 7 days, I advise you to advance, in addition to the request for deactivation of paid content, also the refund request: in some cases, operators require that the "offending" services are still active, in order to determine the exact duration and effective refund due to the user.
Check installed apps
In some cases, the appearance of the annoying “Congratulations you won” message is caused by somebody application in which in-app ads are provided: such a feature is not always synonymous with seemingly inevitable full-screen messages, many developers use completely legitimate and non-invasive in-app ads, however it is not uncommon to encounter such situations caused by advertising all too flashy.
Unfortunately, there is no "steard" method to unmask the app guilty of the pop-up: therefore, I advise you to carefully check the list of those installed on the device e, should you detect any "suspicious" or to whose installation you can trace the appearance of advertising messages, proceed with its elimination.
To do this, go to the section Settings of Android, by tapping on the icon in the shape ofgear resident on the Home screen or in the drawer of the device, move to Apps and notifications> Show all apps and identify the suspicious software among those displayed.
To delete it, tap his name, presses the button Uninstall and confirms the will to proceed by touching the button OK.
Run a malware scan
As an added security measure, I recommend that you run a malware scan of your smartphone using a specific app, able to “flush out” any residual traces of harmful apps, spyware or other elements that could give rise to the annoying “Congratulations you won” message.
To get started, I recommend that you check that Google PlayProtect is actually enabled: if you've never heard of it, it's the anti-malware system built into the most recent versions of Android (if Google services are integrated), able to automatically analyze the apps that are installed on the phone and to report (e neutralize) the harmful ones.
To access Google Play Protect, start the Play Store by pressing the icon of colored triangle placed on the Home screen or in the drawer, tap the ☰ button at the top left and select the item Play Protect from the bar that appears laterally.
At this point, take a look at the information shown: if you see the wording It's all OK, it means that the apps in the operating system are "clean" and free from harmful behavior. To do a quick check, tap on the icon in the shape of circular arrow located immediately next door.
Finally, to verify that the Google antimalware system is actually up and running, touch the icon of thegear at the top right and make sure the switch corresponding to the item Analyze apps with Play Protect sia impostat his ON.
If, after carrying out this check, the situation does not resolve itself, I advise you to scan with a third-party antivirus: what I recommend is Avast Antivirus / Mobile Security for Android, an app capable of carrying out its work very well without impacting excessively on the performance of the device.
After installing the app on your device, start it, tap the button Scan now and granted access to the necessary elements by responding affirmatively to the warnings that are shown: within a few minutes, you will receive a report on the apps examined on the device and you will know if there are any harmful ones. Also, by enabling the toggle Automatic scan, you'll have Avast automatically scan for threats once a day.
If you feel that Avast is not for you, or if you want to know more about what, at the moment, are the best antivirus for Android, the in-depth guide I dedicated to the topic may be useful.
