Potentially Unwanted Programs: What PUPs Are and How to Remove Them Safely
Written by: Stelian
Published on:
Potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) are pieces of software that get bundled with other free downloads and installed on a user’s device without their knowledge or consent. Though not inherently malicious, PUPs can negatively impact system performance, slow down devices, and irritate users with unwanted advertisements and popups. This comprehensive guide will provide readers with a deep understanding of PUPs, how to identify them, safe removal methods, and tips to avoid encountering them in the future.
What Are Potentially Unwanted Programs?
Potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) are software applications that are not viruses or malware, but still exhibit undesirable or suspicious behavior. PUPs typically come bundled as an additional component within free software downloads or other programs. The main objective of PUPs is to generate revenue for their developers through advertisements, collecting user data, or upselling paid versions of software.
Some key characteristics of PUPs include:
1. Bundled with Downloads
The primary method PUPs spread is by bundling themselves with otherwise unrelated free program downloads. Often these additional programs are optional during installation but selected by default, resulting in many users unintentionally installing PUPs.
2. Generate Advertising Revenue
Many PUPs contain advertising modules that continually display popups, notifications, and other intrusive ads. Developers earn revenues based on user engagement with these ads, which incentivizes designing programs that are difficult to block or disable.
3. Collect User Data
PUPs harvest user data including browsing history, search queries, and system information. This data gets sold to third parties for targeted behavioral advertising or analytics.
4. Deceptive Upselling Tactics
PUPs frequently employ dubious tactics to convince users to purchase paid versions of programs in order to unlock additional features or remove restrictions. These upsells provide additional revenue streams.
5. Reputational Damage to Host Programs
The inclusion of PUPs with downloads leads many users to leave negative reviews of those host programs, damaging their reputations. However, the host programs may not actually be low quality themselves.
6. Difficult to Remove
PUPs often lack clear uninstall procedures compared to typical software. Many deliberately use complex removal methods or leave behind configuration files, registry keys, and other traces after uninstallation.
So in summary, the core aspect of PUPs is that they provide little practical value for most users, yet employ aggressive and deceptive methods to profit off those users through ads, data collection, and manipulative upselling tactics.
What Do PUPs Do?
Now that we’ve defined what constitutes a potentially unwanted program, let’s explore the most common behaviors and issues caused by PUPs:
Display Intrusive Advertising
The majority of PUPs contain ad modules that constantly open popups, display banner notifications, inject ads into webpages, and more. These come in many forms such as notifications prompting users to scan their device, fake error messages, offers for unnecessary software, and warnings about nonexistent issues.
Run Constant Background Processes
PUPs typically run continual background processes to display ads, connect with advertising networks, collect system data, and listen for triggers to display more ads. This consumes device resources, resulting in reduced performance and sluggishness.
Track Browsing History and Usage Data
PUPs harvest private user information such as browsing history, search queries, and any input into forms. This data gets sold to third parties for targeted advertising or analytics, often without the user’s consent.
Install Additional Software
Some PUPs will install secondary utilities that also display ads, monitor usage, or have other purposes. They may install browser extensions, plugins, or other software without notifying the user or obtaining their consent.
Bundle with Free Software Installers
As mentioned previously, bundling with freeware and shareware installers is the primary distribution method for PUPs. They get selected by default during installations, tricking users into accidentally installing PUPs.
Modify Browser Settings
To ensure their ads and scripts load properly, some PUPs alter browser settings like the default search engine, home page, and proxy configurations. This facilitates injecting more ads and tracking user behavior.
Resist Removal Attempts
PUPs are designed to be difficult to fully remove, often leaving behind configuration files, registry keys, processes, or other traces. Some deter uninstallation by displaying misleading warning messages about the risks of removal.
Upsell Unnecessary Software
PUPs frequently try upselling paid software that claims to speed up devices, optimize systems, recover lost files, fix nonexistent issues, etc. These programs have little real utility but generate revenue from users tricked into buying them.
So in summary, PUPs negatively impact system performance, display intrusive ads, harvest private user data, and resist removal using deceptive tactics focused on earning money rather than providing value to users.
How to Identify If Your Device Has PUPs
PUPs exhibit certain behavioral patterns and other indicators can help identify their presence on a device. Here are some signs to look for when determining if PUPs may have infected your computer or mobile device:
Increase in Popup Advertisements
Frequent popups, banner ads, notifications, and other advertising appearing randomly likely indicate adware PUPs installed and running in the background. Legitimate programs generally won’t constantly barrage users with ads.
Sluggish Performance
The combination of continual background processes, apps, unnecessary services, and other components of PUPs bog down devices, resulting in sluggish speeds, long load times, and laggy responses to user actions.
Unknown Browser Extensions
Check your web browser’s add-ons and extensions – any unknown or unrecognized ones could be installed by a PUP payload to display ads or collect browsing data.
Unfamiliar Background Apps
Review the list of installed applications on your device, laptop, or desktop computer. Any unfamiliar or generic-sounding apps may be unwanted programs bundled by PUPs.
Suspicious Background Processes
Use Task Manager or Activity Monitor to check for any peculiar processes using high CPU or RAM – unfamiliar names suggest PUPs running advertising and tracking modules.
Unusual Browser Homepage/Search Engine
If your browser’s homepage, default search engine, or new tab page got switched without your knowledge, PUPs may have modified your settings to display ads or intercept searches.
Missing Uninstall Options
Attempting to uninstall suspicious programs only to find missing options or buttons indicates PUPs deterring removal. A missing uninstall control can also occur with a Windows component, a managed app, or a damaged installer. Check what the program is before trying to remove it.
Unrecognized Logins or Activity
Check account activity – logins from unrecognized locations or devices could mean PUPs harvested and sold your credentials or other sensitive information.
If you observe any of these signs, your device has likely been infected with potentially unwanted programs that should promptly be removed. Catching PUPs early before they cause excessive damage is key.
How to Remove Unwanted Apps and Malware
If a pop-up scam tricked you into downloading an unwanted program — or you suspect your device is infected — follow the free, step-by-step removal guide below to clean it completely.
Before you start: this guide may look long, but that’s only because we’ve broken everything down into clear, detailed steps that anyone can follow — no technical skills needed, and every tool we use is free. Please follow the steps in order. If you get stuck or have doubts at any point, stop and ask for help in our free support forum — our team will guide you personally.
Choose your device to get started. Browser hijackers, unwanted apps, and adware can infect Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices alike — click your operating system below to jump straight to the right instructions.
In this first step, we will manually check if any unknown or malicious programs are installed on the computer. Sometimes adware and browser hijackers can have a usable Uninstall entry that can be used to remove them.
Use the tab for your Windows version. Windows 7 and 8 are legacy systems; some current scanners no longer support them. On Windows 10, check your Extended Security Updates enrollment after cleanup.
Windows 11Windows 10Windows 8Windows 7
Open the Settings app
Press Windows + I on your keyboard to open Settings. Alternatively, right-click the Start button and select “Settings” from the menu.
Go to “Installed apps”
In the Settings window, click “Apps” in the sidebar, then select “Installed apps“.
Find and uninstall the malicious program
Scroll through the list of installed apps and look for anything suspicious — a program you don’t remember installing, or one with a strange or generic name. Quick tip: click “Sort by” and choose “Install date“. Malware is usually one of the most recently installed programs, so it will appear near the top.
When you find the malicious program, click the three dots next to it and select “Uninstall“.
Didn’t find any suspicious programs? That’s fine — not all infections install visible apps. Just continue with the next step in this guide.
Complete the uninstall
Confirm by clicking Uninstall in the message box, then follow the remaining prompts. Read each prompt carefully — some malicious programs use confusing wording or pre-ticked boxes hoping you’ll click through without looking.
Open the Settings app
Press Windows + I on your keyboard to open Settings. Alternatively, click the Start button on the taskbar and select “Settings” (the gear icon).
Click on “Apps”
In the “Windows Settings” window, click “Apps“. The “Apps & Features” section should open by default — if it doesn’t, select it from the list on the left.
Find and uninstall the malicious program
Scroll through the list of installed apps and look for anything suspicious — a program you don’t remember installing, or one with a strange or generic name. Quick tip: click “Sort by” and choose “Install date“. Malware is usually one of the most recently installed programs, so it will appear near the top.
When you find the malicious program, click on it and select “Uninstall“.
Didn’t find any suspicious programs? That’s fine — not all infections install visible apps. Just continue with the next step in this guide.
Complete the uninstall
Confirm by clicking Uninstall in the message box, then follow the remaining prompts. Read each prompt carefully — some malicious programs use confusing wording or pre-ticked boxes hoping you’ll click through without looking.
Open “Programs and Features”
Right-click the Start button in the taskbar, then select “Programs and Features“. This takes you straight to the list of installed programs.
Find and uninstall the malicious program
Scroll through the list of installed programs and look for anything suspicious — a program you don’t remember installing, or one with a strange or generic name. Click to highlight it, then click the “Uninstall” button.
Didn’t find any suspicious programs? That’s fine — not all infections install visible apps. Just continue with the next step in this guide.
Complete the uninstall
Confirm by clicking Yes in the message box, then follow the remaining prompts. Read each prompt carefully — some malicious programs use confusing wording or pre-ticked boxes hoping you’ll click through without looking.
Open the Control Panel
Click the “Start” button, then click “Control Panel“.
Click on “Uninstall a Program”
In the Control Panel, click “Uninstall a Program” under the Programs category.
Find and uninstall the malicious program
Scroll through the list of installed programs and look for anything suspicious — a program you don’t remember installing, or one with a strange or generic name. Click to highlight it, then click the “Uninstall” button.
Didn’t find any suspicious programs? That’s fine — not all infections install visible apps. Just continue with the next step in this guide.
Complete the uninstall
Confirm by clicking Yes in the message box, then follow the remaining prompts. Read each prompt carefully — some malicious programs use confusing wording or pre-ticked boxes hoping you’ll click through without looking.
Is a stubborn program refusing to uninstall? Use Revo Uninstaller to force-remove it completely, including leftover files and registry entries.
With the malicious programs removed, you’re ready for the next step in this guide.
STEP 2: Reset browsers back to default settings
In this step, we will remove spam notifications, malicious extensions, and change to default any settings that might have been changed by malware. Please note that this method will remove all extensions, toolbars, and other customizations but will leave your bookmarks and favorites intact. For each browser that you have installed on your computer, please click on the browsers tab below and follow the displayed steps to reset that browser.
ChromeFirefoxMicrosoft EdgeInternet Explorer
Reset Chrome for Windows to default settings
We will now reset your Chrome browser settings to their original defaults. This will reset your startup page, new tab page, search engine, and pinned tabs. It will also disable all extensions and clear temporary data like cookies. Your favorites, history, and saved passwords will not be cleared.
Open the Chrome menu
Open Google Chrome and click the three-dot (⋮) icon in the top-right corner.
Open Chrome Settings
Select Settings from the Chrome menu.
Select “Reset settings”
Look at the menu on the left side of the Settings page. Scroll down and click Reset settings.
Restore Chrome’s original settings
Click Restore settings to their original defaults.
Confirm the Chrome reset
A confirmation window will appear. Click Reset settings.
This will:
Restore the default search engine, homepage, and new tab page
Reset startup pages and pinned tabs
Disable installed extensions
Clear temporary cookies and website data
Don’t worry: Chrome will not delete your bookmarks, browsing history, or saved passwords.
Restart Chrome and perform a test search. If your searches now open normally in Google, you can stop here.
If searches are still redirected through shady domains complete the additional step below.
Remove persistent search hijacker data
Only complete this step if the redirect continues after resetting Chrome.
Some browser hijackers hide inside Chrome’s local search-engine database. A standard Chrome reset may not remove this database, which is why searches can continue to pass through shady sites.
The following procedure creates a backup of the affected database and allows Chrome to build a new, clean version. This is safer and less disruptive than deleting the entire Chrome profile.
First, prevent Chrome Sync from restoring the hijacked settings:
Open a new Chrome tab.
Copy the following address, paste it into Chrome’s address bar, and press Enter:
chrome://settings/syncSetup/advanced
Under Manage what you sync, select Customize sync.
Turn off Settings and Extensions.
You can leave Bookmarks and Passwords enabled so your important data remains synchronized.
Note: Some newer Chrome versions may automatically redirect this address to the Google Account settings page. If that happens, locate the list of synchronized Chrome data and turn off Settings and Extensions there.
Now save anything you are working on and close every Chrome window.
Run the cleanup command:
Press the Windows key on your keyboard.
Type PowerShell.
Open Windows PowerShell. Administrator access is not required.
Copy the entire command shown below.
Right-click inside the PowerShell window to paste the command, then press Enter.
If Windows warns you about pasting multiple lines, select the option to continue.
Write-Host "" Write-Host "Chrome search data has been cleaned." Write-Host "You can now reopen Chrome."
Wait until PowerShell displays the following message:
Chrome search data has been cleaned. You can now reopen Chrome.
Close PowerShell and reopen Google Chrome. Chrome will automatically create a clean search database for every local profile.
Next, copy the following address, paste it into Chrome’s address bar, and press Enter:
chrome://settings/searchEngines
Make sure Google is selected as the default search engine. Test several searches from the address bar and confirm that they no longer pass through shady search engines.
Your important Chrome data is protected: the PowerShell cleanup does not remove bookmarks, saved passwords, browsing history, cookies, or installed extensions. However, it may reset locally stored Autofill addresses and form suggestions.
The original search database is not deleted. PowerShell renames it and adds search-hijacker-backup to its filename so it can be recovered if necessary.
Keep Settings and Extensions synchronization disabled while testing Chrome. Do not enable every extension at once. Enable only the extensions you recognize, one at a time, and test Chrome after each one.
If the redirect returns after enabling a particular extension, remove that extension immediately.
Reset Firefox for Windows to default settings
We will now reset your Firefox browser settings to their default. The reset feature fixes many issues by restoring Firefox to its factory default state while saving your essential information like bookmarks, passwords, web form auto-fill information, browsing history, and open tabs.
Open the Firefox menu and click “Help”
Click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner of Firefox to open the main menu, then select “Help“.
Click “More troubleshooting information”
In the Help menu, click “More troubleshooting information“.
Click “Refresh Firefox”
On the “Troubleshooting Information” page, click the “Refresh Firefox” button in the top-right area of the page.
You can also type about:support in the address bar. If Refresh Firefox is missing with the newer profile manager, update Firefox; Mozilla restored that option for those profiles in version 150.
Confirm the refresh
In the confirmation window, click “Refresh Firefox” again. This removes extensions, themes, and customized settings — the usual hiding places for browser hijackers — while keeping your bookmarks, history, and saved passwords safe.
Click “Finish”
Firefox will close, reset itself to default settings, and reopen with a window listing the information that was restored. Click “Finish” to finish restoring your Firefox profile. Test the browser before reinstalling extensions.
About the “Old Firefox Data” folder: Firefox saves a copy of your old profile on your desktop. If something you need is missing after the reset, you can recover it from this folder. Otherwise, delete the folder — it contains sensitive data like passwords and cookies, and may also still hold the malicious files you just removed.
Reset Microsoft Edge to default settings
We will now reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings to their default. This will reset your startup page, new tab page, search engine, and pinned tabs. It will also disable all extensions and clear temporary data like cookies. Your favorites, history, and saved passwords will not be cleared.
Updated for Microsoft Edge on Windows 10 and Windows 11 — July 2026.
Open the Edge menu and click “Settings”
Open Microsoft Edge. In the top-right corner, click the three-dot (…) icon, then click Settings.
Prevent the unwanted settings from returning through Edge Sync
If you are signed in to Microsoft Edge, a bad setting or extension may be stored in your Microsoft account and return after the reset.
Copy the following address, paste it into the Edge address bar, and press Enter:
edge://settings/profiles/sync
On the Sync page, turn off these two options:
Settings
Extensions
You can leave Favorites and Passwords turned on.
If Edge says that sync is already off, simply continue to the next step.
Important: Edge Sync settings are separate for each profile. If you use more than one Edge profile, switch to each affected profile and repeat this step.
You do not need to sign out of your Microsoft account or delete the Edge profile.
Open “Reset settings”
In the left sidebar, click Reset settings.
You can also open the reset page directly. Copy the following address, paste it into the Edge address bar, and press Enter:
edge://settings/reset
Click “Restore settings to their default values”
Click Restore settings to their default values.
Confirm the reset
In the confirmation dialog, click Reset.
This resets the startup page, new tab page, search engine, and pinned tabs. It also disables all extensions and clears temporary site data, such as cookies.
Don’t worry: your favorites, browsing history, and saved passwords will not be deleted.
Check your extensions before turning them back on
Copy the following address, paste it into the Edge address bar, and press Enter:
edge://extensions
Remove any extension you do not recognize or no longer use. Pay particular attention to extensions related to search, coupons, shopping, PDF conversion, browser protection, new tabs, or video downloading.
Do not turn all extensions back on at the same time. Enable only the extensions you recognize and trust.
Select a trusted search engine
Copy the following address, paste it into the Edge address bar, and press Enter:
edge://settings/searchEngines
Select Bing, Google, DuckDuckGo, or another search provider you trust and make it the default.
Remove any unknown search engines, especially providers with strange names or addresses that you did not add yourself.
Restart Edge and perform a search from the address bar. If searches are no longer redirected, you can stop here.
If the redirect remains, clean the corrupted search data without deleting the Edge profile
Use this additional step only if Edge continues to redirect searches after the normal reset.
This optional repair renames the Web Data database in one affected Edge profile. It may reset form-fill information, saved addresses, and custom search engines. Back up the profile first. Favorites, passwords, and browsing history are stored separately, but do not use a database repair as your first troubleshooting step.
Before continuing: save anything you are working on because the command will close Microsoft Edge.
Before closing Edge, open edge://version in the affected profile and copy its Profile path. The command asks for that path and checks it is inside Edge’s profile folder. Do not select another person’s profile or paste a folder suggested by an unverified caller.
Open the Windows Start menu.
Type PowerShell.
Open Windows PowerShell. Administrator access is not required.
Copy the entire command below.
Paste it into PowerShell and press Enter.
$stamp = Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMdd-HHmmss"
$root = Join-Path $env:LOCALAPPDATA "Microsoft\Edge\User Data"
Get-Process -Name msedge -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
Stop-Process -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Start-Sleep -Seconds 2
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $root)) {
Write-Host "The Microsoft Edge profile folder was not found:"
Write-Host $root
return
}
$profilePath = Read-Host "Paste the affected Profile path from edge://version"
$profilePath = [System.IO.Path]::GetFullPath($profilePath.Trim().Trim('"'))
$profileParent = [System.IO.Path]::GetDirectoryName($profilePath.TrimEnd('\'))
if ($profileParent -ne [System.IO.Path]::GetFullPath($root)) {
Write-Warning "The selected folder is not a direct Edge profile folder. No files were moved."
return
}
$profiles = @(Get-Item -LiteralPath $profilePath -ErrorAction Stop)
$movedFiles = 0
foreach ($profile in $profiles) {
foreach ($name in @(
"Web Data",
"Web Data-journal",
"Web Data-wal",
"Web Data-shm"
)) {
$file = Join-Path $profile.FullName $name
if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $file) {
$backup = "$file.search-reset-backup-$stamp"
try {
Move-Item -LiteralPath $file -Destination $backup -ErrorAction Stop
Write-Host "Cleaned: $($profile.Name)\$name"
$movedFiles++
}
catch {
Write-Warning "Could not clean: $file"
}
}
}
}
Write-Host ""
if ($movedFiles -gt 0) {
Write-Host "Microsoft Edge search data has been cleaned." -ForegroundColor Green
Write-Host "You can now reopen Microsoft Edge."
}
else {
Write-Host "No Edge search database files were found." -ForegroundColor Yellow
}
The command does not permanently delete the original files. It renames them as backup files, and Edge creates a clean search database when it starts again.
Note: this additional cleanup may also reset saved form-fill suggestions, saved addresses, and manually added search engines. It does not delete favorites, passwords, or browsing history.
Reopen Edge and test the browser
Open Microsoft Edge again, visit edge://settings/searchEngines, and select your preferred search engine.
Perform several searches from the address bar to confirm that the redirect is gone.
Keep synchronization for Settings and Extensions turned off until you are certain that the computer and extensions are clean. If you enable them again, turn them on one at a time and test Edge after each change.
If Edge still redirects your searches
Open edge://policy. If this is your personal computer and Edge displays unknown policies such as ExtensionInstallForcelist or DefaultSearchProvider, the hijacker may be installed outside the browser profile.
In that situation, continue with the next malware-removal steps and run a complete antivirus scan. If the computer belongs to a company or school, contact its IT administrator before changing any policies.
Reset Internet Explorer to default settings
We will now reset your Internet Explorer browser settings to their default. You can reset Internet Explorer settings to return them to the state they were in when Internet Explorer was first installed on your computer.
Legacy Internet Explorer only: the retired desktop app is unavailable on many Windows 10 PCs and is not included with Windows 11. Skip this tab if you use Edge. Resetting Edge and configuring IE mode are separate procedures.
Go to “Internet Options”.
Open Internet Explorer, click on the gear icon in the upper-right part of your browser, then select “Internet Options“.
If Internet Explorer will not open, press Windows + R, type inetcpl.cpl, and press Enter. Continue only if the Advanced tab actually has a Reset button. Do not reinstall an obsolete browser to obtain it.
Select the “Advanced” tab, then click “Reset”
In the “Internet Options” dialog box, select the “Advanced” tab, then click on the “Reset” button.
Click on “Reset”.
In the “Reset Internet Explorer settings” section, select the “Delete personal settings” checkbox, then click on the “Reset” button.
Click on “Close”.
When Internet Explorer has completed its task, click on the “Close” button in the confirmation dialogue box. Close your browser and then you can open Internet Explorer again.
STEP 3: Use Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to remove malware and unwanted programs
In this third step, we will install Malwarebytes to scan and remove any infections, adware, or potentially unwanted programs that may be present on your computer.
Malwarebytes is one of the most popular and trusted anti-malware tools for Windows — and it’s completely free for removing infections. It catches threats that many antivirus programs miss, including adware, browser hijackers, and trojans. Follow the steps below to scan and clean your PC in just a few minutes.
Download Malwarebytes
Click the button below to download the latest version of Malwarebytes for Windows from the official source. The free version is all you need — it will scan your computer and remove adware, browser hijackers, and other malicious software at no cost.
Malwarebytes Free for WindowsScans and removes malware at no cost
When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click the MBSetup file. If Windows shows a User Account Control pop-up, click “Yes” to allow the installation.
Follow the On-Screen Prompts to Install Malwarebytes
The setup wizard will walk you through a few quick screens:
Current installers may offer Browser Guard, a trial, or a paid plan. Read each screen; use Skip for optional offers you do not want. Manual Windows scans and quarantine remain available in the free version.
Choose where you’re installing the program — “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer” — then click Next.
Malwarebytes will now install on your device. This usually takes under a minute.
When installation is complete, the “Welcome to Malwarebytes” screen will open automatically.
On the final screen, click Open Malwarebytes to launch the program.
Choose the scan type and optional rootkit check
Start with the normal Threat Scan. For an additional rootkit check, click the three dots on the Scanner tile, choose Advanced Scan, then Custom Scan.
In the Custom Scan options, enable Scan for rootkits and select the entire C:\ system drive. Click Start Custom Scan when you have reviewed the remaining options. This option is unavailable on Windows ARM devices; do not change Windows security settings to make it appear.
Run the Custom Scan if you selected it. Otherwise, return to the Dashboard and follow the Threat Scan steps below. You do not need rootkit scanning enabled to run a normal scan.
Start the Scan
Click the blue Scan button. Malwarebytes will automatically update its virus database and start checking your computer for malware.
Wait for the Scan to Finish
A Threat Scan checks memory, startup items, the registry, and common malware locations; it does not inspect every file on every drive. Allow it to finish. Use a Custom Scan if you also need to check a particular drive or folder.
Quarantine the Detected Threats
When the scan finishes, review the detected items and leave the threats you want removed selected. Click Quarantine. If you are unsure about a detection, save the report and ask for help before excluding it.
Malwarebytes will now remove the malicious files and registry entries and move them safely into quarantine.
Restart Your Computer
Some threats can only be fully removed after a reboot. If Malwarebytes asks you to restart, click Yes. Once you’re logged back in, Malwarebytes has finished removing the threats it found.
STEP 4: Use HitmanPro to scan your computer for badware
In this next step, we will scan the computer with HitmanPro to ensure that no other malicious programs are installed on your device.
HitmanPro is a second-opinion scanner designed to check for threats your usual antivirus may have missed. It examines suspicious files and uses cloud analysis from several security labs, including SophosLabs. An internet connection is needed for that cloud check.
Scanning is free. Removing detected threats requires an eligible one-time 30-day trial or a paid license. If this computer already used its trial, do not expect another free activation; the purchase screen shows the current price.
Download HitmanPro
Click the button below to download HitmanPro. Remember — the scan is free, so you have nothing to lose by checking your PC.
HitmanProSecond-opinion malware scanner from Sophos
Download HitmanProFree scan. Removal requires an eligible 30-day trial or a paid license. Opens the official HitmanPro page in a new tab.
Install HitmanPro
When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click the file: “hitmanpro.exe” on 32-bit Windows, or “hitmanpro_x64.exe” on 64-bit Windows.
If a User Account Control pop-up asks whether HitmanPro can make changes to your device, click “Yes” to continue.
Follow the On-Screen Prompts
On the HitmanPro start screen, click “Next” to begin the system scan. No lengthy setup required — it goes straight to work.
Wait for the Scan to Finish
HitmanPro will now check your computer for malicious programs. This usually takes just a few minutes thanks to its cloud-based scanning.
Review the Results and Click “Next”
When the scan is done, HitmanPro will show you everything it found. Click “Next” to remove the detected threats.
Click “Activate Free License”
If the trial is available on this computer, click Activate free license and follow the activation prompts. If it is unavailable, use an existing paid license or keep the report for assistance; do not buy through an unexpected pop-up.
When the removal is complete, HitmanPro will show a summary of everything it cleaned. Click Next, then click Reboot if prompted. If there’s no reboot prompt, just click Close and check whether the original symptoms have stopped. A clean scan cannot rule out every threat.
STEP 5: Use AdwCleaner to remove adware and malicious browser policies
In this final step, we will use AdwCleaner to remove the malicious browser policies that were set by browser hijackers on your computer and delete malicious browser extensions.
AdwCleaner is a free on-demand scanner that specializes in adware, browser hijackers, and unwanted toolbars — the exact threats that mainstream antivirus programs often miss. It also includes tools that repair the damage malware leaves behind, like hijacked browser settings and malicious policies. It’s a quick scan that’s well worth running.
Download AdwCleaner
Click the button below to download AdwCleaner — it’s free, portable, and requires no installation.
Malwarebytes AdwCleanerRemoves adware and unwanted programs at no cost
Open your Downloads folder and double-click the file named “adwcleaner.exe“. There’s no installation — the program starts right away.
If Windows asks whether you want to allow AdwCleaner to run, click “Yes“. When the license agreement appears, click I agree to continue.
Check whether a Chrome policy reset is needed
Leave policy resets off for an ordinary scan. On a personal PC with confirmed unwanted Chrome policies, open Settings and enable Reset Chrome policies only if needed. On a work or school device, ask its administrator first.
Start the Scan
Return to Dashboard and click Scan Now.
Wait for the Scan to Finish
AdwCleaner will now check your computer for adware and other malware. This usually takes only a few minutes — it’s one of the fastest scanners around.
Quarantine the Detected Threats
Review the detected adware and potentially unwanted programs, select the items to remove, and click Next. If a separate preinstalled-software list appears, review it too, then click Quarantine. Leave programs you intentionally use unselected.
Click “Continue” to Finish the Cleanup
Save any open work first — AdwCleaner needs to close your open programs before it can clean. When you’re ready, click the “Continue” button.
AdwCleaner quarantines the selected items. Restart when prompted, then review the cleanup log. Click Skip Basic Repair to finish; use Run Basic Repair only when a support agent has instructed you to do so.
That’s it — your Windows computer is now clean. The unwanted apps, adware, and any other malware have been removed.
Keep your PC protectedStop the next infection before it starts
If your antivirus let this threat through, it may not be enough on its own. Malwarebytes Premium adds real-time protection that blocks malware, ransomware, and malicious websites before they can infect your computer.See Malwarebytes Premium
If you are still having problems with your computer after completing these instructions, then please follow one of the steps:
Profiles are used by IT admins in businesses to control the behavior of their Macs. These profiles can configure a Mac to do many different things, some of which are not otherwise possible. When it comes to home users, adware and browser hijackers are using the configuration profile to prevent users from removing malicious programs from the computer. This also prevents the user from changing that behavior in the browser’s settings.
In this first step, we will check your computer to see if any configuration profiles are installed. To do this, follow the below steps:
Open “System Settings”
From the Apple menu () in the top-left corner of the screen, select System Settings. (On macOS Monterey and earlier, this is called System Preferences.)
Look for “Profiles”
On current macOS, open System Settings → General → Device Management. You can also search Settings for “profiles.”
If Device Management contains no profiles, continue to the next step. The absence of a profile rules out this particular cause of a locked browser setting; it does not rule out other malware.
Remove the malicious profiles
Malware uses configuration profiles to lock your browser settings — forcing a fake search engine or homepage on you and preventing you from changing it back. If you see a profile you don’t recognize (and your Mac isn’t managed by your workplace or school), select it, press the − (minus) button, and click Remove to confirm.
STEP 2: Delete malicious apps
In this second step, we will try to identify and remove any malicious apps and files that might be installed on your computer. Sometimes redirects or adware programs can have usable Uninstall entries that can be used to remove these programs.
Quit the malicious programs
Check the Apple menu bar in the top-right corner of your screen. If you see an icon you don’t recognize, click it and select Quit. This stops the malware from running so it can’t interfere while we remove it.
Open “Finder”
Click the Finder icon in your dock.
Click on “Applications”
In the Finder sidebar, click “Applications“.
Find and remove the malicious app
Scroll through the list of installed apps and look for anything suspicious — an app you don’t remember installing, or one with a strange or generic name. When you find it, right-click it and select “Move to Trash“.
Some known malicious programs to look for: SearchMine, TakeFresh, TopResults, FeedBack, ApplicationEvents, GeneralOpen, PowerLog, MessengerNow, ImagePrime, GeneralNetSearch, Reading Cursors, GlobalTechSearch, PDFOnline-express, See Scenic Elf, MatchKnowledge, Easy Speedtest, and WebDiscover. The names change constantly, though — so treat any app you can’t account for as suspect.
Empty the Trash
Right-click the Trash icon in your dock and select “Empty Trash“. This permanently deletes the malicious app you just removed — until you do this, the malware is still on your Mac.
Find and remove the malicious files
Malware on Mac uses launch agents and launch daemons — small files that automatically restart the malware every time you boot your Mac. We’ll check the four folders where they hide:
Click the desktop to make sure you’re in Finder, then open the “Go” menu and click “Go to Folder“.
Copy and paste each of the paths below into the window, one at a time, and click Go after each:
/Library/LaunchAgents
~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/Application Support
/Library/LaunchDaemons
In these folders, check only files linked to the detected malware. Examples seen in infections include installmac.AppRemoval.plist, myppes.download.plist, and mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist. Names alone are not proof. com.adobe.fpsaud.plist can belong to the old Adobe Flash updater; do not treat it as malware solely because it appears here.
Be careful: these folders also contain files belonging to legitimate apps — especially /Library/Application Support, where programs like Adobe, Google, and Microsoft store their data. Only delete files you’re confident are malicious. If you’re unsure about a file, search its exact name online first — or skip it; continue with the Malwarebytes scan and ask for help if the symptoms remain.
STEP 3: Reset browsers back to default settings
In this third step, we will remove spam push notifications and malicious extensions, and change to default any settings that might have been changed by malware. For each browser that you have installed on your computer, please click on the tab below and follow the displayed steps to reset that browser.
Safari BrowserChrome for Mac BrowserFirefox for Mac Browser
Remove malicious extensions and settings from Safari
To remove malware from Safari we will check if there are any malicious extensions installed on your browser and what settings have been changed by this malicious program.
Go to Safari’s “Settings”.
On the menu bar, click the “Safari” menu and select “Settings”.
Choose Safari → Settings from the menu bar.
Check Homepage.
This will open a new window with your Safari preferences, opened to the “General” tab. Some browser hijackers may change your default homepage, so in the Homepage field make sure it’s a web page you want to use as your start-up page.
Click “Extensions”
Next, click on the “Extensions” tab.
Find and uninstall malicious extensions.
The Extensions screen lists installed extensions. Select the unwanted extension and click Uninstall. Keep extensions you deliberately installed and trust. An unfamiliar name alone is not proof that an extension is malicious.
Remove spam notifications ads
Open Settings → Websites → Notifications. Set the unwanted website to Deny or remove its permission. Turning off Allow websites to ask for permission to send notifications prevents new requests; it does not revoke every existing permission.
Remove all data stored by websites on your computer.
In the Safari menu, choose “Settings…”, select “Privacy” at the top of the new window that appears, and then click the “Manage Website Data” button.
In the next dialog box, click “Remove All“. It will ask you if you are sure you want to remove all data stored by websites on your computer. Select “Remove Now” to clear data that could be used to track your browsing.
This signs you out of websites and removes local website data. If only one site is causing trouble, select that site and click Remove instead. Your saved passwords and bookmarks are separate.
Empty Safari Caches.
From your Safari menu bar, click Safari and select Settings, then select the Advanced tab. Enable the checkbox to “Show features for web developers (called Show Develop menu in menu bar in older versions)“.
From the menu bar select Develop, then click on Empty Caches as seen in the image below.
Remove malware from Chrome for Mac
To remove malware from Chrome for Mac, reset the browser settings to their defaults. This resets the startup page, search engine, and pinned tabs, disables extensions, and clears temporary website data such as cookies. It does not delete browsing history, saved passwords, or bookmarks. Restart Chrome afterward and test it before re-enabling extensions.
Click on the three dots at the top right and go to Settings.
Click on Chrome’s main menu button, represented by three dots at the top right corner. Now click on the menu option labeled Settings as shown by the arrow in the picture below, which will open the basic settings screen.
In the left sidebar, click on the “Reset settings” option.
In the left sidebar, click on “Reset settings“.
Click “Reset settings to their original defaults”.
Now click on the “Reset settings to their original defaults”. link as shown in the image below.
Click “Reset Settings” button.
A confirmation dialog should now be displayed, detailing the components that will be restored to their default state should you continue with the reset process. To complete the restoration process, click on the “Reset Settings” button.
(Optional) Reset Chrome Data Sync.
If an unwanted extension comes back, open Chrome Settings → You and Google → Sync and Google services → Manage what you sync. Choose Customize sync, turn off Extensions and Settings, then remove the unwanted extension again. Do not clear all account data as a routine browser reset.
Remove malware from Firefox for Mac
To remove malware from Firefox for Mac we will reset the browser settings to its default. The reset feature fixes many issues by restoring Firefox to its factory default state while saving your essential information like bookmarks, passwords, web form auto-fill information, browsing history, and open tabs.
Go to the “Help” menu.
Click on Firefox’s main menu button, represented by three horizontal lines. When the drop-down menu appears, select the option labeled “Help“.
Click “More troubleshooting information”.
Next click on the “More troubleshooting information” option. This opens the Troubleshooting Information page, where you can check Firefox details and find the Refresh Firefox control.
You can also open about:support directly. Update Firefox if the Refresh button is missing in a profile created with the newer profile manager.
Click on “Refresh Firefox”
Click the “Refresh Firefox” button in the upper-right corner of the “More troubleshooting information” page.
Confirm.
To continue, click on the “Refresh Firefox” button in the new confirmation window that opens.
Click on “Finish”.
Firefox will close itself and will revert to its default settings. When it’s done, a window will list the information that was imported. Click on the “Finish“.
Your old Firefox profile will be placed on your desktop in a folder named “Old Firefox Data“. If the reset didn’t fix your problem you can restore some of the information not saved by copying files to the new profile that was created. If you don’t need this folder any longer, you should delete it as it contains sensitive information.
STEP 4: Run a scan with Malwarebytes for Mac to remove malware
In this final step, we will scan the computer with Malwarebytes for Mac to find and remove any malicious programs that might be installed on your Mac.
Malwarebytes for Mac is a free on-demand scanner that removes the malware other security software tends to miss — adware, browser hijackers, and unwanted programs included. Cleaning an infected Mac with Malwarebytes has always been completely free, and it’s our go-to recommendation. Follow the steps below to scan and clean your Mac in just a few minutes.
Download Malwarebytes for Mac
Click the button below to download the latest version of Malwarebytes for Mac.
Malwarebytes Free for MacScans and removes malware at no cost
When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click the setup file to begin the installation.
Follow the On-Screen Prompts to Install Malwarebytes
The Malwarebytes for Mac Installer will guide you through a few quick screens. Click “Continue” and keep following the prompts until the installation completes.
When prompted, enable System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access → Malwarebytes, then authenticate with your Mac password or Touch ID. Return to Malwarebytes afterward. Older macOS versions use System Preferences instead.
When the installation is complete, Malwarebytes opens to the Welcome to Malwarebytes screen. Click “Get started“.
Select “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer”
Malwarebytes will ask what type of computer you’re installing it on. Click either Personal Computer or Work Computer, whichever applies.
Start the Scan
Click the “Scan” button. Malwarebytes will automatically update its detection database and begin checking your Mac for malware.
Wait for the Scan to Finish
Malwarebytes will scan your Mac for adware, browser hijackers, and other malicious programs. This can take a few minutes, so feel free to do something else — just check back occasionally to see the progress.
Quarantine the Detected Threats
When the scan is done, you’ll see a list of everything Malwarebytes found. Click the “Quarantine” button to remove all the threats at once.
Restart Your Mac
Malwarebytes will now remove all the malicious files it found. Some threats can only be fully removed after a reboot — if Malwarebytes asks you to restart, allow it. Once you’re logged back in, review the result and check whether the symptoms have stopped. If they return, save the report and ask for help.
That’s it — your Mac is now clean. The unwanted apps, adware, and any other malware have been removed.
Keep your Mac protectedStop the next infection before it starts
If your Mac got infected, its built-in protection may not be enough on its own. Malwarebytes Premium for Mac adds real-time protection that blocks malware and adware before they can infect your Mac.See Malwarebytes Premium
If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove a malicious program from your computer, please ask for help in our Mac Malware Removal Help & Support forum.
Remove Unwanted Apps and Malware from Android
Remove Unwanted Apps and Malware from Android
To remove unwanted apps and malware from your Android phone or tablet, follow these steps:
In this first step, we will check if any malicious apps are installed on your phone. Sometimes browser hijackers or adware apps can have usable Uninstall entries that can be used to remove these apps.
Open the “Settings” menu.
Tap on the “Settings” app from your phone menu or home screen.
Tap on “Apps”.
When the “Settings” menu opens, tap on “Apps” (or “App Manager”) to see all the installed applications on your phone.
Find the malicious app.
The “Apps” screen will be displayed with a list of all the applications that are installed on your phone. Scroll through the list and look out for any suspicious app that could be behind all the drama – anything you don’t remember downloading or that doesn’t sound like a genuine program. Most often, cyber criminals hide malware inside video or photo editing apps, weather apps, and camera apps.
Check the developer, installation source, and any scanner detection before removing an app. A generic name or unfamiliar icon is not enough. If Android will not let you uninstall a confirmed unwanted app, check Device admin apps in Settings or restart in Safe Mode; do not remove a work or school management app without its administrator.
Uninstall the malicious app
When you find a suspicious or malicious app, tap on it to uninstall it. This won’t start the app but will open up the app details screen. If the app is currently running press the “Force stop” button, then tap on “Uninstall”.
A confirmation dialog should be displayed to confirm you want to uninstall the app, tap on “OK” to remove the malicious app from your phone.
STEP 2: Reset browsers back to default settings
In this second step, we will reset your browser to its default settings to remove spam notifications, unwated search redirects, and restore its factory settings
Before clearing app storage: save important tabs and check that any bookmarks or passwords you need are backed up. This resets local browser data and signs you out of sites; it does not delete your Google or Mozilla account. For notification spam alone, first revoke that site’s notification permission.
Resetting the browser settings to their default it’s an easy task on Windows or Mac computers; however, when it comes to Android, this can’t be done directly because it’s not an option built-in into the browser settings. Restoring the browser settings on Android can be done by clearing the application data. This will remove all the cookies, cache, and other site settings that may have been saved. So let’s see how we can restore your browser to its factory settings.
Chrome for AndroidFirefoxOperaSamsung Internet BrowserMicrosoft Edge
Remove malware from Chrome for Android
To reset Chrome for Android to its default settings, follow the below steps:
Open the “Settings” menu.
Tap on the “Settings” app from your phone menu or home screen.
Tap on “Apps”.
When the “Settings” menu opens, tap on “Apps” (or “App Manager”) to see all the installed applications on your phone.
Find and tap on Chrome.
The “Apps” screen will be displayed with a list of all the apps installed on your phone. Scroll through the list until you find the Chrome app, then tap on it to open the app’s details.
Tap “Storage”.
When Chrome’s app info menu is displayed, tap on “Storage“.
Tap “Manage Space” or “Clear storage”.
Tap Clear storage (Clear data on Samsung). If Chrome instead shows Manage space, tap it to reach Clear all data. Do not choose Clear cache when you need to reset the app’s local data.
Tap “Clear all data”.
Tap “Clear all data” to delete all Chrome’s data including local sign-ins, unsynced bookmarks, and settings to reset the default settings.
Confirm by tapping “Ok”.
A confirmation dialog should now be displayed, detailing the components that will be restored to their default state should you continue with the reset process. To complete the restoration process, tap “Ok“.
Remove malware from Firefox for Android
To reset Firefox for Android to its default settings, follow the below steps:
Open the “Settings” menu.
Tap on the “Settings” app from your phone menu or home screen.
Tap on “Apps”.
When the “Settings” menu opens, tap on “Apps” (or “App Manager”) to see all the installed applications on your phone.
Find and tap on Firefox.
The “Apps” screen will be displayed with a list of all the apps installed on your phone. Scroll through the list until you find the Firefox app, then tap on it to open the app’s details.
Tap “Storage”.
When Firefox’s app info menu is displayed, tap on “Storage“.
Tap “Manage Space” or “Clear storage”.
Tap Clear storage (Clear data on Samsung). If Chrome instead shows Manage space, tap it to reach Clear all data. Do not choose Clear cache when you need to reset the app’s local data.
Tap “Clear all data”.
Tap “Clear all data” to delete all Firefox data including local sign-ins, unsynced bookmarks, and settings to reset the default settings.
Confirm by tapping “Ok”.
A confirmation dialog should now be displayed, detailing the components that will be restored to their default state should you continue with the reset process. To complete the restoration process, tap “Ok“.
Remove malware from the Opera browser
To reset the Opera browser to its default settings, follow the below steps:
Open the “Settings” menu.
Tap on the “Settings” app from your phone menu or home screen.
Tap on “Apps”.
When the “Settings” menu opens, tap on “Apps” (or “App Manager”) to see all the installed applications on your phone.
Find and tap on Opera.
The “Apps” screen will be displayed with a list of all the apps installed on your phone. Scroll through the list until you find the Opera app, then tap on it to open the app’s details.
Tap “Storage”.
When Opera’s app info menu is displayed, tap on “Storage“.
Tap “Manage Space” or “Clear storage”.
Tap Clear storage (Clear data on Samsung). If Chrome instead shows Manage space, tap it to reach Clear all data. Do not choose Clear cache when you need to reset the app’s local data.
Tap “Clear all data”.
Tap “Clear all data” to delete all Opera’s data including local sign-ins, unsynced bookmarks, and settings to reset the default settings.
Confirm by tapping “Ok”.
A confirmation dialog should now be displayed, detailing the components that will be restored to their default state should you continue with the reset process. To complete the restoration process, tap “Ok“.
Remove malware from Samsung Internet Browser
To reset the Samsung Internet Browser to its default settings, follow the below steps:
Open the “Settings” menu.
Tap on the “Settings” app from your phone menu or home screen.
Tap on “Apps”.
When the “Settings” menu opens, tap on “Apps” (or “App Manager”) to see all the installed applications on your phone.
Find and tap on Samsung Internet Browser.
The “Apps” screen will be displayed with a list of all the apps installed on your phone. Scroll through the list until you find the Samsung Internet Browser app, then tap on it to open the app’s details.
Tap “Storage”.
When the Samsung Internet Browser’s app info menu is displayed, tap on “Storage“.
Tap “Manage Space” or “Clear storage”.
Tap Clear storage (Clear data on Samsung). If Chrome instead shows Manage space, tap it to reach Clear all data. Do not choose Clear cache when you need to reset the app’s local data.
Tap “Clear all data”.
Tap “Clear all data” to delete all Samsung Internet Browser’s data including local sign-ins, unsynced bookmarks, and settings to reset the default settings.
Confirm by tapping “Ok”.
A confirmation dialog should now be displayed, detailing the components that will be restored to their default state should you continue with the reset process. To complete the restoration process, tap “Ok“.
Remove malware from Microsoft Edge for Android
To reset the Microsoft Edge for Android to its default settings, follow the below steps:
Open the “Settings” menu.
Tap on the “Settings” app from your phone menu or home screen.
Tap on “Apps”.
When the “Settings” menu opens, tap on “Apps” (or “App Manager”) to see all the installed applications on your phone.
Find and tap on Microsoft Edge.
The “Apps” screen will be displayed with a list of all the apps installed on your phone. Scroll through the list until you find the Microsoft Edge app, then tap on it to open the app’s details.
Tap “Storage”.
When the Microsoft Edge’s app info menu is displayed, tap on “Storage“.
Tap “Manage Space” or “Clear storage”.
Tap Clear storage (Clear data on Samsung). If Chrome instead shows Manage space, tap it to reach Clear all data. Do not choose Clear cache when you need to reset the app’s local data.
Tap “Clear all data”.
Tap “Clear all data” to delete all Microsoft Edge’s data including local sign-ins, unsynced bookmarks, and settings to reset the default settings.
Confirm by tapping “Ok”.
A confirmation dialog should now be displayed, detailing the components that will be restored to their default state should you continue with the reset process. To complete the restoration process, tap “Ok“.
STEP 3: Use Malwarebytes for Android to remove malicious apps
In this final step, we will install Malwarebytes for Android to scan and remove malicious apps from your phone or tablet.
Malwarebytes for Android can check installed apps and accessible files for threats. The free version supports manual scanning. Review the results and confirm Android’s uninstall prompts for detected malicious apps; automatic and real-time protection features depend on the plan.
Download Malwarebytes for Android.
You can download Malwarebytes for Android by clicking the link below.
Malwarebytes for AndroidManual malware scan; optional paid protection features
In the Google Play Store, tap “Install” to install Malwarebytes for Android on your device.
When the installation process has finished, tap “Open” to begin using Malwarebytes for Android. You can also open Malwarebytes by tapping on its icon in your phone menu or home screen.
Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup process
When Malwarebytes will open, you will see the Malwarebytes Setup Wizard which will guide you through a series of permissions and other setup options. Tap Get Started, or I have a Subscription if you already pay for the app. Review any plan or trial offer before accepting it.
Follow the setup prompts to reach the dashboard. The free version supports manual scans; real-time protection and scheduled scans depend on the plan. Choose only the optional features you want.
Malwarebytes for Android will now ask for a set of permissions that are required to scan your device and protect it from malware. Tap on “Give permission” to continue.
Tap on “Allow” to permit Malwarebytes to access the files on your phone.
Run a scan with Malwarebytes for Android
On the current dashboard, find the Device section and tap Scan now.
Allow storage access when prompted so Malwarebytes can check files as well as apps. Let the scan finish and open its results. Keep the app updated through Google Play.
Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.
Malwarebytes will now start scanning your phone for adware and other malicious apps. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
Review the results and uninstall detected malicious apps.
On the current results screen, tap the menu next to a detected app and choose Uninstall app, then confirm Android’s uninstall prompt. Do not choose Always allow for an app you have not verified.
Restart your phone.
Confirm that the selected apps were uninstalled. Restart if requested, then check whether the original problem has stopped. Keep the detection details and ask for help if an app cannot be removed or comes back.
That’s it — your Android device is now clean. The malicious apps, adware, and browser redirects have been removed.
Keep your phone protectedStop the next infection before it starts
Malwarebytes for Android Premium adds real-time protection that blocks malicious apps and scam links before they can harm your phone.See Malwarebytes for Android
If you are still having problems with your phone after completing these instructions, then please follow one of the steps:
Restore your phone to factory settings by going to Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset.
First, we’ll clean Safari using the built-in “Clear History and Website Data” feature. This removes your browsing history, cookies, and cached data — including the stored data that scam sites use to keep showing you pop-ups and redirects. Don’t worry: this won’t delete your photos, apps, or saved passwords.
Don’t tap anything inside the scam page or pop-up — the buttons are designed to trick you. Instead, tap the tabs icon in the lower-right corner of Safari, as shown below.
Tap the X on the malicious tab (or swipe it up) to close it safely.
Open the Settings app.
Turn on Airplane Mode. If Wi-Fi stays on, turn it off too. This disconnects the phone while you close the unwanted page. Turn Airplane Mode off and restore Wi-Fi after cleanup.
Open Apps, then tap Safari.
Tap Clear History and Website Data.
Confirm by tapping “Clear History and Data” in the pop-up.
While you’re still in Safari settings, turn on Block Pop-ups and Fraudulent Website Warning. These settings reduce unwanted pop-ups and warn about known fraudulent sites, but they do not block every scam.
Tap Settings in the upper-left corner to return to the main Settings menu.
Turn Airplane Mode back off to reconnect your iPhone to the internet.
STEP 2: Delete unwanted apps
Next, we’ll remove any suspicious apps from your iPhone. If a shady website redirected you to the App Store and you installed an app — or you spot an app you don’t remember downloading — delete it now:
On the home screen, tap and hold the unwanted app’s icon until the icons start to wiggle.
Tap the minus (–) badge in the corner of the app icon, then tap Delete App. (On older iOS versions, this badge appears as an “X”.)
Confirm by tapping “Delete“.
Reopen Safari and check whether the pop-ups have stopped. If you entered a password or payment details on the scam page, secure that account separately; clearing Safari does not undo the disclosure.
To stop these scam pages from coming back, we recommend installing an ad blocker like AdGuard. It blocks the malicious ads and redirects that cause these pop-ups in the first place.
Still having issues after completing these steps? Try one of the following:
Frequently Asked Questions about Potentially Unwanted Programs
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions regarding potentially unwanted programs:
What are potentially unwanted programs (PUPs)?
Potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) are software applications that exhibit suspicious or undesirable behavior like intrusive ads and popups. They get bundled with downloads but provide little real utility.
How do PUPs get on my device?
PUPs spread by bundling themselves with free software installers. They get selected by default during installation resulting in accidental downloads.
What’s the purpose of PUPs?
PUPs aim to generate revenue through ads, selling user data, and upselling paid software. They provide little benefit to users.
What are signs of a PUP infection?
Signs include increased popups, sluggish performance, unknown apps/processes, and modified browser settings. Unexpected logins may indicate credentials were stolen.
How do I check for PUPs on my PC or phone?
Scan with antivirus software, check unfamiliar browser extensions, processes, and installed apps for signs of PUPs.
Can PUPs damage my device?
PUPs won’t directly damage hardware, but they can corrupt software, steal data, and bog down system resources, resulting in instability.
How do I safely remove PUPs?
Use antivirus scans, uninstall associated programs/extensions, delete remaining files, reset browsers, kill processes, and reboot to fully eliminate PUPs.
How can I avoid PUPs when downloading software?
Carefully read disclosures during installations to avoid bundled PUPs. Only download reputable software and read reviews first.
Are PUPs viruses or malware?
No, PUPS are not inherently malicious but they exhibit unwanted behaviors. Their removal can be difficult though.
What should I do if a PUP reinfects my device?
If a PUP returns, use your optimized removal methodology again. Update antivirus software and avoid the initial infection source.
Why is it important to understand PUPs?
PUPs can significantly degrade computer and mobile device performance over time. Additionally, privacy is endangered through PUP data harvesting activities. Being able to identify, remove, and avoid PUPs protects your system stability, speed, and personal information. Avoiding accidental PUP infections also keeps devices clutter-free and streamlined.
What precautions can users take against PUPs?
Carefully read all disclosures when downloading and installing free programs
Check reviews and do research to confirm software legitimacy
Turn down pre-checked additional software bundles during installations
Use robust antivirus and anti-malware software to scan for PUPs
Routinely check browsers, apps, extensions, and processes for anything suspicious
Only obtain programs from trustworthy sources and their official sites
Staying vigilant stops PUPs from compromising computer security and performance. Being informed about this threat allows properly combating it.
The Bottom Line
Potentially unwanted programs degrade computer and mobile device performance, bombard users with intrusive advertising, harvest personal data, and prove challenging to fully remove due to deceptive tactics hindering uninstallation. Identifying PUP infection signals like reduced speeds, unknown background apps, and increased popups enables early detection before PUPs have a major negative impact. However, users can fight back against PUPs by leveraging quality antivirus software, deleting associated files, resetting browser settings, terminating shady processes, eliminating extensions, and reviewing the removal reports. After cleanup, restart and check whether the unwanted behavior returns. Keep the reports if a program reinstalls itself or a detection remains unresolved. Stay vigilant against PUP rebundling tactics and immediately employ your optimized, tested removal methodology if they ever return. With knowledge, tools, and techniques for combating potentially unwanted programs, users can proactively defend devices against these nuisances.
About Stelian
Stelian leverages over a decade of cybersecurity expertise to lead malware analysis and removal, uncover scams, and educate people. His experience provides insightful analysis and valuable perspective.