Screen overlay on Android, what is it and how to fix it

Screen overlay on Android, what it is and how to fix it

You are just minutes away from finding a solution to the screen overlay error that many Android users have to deal with. You will see what basic fixes you can try, as well as what could be causing this annoying problem on your device with the Google operating system.

Possible causes of screen overlay on Android

With Android Marshmallow a curious problem appeared that is sometimes displayed, but its cause is difficult to decipher. The "screen overlay detected" error is concerning, as it does not allow certain applications to launch , but it is even more frustrating because it is difficult to find what is causing it.

The problem also arises when a screen overlay causes some kind of interference in the permission request dialog. What possible causes could there be?

One possible reason for this error could be a compatibility issue with another application . You can deduce the offensive culprit by seeing if there is a bubble on your screen. If there is, it could be that the app is to blame.

Another application that is also known to cause this problem is Clean Master . If you have it installed, you better disable it. Apps that can change the color and brightness of your device can also be responsible for this annoying error.

Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you can't seem to figure out what is causing this error. In that case, you can deny screen overlay permission to all apps, we'll show you how you can do it in the next section.

How to fix screen overlay problem

Now that we know which apps are causing this problem, it's time to see how you can fix it. You will need to see which apps are allowed to appear at the top of the screen. For Samsung phones, go to Settings> Applications> Application manager> More (top right)> Applications that may appear at the top.

If you are using Android Oreo or higher , go to Settings> Applications> Special access> Show over other applications> Select the application that bothers you and disable the permission.

If you don't want to turn off the permission for all apps, turn it off for recently used apps and relaunch them to see if the problem is gone. You can also activate the overlay permission only when necessary.

fix screen overlay issue in android 5

After fixing the error, try not to download non-Google Play apps . The reason is that these types of applications contain hidden commands that go for your data, and when you give the application that you just installed the overlay permission, you get the error.

Try resetting the application preferences

Drastic problems require drastic measures. If all else has failed, you can also try resetting the app preferences . You can do this by going to Settings> Applications> Settings (top right)> Reset preferences.

reset application preferences

What this option will do is restrict any app permissions, disable apps, reset default apps for actions, and reset and restrict app background data. Don't worry, your current app data won't be erased.