Samsung is cracking down on apps that spam your phone with ads

At a glance:

• Device Care update (v13.8.80.7) adds automatic blocking of ad‑spamming apps
• Feature currently limited to Galaxy S26 series and tied to One UI 8.5 rollout
• Two blocking modes: Basic (Samsung‑sourced list) and Intelligent (real‑time notification analysis)

What the new feature does

Samsung has introduced a new capability inside its Device Care app, version 13.8.80.7, that automatically puts apps which flood the notification shade with advertisements into Deep Sleep. The system looks for what Samsung describes as “frequent advertisement alerts” and, once a threshold is crossed, silences the offending app until the user explicitly re‑enables it. This is not a browser‑level ad blocker; it works at the OS level, targeting any app that abuses the notification channel.

How it works

The feature offers two distinct modes. Basic blocking relies on a curated list that Samsung maintains, drawing on telemetry from its ecosystem to identify known ad‑spamming packages. Intelligent blocking, by contrast, evaluates notifications in real time on the device itself, deciding whether an app is exceeding a reasonable frequency. When an app is flagged, Device Care moves it to Deep Sleep, preventing further alerts while keeping the app installed and functional for other purposes.

Availability and rollout

At the time of writing, the ad‑spam blocker is only visible on the Galaxy S26 series. Samsung ties the functionality to One UI 8.5, which is just beginning to roll out to eligible devices. Users can check for the update through the Galaxy Store (menu → Updates). Because the rollout is staged, some owners may need to wait days or weeks before the new version appears.

Limitations and open questions

Samsung admits the system is not perfect and may occasionally misclassify legitimate notifications as spam. The settings page—Settings → Device care → Care report → Excessive alerts—lets users review which apps have been restricted and manually override the Deep Sleep state. It is also unclear whether Samsung will apply the same scrutiny to its own promotional notifications, a point that could test the feature’s credibility.

What users should expect

If you rely on third‑party apps that push frequent offers—weather widgets selling crypto, calculator apps promoting games, etc.—you should see a noticeable drop in unwanted alerts after the update. For developers, the change introduces a new compliance consideration: excessive notification traffic may lead to automatic throttling on Samsung devices running One UI 8.5. Monitoring the Care report will be essential to ensure critical alerts remain uninterrupted.

Looking ahead

The community is watching to see if Samsung extends the blocker to older flagships and mid‑range models, or whether it remains a premium‑only feature. Should the Intelligent blocking algorithm prove reliable, it could become a template for other Android OEMs seeking to curb notification abuse without resorting to third‑party ad‑blocking apps.