There are some issues on Android that annoy us but fixing them is a hard task to do as we got to dig deep down into settings to correct some permissions. With the launch of Android Marshmallow, one such error that made us frown is “screen overlay detected.” This error hinders launch of newly installed apps, which can be troublesome.
What causes the error?
Thankfully, it is not a herculean task to fix this error. You just got to tweak a few settings in your device. The first step for fixing the error is to know what is triggering it, and you see in Marshmallow there is a feature that allows some apps to draw over other apps. Applications like Facebook Messenger are one of those apps that want to stay ahead of other apps, and in pursuit of supremacy they end up messing with the functioning of other apps. Such apps make use of the “Draw over other apps” feature, which also means screen overlay.
There is a security reason too....
One of the reasons to include "screen overlay detected" pop-up on Android was to put an extra layer of security to stop rogue apps from running on your device. Many times, while browsing we end up downloading unwanted apps from other sources than Play Store. These apps have hidden commands to fetch data from your device, and that's why Screen Overlay Detected error pops up when some apps try to take control and ask for permissions. This feature was included in Marshmallow and above versions of Android. Although integrated for security measures, it ends up causing inconvenience to users as it pops up because of apps like Facebook Messenger and others rather than any unwanted app.
Enough with the explanation, let us show you how to fix "Screen Overlay Detected" issue on Android phones.
For Android phones other than Samsung and LG
- Open Settings on your device and tap on "Apps"
- Now, on the top right, tap the gear icon and choose "Draw over other apps" from the list
- You will see a list of apps that have Screen overlay/Draw over other apps permission
- Go to each of these apps and uncheck the “Permit drawing over other apps”
- You can always go back to the same settings to enable the permissions for certain apps
For Samsung phones:
Samsung phones come with custom UI "TouchWiz," so there are different steps to fix the setting on Samsung devices. Here are the steps:
- Open Settings on your Samsung device and tap on "Applications"
- Now, from the list, tap on "Application Manager" and then tap "More" on the top right corner
- You will find "Apps that can appear on top" in the list, if not there then just tap on "Special access" from the same menu, you will find it there.
- You will now see a list of apps, you can disable the apps using the overlay by individually clicking on them and toggling them to left
If the above given method doesn't solve your problem then try this method too for Samsung devices:
- Open Settings, and tap on “Display and Wallpaper” option
- Now, tap on “One handed operation” and then click on “Side key panel”
- Turn off the toggle
For LG phones
- Head to the Settings app on your LG device and open "Apps."
- Now, tap on the three-dot menu button on the top-right corner and select Configure apps from the list
- You will now find "Draw over other apps" option, open it and you will see the list of apps with the permission.
- Click on each app to disable the permission
If everything fails then try resetting app preferences
- Open Settings on your Android device and tap on "Apps."
- Now, tap on the "more" option or three dots menu in the top right corner to find Reset app preferences option
- Tap on it to reset permissions
Conclusion
The "Screen Overlay Detected" error pops up when opening a new app so you can enforce the above-given methods on your device to successfully open the app. You can always go back to settings and permit the apps to use screen overlay, but it is a time-consuming process. Let us know if this guide helped you in getting rid of the issue. If none of the methods worked for you, then we will dig for more solutions to help you resolve the issue.
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