Xuqwg.click Virus: What Is It and How to Stop Pop-ups
Written by: Stelian Pilici
Published on:
Recently, many users have reported receiving intrusive pop-up notifications on their computers and mobile devices, prompting them to “allow” notifications or enable push notifications from a website called Xuqwg.click.
This website appears harmless at first glance, typically displaying a video player and a message asking the user to allow notifications to watch the video. However, allowing notifications from this site will bombard the user with a relentless stream of adult content, fake antivirus alerts, gambling ads, and other malicious pop-ups – even when the browser is closed.
Xuqwg.click is believed to be linked to various adware campaigns and scam networks aiming to expose users to unwanted content and steal their personal information. This article will provide an in-depth look at how the Xuqwg.click scam works, how to remove it from infected devices, and how to avoid falling victim in the first place.
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Overview of the Xuqwg.click Scam
Xuqwg.click operates by tricking users into enabling push notifications, which allows the site to bypass browser pop-up blockers and directly display content on the user’s desktop. The website is not clear about what types of notifications the user would receive, making it seem like allowing notifications is necessary to view video content or that victims need to prove they are not robots.
In reality, enabling notifications from Xuqwg.click signs up the user to receive a barrage of adult content, fake antivirus alerts, gambling and casino ads, and other malicious pop-ups. These unwanted notifications will continue to appear on the desktop even after closing the browser.
The website utilizes malicious redirects and social engineering tactics to expose unsuspecting users to the notification prompt. Users may land on the site after clicking links in spam emails, encountering pop-up or redirect ads on piracy sites, or downloading bundled software packages containing adware.
Once notifications are enabled, the user’s browsing experience will be severely impacted by intrusive pop-ups. The scam site may also collect personal information for tracking or fraud purposes.
Tactics Used to Spread Xuqwg.click
Cybercriminals behind Xuqwg.click leverage several tactics to infect users and propagate unwanted notifications, including:
Compromised Advertising Networks – Cybercriminals pay to show malicious Xuqwg.click ads on legitimate ad platforms, redirecting users without consent.
Malvertising Campaigns – Scammers purchase ad traffic and redirect to Xuqwg.click landing pages. These ads are displayed on many reputable sites.
Social Engineering Tricks – The site manipulates users into enabling notifications under the false pretenses of watching a video.
Software Bundling – Xuqwg.click ads and redirects may be bundled with free software downloads infected with adware.
Spam Emails – Phishing emails containing links to Xuqwg.click are used to infect users.
Affiliate Networks – Other scam sites and shady advertisers sign up to promote Xuqwg.click for a share of the profits.
By compromising ad platforms and legitimate websites, attackers can display Xuqwg.click ads to millions of users without raising red flags. Even security-conscious users may accidentally enable notifications if they land on the scam site.
Why the Scam Works
There are several reasons why the Xuqwg.click scam has been so effective at bombarding users with unwanted notifications:
Redirects Appear Legitimate – When landing on the site from a trusted website, users assume Xuqwg.click is safe to interact with.
Users Are Trained to Allow Notifications – Many sites legitimately ask for notification access, training users to enable them without much thought.
Social Engineering Tricks Users – The scam manipulates users into thinking notifications are needed to watch video content.
Difficult to Track Source of Infection – With many infection vectors, pinpointing how Xuqwg.click was enabled is challenging.
Ads Persist Outside the Browser – Once enabled, ads appear constantly even after closing all browser windows.
Disables Pop-up Blockers – Push notifications bypass standard pop-up blocking, forcing malicious content onto the desktop.
By preying on user tendencies to enable notifications and delivering disruptive pop-up ads outside the browser, Xuqwg.click found the perfect delivery mechanism for unwanted content.
How the Xuqwg.click Scam Works
Now that we have covered the scope of the Xuqwg.click scam, let’s take an in-depth look at how it actually works to bombard the user with intrusive advertisements.
Step 1: The User Lands on Xuqwg.click
The scam process begins when the user lands on the Xuqwg.click site prompting them to enable notifications. As covered previously, several tactics are utilized to redirect users including:
Clicking on advertisements on streaming sites, file sharing platforms, adult sites, and other questionable sources
Downloading and installing software bundled with browser hijackers and adware
Clicks links in spam emails designed to mimic legitimate notifications
Redirect chains that eventually land on the Xuqwg.click domain
In many cases, the user is unaware they have been redirected to a dubious website. The page appears harmless at first glance, tricking the visitor into thinking Xuqwg.click is the source they initially tried accessing.
Step 2: The User is Prompted to Allow Notifications
After landing on the page, the user is presented with a video player window and a message prompting them to click “Allow” or “Continue.” The message varies but usually explains that notifications must be enabled to view the content.
The website relies on dubious claims to persuade users to enable notifications:
“Please ‘Allow’ to Watch Video”
“Click ‘Allow’ to Verify You’re Not a Robot”
“Enable Notifications to Continue”
“Turn on Notifications to Prove You’re Human”
These messages prey on user tendencies to enable notifications without considering the implications. If the prompt seems legitimate, most users will instinctively allow notifications to progress.
Step 3: Notifications Permission Grants Access
Once the user clicks “Allow” on the browser notification prompt, the Xuqwg.click scam immediately has permission to display disruptive pop-up messages.
Even if the browser is closed, notifications will persist thanks to push notification access. This allows cybercriminals to barrage the user with adult advertising, gambling promotions, and dubious malware alerts.
Notifications enabled also allows the website to:
Track browsing data for profiling and fraud purposes
Install browser extensions and addons without the user’s consent
Change the browser homepage and search engine defaults
Override pop-up blockers and security settings
Granting this website notification access gives scam operators the keys to deliver virtually any type of disruptive or malicious content.
Step 4: Malicious Pop-up Barrage Commences
Once notification access is granted, the user can expect an onslaught of unwanted pop-up messages. These intrusive ads will display both in the browser and directly on the desktop.
Some examples of pop-up notification spam victims may encounter include:
Adult dating and webcam model promotions
Flashy gambling ads with unrealistic earnings promises
Fake browser updates threatening to compromise security
Browser lockers with dubious call-to-action buttons
“Prize won” and “You are a winner” notification scams
The purpose is to expose users to high-risk advertising, collect browsing data, and redirect to affiliate offers. These pop-ups are very difficult to close and will bombard the victim with highly deceptive and inappropriate content.
In addition to the disruptive pop-ups, victims may experience issues like default browser changes, new unknown extensions installed, and system instability. Without intervention, the notifications will continue endlessly.
What to Do If You Have Fallen Victim to Xuqwg.click
If you enabled notifications from the dubious Xuqwg.click website, you are most likely being bombarded by intrusive pop-up ads. Fortunately, these unwanted notifications can be disabled and removed with the proper approach.
Here are the recommended steps to stop Xuqwg.click ads and eliminate any malware installed by this scam campaign:
This malware removal guide may appear overwhelming due to the number of steps and numerous programs that are being used. We have only written it this way to provide clear, detailed, and easy-to-understand instructions that anyone can use to remove malware for free. Please perform all the steps in the correct order. If you have any questions or doubts at any point, stop and ask for our assistance.
The Xuqwg.click pop-up ads can happen on Windows, Mac, or Android, so we’ve covered below all these operating systems. Depending on which operating system is installed on the device you see the Xuqwg.click pop-up ads, please click on the operating system icon below and follow the displayed steps to remove it.
In this first step, we will reset your browser settings back to their default settings to remove spam push notifications, malicious extensions, and unwanted search engines. 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.
Click the three dots in the top-right corner and then click on “Settings”.
Open Chrome and click on the menu button (represented by three vertical dots) in the top right corner of the window. In the dropdown menu that opens, click “Settings“.
Click “Advanced”.
Chrome’s “Settings” should now be displayed in a new tab or window, depending on your configuration. In the left sidebar, click on the “Advanced” link.
Click “Reset and clean up”.
In the left sidebar, under the “Advanced” section, click on “Reset and clean up“.
Click “Reset settings to their original defaults”.
In the main window, the “Reset and clean up” section is visible, as shown in the screenshot below. Click on “Reset settings to their original defaults“.
Click “Reset settings”.
A confirmation dialog will 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.
In case a malicious extension reinstalls itself even after performing a browser reset, you have an additional option to reset the data sync for your browser. To do this, navigate to chrome.google.com/sync and click on the Clear Data button.
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.
Click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner and then click on “Help”.
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”.
From the Help menu, click on “More troubleshooting information“.
Click on “Refresh Firefox”
When the “Troubleshooting Information” page opens, click on the “Refresh Firefox” button.
Confirm that you want to reset your browser settings.
To finish the reset process, click on the “Refresh Firefox” button in the new confirmation window that opens.
Click “Finish”.
Firefox will now close itself and will revert to its default settings. When it’s done, a window will list the information that was imported. Click on “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.
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.
Click the three dots in the top-right corner and then click on “Settings”.
In the top right corner, click on Microsoft Edge’s main menu button, represented by three horizontal dots. When the drop-down menu appears, click on “Settings“.
Click on “Reset Settings”.
On the left side of the window, click on “Reset Settings“.
Click on “Restore settings to their default values”.
In the main window, click on “Restore settings to their default values“.
Click “Reset”.
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” button. Microsoft Edge will now erase all your personal data, browsing history, and disable all installed extensions. Your bookmarks, though, will remain intact and still be accessible.
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.
Go to “Internet Options”.
Open Internet Explorer, click on the gear icon in the upper-right part of your browser, then select “Internet Options“.
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.
Now that we’ve removed the sites permissions to send push notifications, in the next step we will scan your computer for any infections, adware, or potentially unwanted programs that may be present on your device.
STEP 2: Use Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to remove malware and unwanted programs
In this second step, we will install Malwarebytes to scan and remove any infections, adware, or potentially unwanted programs that may be present on your computer.
Malwarebytes stands out as one of the leading and widely-used anti-malware solutions for Windows, and for good reason. It effectively eradicates various types of malware that other programs often overlook, all at no cost to you. When it comes to disinfecting an infected device, Malwarebytes has consistently been a free and indispensable tool in the battle against malware. We highly recommend it for maintaining a clean and secure system.
Download Malwarebytes for Windows
You can download Malwarebytes by clicking the link below.
After the download is complete, locate the MBSetup file, typically found in your Downloads folder. Double-click on the MBSetup file to begin the installation of Malwarebytes on your computer. If a User Account Control pop-up appears, click “Yes” to continue the Malwarebytes installation.
Follow the On-Screen Prompts to Install Malwarebytes
When the Malwarebytes installation begins, the setup wizard will guide you through the process.
You’ll first be prompted to choose the type of computer you’re installing the program on—select either “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer” as appropriate, then click on Next.
Malwarebytes will now begin the installation process on your device.
When the Malwarebytes installation is complete, the program will automatically open to the “Welcome to Malwarebytes” screen.
On the final screen, simply click on the Open Malwarebytes option to start the program.
Enable “Rootkit scanning”.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now start, and you will see the main screen as shown below. To maximize Malwarebytes’ ability to detect malware and unwanted programs, we need to enable rootkit scanning. Click on the “Settings” gear icon located on the left of the screen to access the general settings section.
In the settings menu, enable the “Scan for rootkits” option by clicking the toggle switch until it turns blue.
Now that you have enabled rootkit scanning, click on the “Dashboard” button in the left pane to get back to the main screen.
Perform a Scan with Malwarebytes.
To start a scan, click the Scan button. Malwarebytes will automatically update its antivirus database and begin scanning your computer for malicious programs.
Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.
Malwarebytes will now scan your computer for browser hijackers and other malicious programs. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
Quarantine detected malware
Once the Malwarebytes scan is complete, it will display a list of detected malware, adware, and potentially unwanted programs. To effectively remove these threats, click the “Quarantine” button.
Malwarebytes will now delete all of the files and registry keys and add them to the program’s quarantine.
Restart your computer.
When removing files, Malwarebytes may require a reboot to fully eliminate some threats. If you see a message indicating that a reboot is needed, please allow it. Once your computer has restarted and you are logged back in, you can continue with the remaining steps.
STEP 3: Use HitmanPro to scan your computer for badware
In this third 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 that takes a unique cloud-based approach to malware scanning. HitmanPro scans the behavior of active files and also files in locations where malware normally resides for suspicious activity. If it finds a suspicious file that’s not already known, HitmanPro sends it to its clouds to be scanned by two of the best antivirus engines today, which are Bitdefender and Kaspersky.
Although HitmanPro is shareware and costs $24.95 for 1 year on 1 PC, there is no limit on scanning. The limitation only kicks in when there is a need to remove or quarantine detected malware by HitmanPro on your system and by then, you can activate the one-time 30-days trial to enable the cleanup.
Download HitmanPro.
You can download HitmanPro by clicking the link below.
HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK (The above link will open a new web page from where you can download HitmanPro)
Install HitmanPro.
When HitmanPro has finished downloading, double-click on “hitmanpro.exe” (for 32-bit versions of Windows) or “hitmanpro_x64.exe” (for 64-bit versions of Windows) to install this program on your computer. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the Downloads folder.
You may be presented with a User Account Control pop-up asking if you want to allow HitmanPro to make changes to your device. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
Follow the on-screen prompts.
When HitmanPro starts you will be presented with the start screen as shown below. Click on the “Next” button to perform a system scan.
Wait for the HitmanPro scan to complete.
HitmanPro will now begin to scan your computer for malicious programs.
Click on “Next”.
When HitmanPro has finished the scan, it will display a list of all the malware that it has found. Click on the “Next” button to have HitmanPro remove the detected items.
Click on “Activate free license”.
HitmanPro may now require to activate the free 30-days trial to remove the malicious files. To do this, click on the “Activate free license” button to begin the free 30 days trial and remove all the malicious files from your computer.
When the malware removal process is complete, it will display a screen that shows the status of the various programs that were removed. At this screen, you should click on the Next button and then if prompted you should click on the Reboot button. If HitmanPro does not prompt you to reboot, please just click on the Close button.
Your computer should now be free of the Xuqwg.click push notifications ads and other malware.
If your current antivirus allowed this malicious program on your computer, you may want to consider purchasing Malwarebytes Premium to protect against these types of threats in the future. If you are still having problems with your computer after completing these instructions, then please follow one of the steps:
In this first step, we will restore your browser settings back to their default configuration to remove spam push notifications, malicious extensions, and unwanted browser settings. 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.
Safari BrowserChrome for Mac BrowserFirefox for Mac Browser
Remove Malware and Spam Push Notifications from Safari
To remove spam push notifications from Safari we will check if there are any malicious extensions installed on your browser and restore your browser settings to default.
Go to Safari’s “Preferences”.
On the menu bar, click the “Safari” menu and select “Preferences”.
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 will be displayed with a list of all the extensions installed on Safari. Look out for any suspicious browser extension that could be behind all the drama – anything you don’t remember downloading or that doesn’t sound like a genuine extension. By default, there are no extensions installed on Safari so it’s safe to remove an extension
Remove spam notifications ads
Click Preferences, click Websites, then click Notifications. Deselect “Allow websites to ask for permission to send push notifications”.
Remove all data stored by websites on your computer.
In the Safari menu, choose “Preferences…”, 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.
Empty Safari Caches.
From your Safari menu bar, click Safari and select Preferences, then select the Advanced tab. Enable the checkbox to “Show Develop menu in menu bar“.
From the menu bar select Develop, then click on Empty Caches as seen in the image below.
Remove Malware and Spam Push Notifications from Chrome for Mac
To remove spam push notifications from Chrome for Mac we will reset the browser settings to its default. Doing these steps will erase all configuration information from Chrome such as your home page, tab settings, saved form information, browsing history, and cookies. This process will also disable any installed extensions. All of your bookmarks, though, will be preserved.
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 and Cleanup” option.
In the left sidebar, click on “Reset and clean up“.
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.
In case a malicious extension reinstalls itself even after performing a browser reset, you have an additional option to reset the data sync for your browser. To do this, navigate to chrome.google.com/sync and click on the Clear Data button.
Remove Malware and Spam Push Notifications from Firefox for Mac
To remove spam push notifications 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 “Troubleshooting Information”.
Next click on the “Troubleshooting Information” option as indicated by the arrow in the image below. This will bring you to a Troubleshooting page.
Click on “Refresh Firefox”
Click the “Refresh Firefox” button in the upper-right corner of the “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.
Now that we’ve removed the spam push notifications and malicious extensions from your browser, in the next step we will scan your Mac for any malware infections that may be present on your device.
STEP 2: Use Malwarebytes for Mac to remove Malware and Unwanted Programs
In this second step, we will download, install and run a scan with Malwarebytes to find and remove browser hijackers, adware, malicious browser extensions, and other malware from your Mac.
Malwarebytes for Mac is an on-demand scanner that can destroy many types of malware that other software tends to miss without costing you absolutely anything. When it comes to cleaning up an infected device, Malwarebytes has always been free, and we recommend it as an essential tool in the fight against malware.
Download Malwarebytes for Mac.
You can download Malwarebytes for Mac by clicking the link below.
When Malwarebytes has finished downloading, double-click on the setup file to install Malwarebytes on your computer. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the Downloads folder.
Follow the on-screen prompts to install Malwarebytes.
When the Malwarebytes installation begins, you will see the Malwarebytes for Mac Installer which will guide you through the installation process. Click “Continue“, then keep following the prompts to continue with the installation process.
When your Malwarebytes installation completes, the program opens to the Welcome to Malwarebytes screen. Click the “Get started” button.
Select “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer”.
The Malwarebytes Welcome screen will first ask you what type of computer are you installing this program, click either Personal Computer or Work Computer.
Click on “Scan”.
To scan your computer with Malwarebytes, click on the “Scan” button. Malwarebytes for Mac will automatically update the antivirus database and start scanning your computer for malware.
Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.
Malwarebytes will scan your computer for adware, browser hijackers, and other malicious programs. 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.
Click on “Quarantine”.
When the scan has been completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes has detected. To remove the malware that Malwarebytes has found, click on the “Quarantine” button.
Restart computer.
Malwarebytes will now remove all the malicious files that it has found. To complete the malware removal process, Malwarebytes may ask you to restart your computer.
Your Mac should now be free of the Xuqwg.click push notifications ads and other malware.
If your current antivirus allowed a malicious program on your computer, you might want to consider purchasing the full-featured version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to protect against these types of threats in the future. 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.
Removal Instructions for Android
Remove Xuqwg.click from Android
To remove Xuqwg.click pop-up ads from your phone or tablet, follow these steps:
In this first step, we will remove the permissions to send push notifications to your phone’s browser. Depending on which browser are you seeing the spam push notifications, click on the below browser tab.
ChromeFirefoxOperaBraveSamsung Internet BrowserMicrosoft Edge
Remove spam notifications from Chrome for Android
On your Android phone, open Google Chrome
In the top right corner, tap the More button (three vertical dots).
When the pop-up menu opens, tap on Settings.
Chrome’s “Settings” menu should now be displayed, tap on Notifications.
When Chrome’s “App notifications” menu will open, toggle off the Show notifications option.
Remove spam notifications from Firefox for Android
To remove the Captchasee.live advertisements from Firefox we will reset the browser settings to their default. This will remove all the cookies, cache, and other site settings that may have been saved.
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”.
Under the storage settings, you will get two options — Manage Space and Clear Cache. Tap on “Manage Space“.
Tap “Clear all data”.
Tap “Clear all data” to delete all Firefox data including accounts, bookmarks, and your 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 spam notifications from Opera
To remove the Captchasee.live advertisements from the Opera browser we will reset the browser settings to their default. This will remove all the cookies, cache, and other site settings that may have been saved.
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”.
Under the storage settings, you will get two options — Manage Space and Clear Cache. Tap on “Manage Space“.
Tap “Clear all data”.
Tap “Clear all data” to delete all Opera’s data including accounts, bookmarks, and your 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 spam notifications from Brave
To remove the Captchasee.live advertisements from Brave browser we will reset the browser settings to their default. This will remove all the cookies, cache, and other site settings that may have been saved.
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 Brave.
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 Brave app, then tap on it to open the app’s details.
Tap “Storage”.
When the Brave’s app info menu is displayed, tap on “Storage“.
Tap “Manage Space”.
Under the storage settings, you will get two options — Manage Space and Clear Cache. Tap on “Manage Space“.
Tap “Clear all data”.
Tap “Clear all data” to delete all Brave’s data including accounts, bookmarks, and your 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 spam notifications from Samsung Internet Browser
To remove the Captchasee.live advertisements from Samsung Internet Browser we will reset the browser settings to their default. This will remove all the cookies, cache, and other site settings that may have been saved.
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”.
Under the storage settings, you will get two options — Manage Space and Clear Cache. Tap on “Manage Space“.
Tap “Clear all data”.
Tap “Clear all data” to delete all Samsung Internet Browser’s data including accounts, bookmarks, and your 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 spam notifications from Microsoft Edge
To remove the Captchasee.live advertisements from Microsoft Edge we will reset the browser settings to their default. This will remove all the cookies, cache, and other site settings that may have been saved.
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”.
Under the storage settings, you will get two options — Manage Space and Clear Cache. Tap on “Manage Space“.
Tap “Clear all data”.
Tap “Clear all data” to delete all Microsoft Edge’s data including accounts, bookmarks, and your 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 2:Use Malwarebytes for Android to remove Malware and Malicious Apps
In this second step, we will install Malwarebytes to scan and remove adware, malicious apps, and other malware from your phone.
Malwarebytes for Android automatically detects and removes dangerous threats like malware and ransomware so you don’t have to worry about your most-used device being compromised. Aggressive detection of adware and potentially unwanted programs keeps your Android phone or tablet running smooth.
Download Malwarebytes for Android.
You can download Malwarebytes for Android by clicking the link below.
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. This is the first of two screens that explain the difference between the Premium and Free versions. Swipe this screen to continue. Tap on “Got it” to proceed to the next step. 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.
Update database and run a scan with Malwarebytes for Android
You will now be prompted to update the Malwarebytes database and run a full system scan.
Click on “Update database” to update the Malwarebytes for Android definitions to the latest version, then click on “Run full scan” to perform a system scan.
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.
Click on “Remove Selected”.
When the scan has been completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes for Android has detected. To remove the malicious apps that Malwarebytes has found, tap on the “Remove Selected” button.
Restart your phone.
Malwarebytes for Android will now remove all the malicious apps that it has found. To complete the malware removal process, Malwarebytes may ask you to restart your device.
Your phone should now be free of the Xuqwg.click push notifications ads and other malware.
If your current antivirus allowed a malicious app on your phone, you may want to consider purchasing the full-featured version of Malwarebytes to protect against these types of threats in the future. 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.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Xuqwg.click Scam
What is Xuqwg.click?
Xuqwg.click is a malicious website that bombards visitors with disruptive pop-up spam notifications. After tricking users into enabling browser notifications, unwanted pop-up ads persistently appear promoting adult content, gambling sites, fake antivirus alerts and other questionable products even when the browser is closed.
How does the Xuqwg.click scam work?
The website relies on social engineering tactics to manipulate users into enabling browser notifications. After landing on the page during a redirect or while accessing questionable content online, visitors are prompted with messages stating notifications must be allowed to watch a video or “prove you’re not a robot.” Once enabled, persistent desktop pop-up ads ensue.
Why is Xuqwg.click so difficult to remove?
The website utilizes browser push notifications to bypass pop-up blockers and send content directly to a user’s desktop. Even after closing out of the browser, notifications continue appearing. Disabling notifications for the site and scanning for adware/malware infections is required to stop disruptive pop-up spam.
What types of pop-ups does Xuqwg.click send?
Those infected report intrusive pop-up ads promoting adult webcam shows, gambling sites suggesting guaranteed earnings, fake browser updates threatening device security, AdultFriendFinder spam, and “prize winner” scams. The spam clicks lead to dangerous affiliate offers and malware.
How did Xuqwg.click infect my computer?
Potential infection vectors include clicking compromised ads on streaming sites, torrent platforms or adult tubes, opening email spam links, installing adware-laden software bundles, or visiting sites already infected with browser hijackers. The redirects eventually land on the Xuqwg.click notification prompt.
How do I disable notifications from Xuqwg.click?
Open browser settings, navigate to the Notifications or Site Permissions menu, click Manage for notifications access, and search for Xuqwg.click to block/disable notifications from the domain directly through these browser controls. This prevents more pop-ups without removing previous infections.
How do I fully remove Xuqwg.click spam from my system?
In addition to disabling notifications in browser settings, run anti-malware scans with Malwarebytes and HitmanPro to find and eliminate infections responsible for persistent pop-up spam outside the browser. Reset the browser to factory defaults afterward and clear Temporary Internet Files/cache to erase tracking cookies.
How do I avoid the Xuqwg.click scam in the future?
Be extremely cautious before enabling browser notifications for unfamiliar domains. Look for manipulation tactics surrounding notification access prompts suggesting it’s mandatory to watch videos or “prove you’re human.” Legitimate websites will never demand notification access under false pretenses or badger users. Avoid viewing questionable content prone to abusive advertising tactics overall.
The Bottom Line
The Xuqwg.click website exemplifies malicious actors manipulating browser notification prompts to bombard victims with disruptive pop-up ads. By social engineering users into allowing notifications under false pretenses, scam operators grant themselves limitless access for spam delivery.
If you encounter a browser pop-up asking you to enable notifications, exercise extreme caution – no matter how harmless the website seems. Look for red flags like claims that notifications are needed to watch video content or “prove you are human”. Legitimate sites will not demand access or misrepresent why notifications are required.
Should you fall victim to this prolific scam campaign, immediately disable notifications directly in your browser settings for the site in question. Be sure to scan for malware, reset the browser to factory defaults, and clear Temporary Internet Files to eliminate intrusive ads entirely.
Stay vigilant for notification prompt manipulation on unfamiliar websites – and think twice before clicking “Allow” without understanding the implications. Following safe browsing practices will help users avoid falling into the trap of relentless Xuqwg.click pop-up spam.
How to Stay Safe Online
Here are 10 basic security tips to help you avoid malware and protect your device:
Use a good antivirus and keep it up-to-date.
It's essential to use a good quality antivirus and keep it up-to-date to stay ahead of the latest cyber threats. We are huge fans of Malwarebytes Premium and use it on all of our devices, including Windows and Mac computers as well as our mobile devices. Malwarebytes sits beside your traditional antivirus, filling in any gaps in its defenses, and providing extra protection against sneakier security threats.
Keep software and operating systems up-to-date.
Keep your operating system and apps up to date. Whenever an update is released for your device, download and install it right away. These updates often include security fixes, vulnerability patches, and other necessary maintenance.
Be careful when installing programs and apps.
Pay close attention to installation screens and license agreements when installing software. Custom or advanced installation options will often disclose any third-party software that is also being installed. Take great care in every stage of the process and make sure you know what it is you're agreeing to before you click "Next."
Install an ad blocker.
Use a browser-based content blocker, like AdGuard. Content blockers help stop malicious ads, Trojans, phishing, and other undesirable content that an antivirus product alone may not stop.
Be careful what you download.
A top goal of cybercriminals is to trick you into downloading malware—programs or apps that carry malware or try to steal information. This malware can be disguised as an app: anything from a popular game to something that checks traffic or the weather.
Be alert for people trying to trick you.
Whether it's your email, phone, messenger, or other applications, always be alert and on guard for someone trying to trick you into clicking on links or replying to messages. Remember that it's easy to spoof phone numbers, so a familiar name or number doesn't make messages more trustworthy.
Back up your data.
Back up your data frequently and check that your backup data can be restored. You can do this manually on an external HDD/USB stick, or automatically using backup software. This is also the best way to counter ransomware. Never connect the backup drive to a computer if you suspect that the computer is infected with malware.
Choose strong passwords.
Use strong and unique passwords for each of your accounts. Avoid using personal information or easily guessable words in your passwords. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your accounts whenever possible.
Be careful where you click.
Be cautious when clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. These could potentially contain malware or phishing scams.
Don't use pirated software.
Avoid using Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file-sharing programs, keygens, cracks, and other pirated software that can often compromise your data, privacy, or both.
To avoid potential dangers on the internet, it's important to follow these 10 basic safety rules. By doing so, you can protect yourself from many of the unpleasant surprises that can arise when using the web.
Meet Stelian Pilici
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.
Remove Xuqwg.click from Windows
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