Ad Feedback - Pandora ad on various apps automatically launches app

[msellers30]

Pandora mobile ad automatically launches app and starts playing music with no interaction from me

A game I play (Hay Day - don't judge 😁) has a feature where you can watch an advertisement to get some small advantages in the game. It's random ads from presumably some ad provider and today they started playing Pandora ads. What is annoying and unacceptable is that while watching the ad (they are usually 20 - 30 second ads), the Pandora app that I already have installed on my phone opens and starts playing music automatically without me ever tapping or interacting with the ad in any way. This is on a Samsung Galaxy Flip 4 by the way. Your advertisements are having the opposite effect of what you are intending - you are losing customers.

Moderator Edit: Edited title for clarity

[DoubleJay]

Is anyone else getting these new ads that launch an instant install?

This sort of garbage is irritating and unethical. Whatever they think they are accomplishing, they achieved the opposite in my case.  I already had the app installed and I immediately un-installed in manually and I will never use this app again.

OOnce you pull wrap like this, your product is dead to me.

[AdamPandora]

@DoubleJay Thank you for reporting this.

Can you please let me know the name of the app you were using when that ad for Pandora played?

[DoubleJay]

Joinblocks

[AdamPandora]

@DoubleJay Thanks for confirming that with me.

I've escalated your feedback to the appropriate team.

If the ad plays again, please grab a screenshot if possible, and follow up with the name of the app the ad played on (if it is a different app).

[DoubleJay]

 Here is the screenshot of the offending add.

[Maitrii]

This is on much more than just one app. I've seen it on at least 3 if not 4 different games. It attempts to automatically launch the app & if it's not installed, it opens up a website (with literally no input from me) that is flagged as spam/malware/phishing by my adblocker.

I can't speak to others but this is so frustrating as I have to shut down & relaunch the game to even get it PAST the ad. It's made me outright uninstall Pandora & switch to Spotify as at least their ads aren't downright malware.

[AdamPandora]

@Maitrii What are the names of the apps/games you are playing when you've seen those ads for Pandora?

Also to clarify, are you unable to exit the ad due to an "x" not appearing, or is tapping on the "x" unresponsive?

Let me know.

[Ximao626]

Different person with same problem.  I'm seeing this ad on Slime Tower TD.  The X is not appearing at all on the ad no matter how long I wait.  Interacting at all with the ad launches the instant installer as pictured earlier in this thread by DoubleJay.  Hitting the X on that box just takes me back to the ad.  Hitting instant install starts a download.  Completing a download does not allow me to then complete the ad.

The ad literally softlocks the game app and I need to close it and re open it to continue.