How To Remove Adware From Mac OS

What is Adware? Can Mac be infected with Adware? What should I do to remove adware?

Mac users have always been a misconception- that Mac cannot be infected with virus. However, it is just a myth as today Macs are very much vulnerable to viruses. Whether it is adware, browser hijackers, spyware, malware, Trojan or even ransomware.

Your Mac do need to a real-time protection to stay pro-active against threats.

What is Adware?

Adware are program designed to display intrusive advertisements on the browser. These software can install in various forms like fake web extensions, ad-driven search engines, malicious software, also known as potentially unwanted programs.

Adware can target both web browsers and computer systems. Its prime motive is to run in the background to load advertising contents while user is online. However, if your PC is severely infected, then you may also notice pop-ups on your screen.

How Adware gets installed?

Typically, user may install it unknowingly via various deceptive distribution tactics, known as bundling. Often we tend to download freeware from third-party sites, ads or redirect links. Such program comes bundled with additional programs that install along with it.

Mac users are mostly getting infected with adware or PUA via:

• updating fake Adobe Flash Player,
• fake Mac optimization tools,
• pdf converters,
• download managers and so on.

To avoid this, users should opt for custom/advanced installation option while going through set up wizard. This will skip the installation of unwanted programs on your device.

What Are The Types of Adware?

Adware installed via bundling are mostly considered as PUA. These programs mostly modifies various settings of the system like creates User Profile, add files to libraries, changes default settings of the browsers.

As mentioned above, adware are considered as programs that displays misleading ads, encourages fake downloads, causes automatic redirects and scams. So, based on these facts, here are the types of adware:

• Adware that targets the web browsers:

  These install as fake extension, plug-ins, and search engines. Some of the examples are Chill-tab, Searchmine, cybersearch.xyz, Gsearch, and so on. These program when installed attempts to take over the browser in order to inject ads within the websites user visits and search results. So, you may see your search queries redirected via unknown URLs, and then they return the result page. These are mostly loaded with sponsored links, irrelevant contents and in-text links and so on.

  Consequences:

  There can be various consequences:

  • When you click on such links, then these ads can trick you into visiting unsafe websites.
  • Downloading fake programs more like of adware, spyware, crytojacking and browser hijackers.
  • Random pop-ups may appear on the pages you visit.
  • Sites asking to enable the web notification after which you see pop-up ads on your device screen.

• Adware designed to trick and scam users:

This category of adware appears as redirect pages that shows scary warnings and alerts that “your mac is infected with (3) viruses, “Require Software Update” and many such. These warnings fake and only designed by scammers to trick users into installing fake optimization tools or anti-virus. Often sometimes you have seen these warnings promoting genuine tools.

Yes, these happens because the adware authors tends to earn the commission from the affiliates via deceptive means.  So, users should never install such programs.

How To Remove Adware From Mac

Why We Recommend ComboCleaner

Combo Cleaner is all-in-one security tool that is specifically designed for Mac users. It scan engines can easily detect adware, malware and other native malicious software that infects Mac. The software manages its threat database and updates hourly ensuring real-time protection against threats.

Download ComboCleaner

Top Features:

• Scans for Adware that triggers pop-ups and ads so that you can have uninterrupted browsing;
• Malware scanner to provide rigorous protection;
• Free Disk Cleaner that cleans out clutter of junks, application logs, cache, unnecessary files, download folders and so on;
• Duplicate file finder;
• Privacy Scanner that scans the browsers for private data that can be traced by third-party, quick removal of browsing history, cookies, etc.
• App Uninstaller

Apart from these, you get many more features that will never let you worry about your Mac again.

To completely remove adware from Mac, follow these steps  carefully: 

Remove Adware, PUA and other Malicious Software

1. On the Finder window, click Go→ Applications;

   

2. Look through the Application window to find and remove Adware or Malicious Software;

   

3.  To remove adware, right-click on it and choose “Move To Trash”; (Some adware are: Adload, Advanced Mac Cleaner, Shlayer, Mac Cleanup Pro, CrossRider and so on).
4. After removing, Click on the “Empty Trash” by right-click on the Trash icon on your dock.

   

5. Restart your Mac to make changes into effect.

Remove LaunchAgents and LaunchDaemons Associated With Adware

To Remove LaunchAgents and LaunchDaemon, follow the steps here: 

1. Open Finder window and then select: Go → Go to Folder;

   

2. Now, you need find any malicious agents within the following locations, and delete if find any;
   • /Library/LaunchAgents
   • /Library/LaunchDaemons
   • /System/Library/LaunchAgents
   • /System/Library/LaunchDaemons
   • ~/Library/LaunchAgents
3. Enter the path to the “Go To Folder” and click “Go”;

   

4. Now, check, if there is any adware related entries, if found delete them one-by-one.

   

Uninstall Adware Related Extensions From Web browsers

Next, step is to find unwanted extension, fake search engine and revoke other settings that happens due to any Adware. So, most of the users use Safari, Chrome and Mozilla browsers on their Mac OS.

So, here we are going to explain all the three one-by-one.

Remove Adware Related Fake User Profiles

Often malicious programs creates Users and Groups to add program preferences, so you need to find and remove fake profiles. To do so, you must login to your Mac as administrative account. By deleting them the fake user will no more able to access them.

• Choose Apple menu → System Preferences → Users & Groups.

  

• On the Users & Groups window, if you see unknown profile, then click on it;
• To Remove Fake User Profile, select it and click the Remove button (—) minus button in the bottom.