How to Remove Browser Hijackers and Adware From a Mac

Most Mac adware persists through three things: a rogue browser extension, a Configuration Profile, and a LaunchAgent or LaunchDaemon that re-installs the extension if you remove it. We will deal with all three.

Step 1: Uninstall the rogue app

Open Finder → Applications
Sort by Date Added and look for anything you did not install (MacKeeper, Advanced Mac Cleaner, SearchProtect, MyShopcoupon, etc.)
Drag the unwanted app to the Trash and empty it

Step 2: Remove rogue extensions and reset browsers

Safari → Settings → Extensions → uninstall anything unfamiliar
Chrome → chrome://extensions → Remove; then Settings → Reset settings → Restore settings to their original defaults
Firefox → about:addons → remove; then Help → More troubleshooting information → Refresh Firefox

Step 3: Remove malicious Configuration Profiles

System Settings → General → Device Management (or Profiles)
Select any profile you did not install and click −
If no profiles section appears at all, you are clean — that is the default for personal Macs

Step 4: Clean LaunchAgents and LaunchDaemons

Adware re-installs itself using small .plist files in these folders. Open Finder, press ⌘ ⇧ G and check each path:

~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
~/Library/Application Support

Move anything with names like com.MyShopcoupon, com.searchmine, com.pcv.hlpramcn or any oddly-named recently-modified plist to a folder on your Desktop, then restart your Mac. If everything still works after a few days, delete it.

Important

Do not blindly delete files in these folders — many legitimate apps (Dropbox, Google Drive, Adobe) live there too. When in doubt, search the file name online first.

Step 5: Run a free Mac malware scan

Download Malwarebytes for Mac (Free) from malwarebytes.com/mac
Install and grant Full Disk Access when prompted (System Settings → Privacy & Security)
Run a full scan and quarantine everything it flags
Restart your Mac

Tags:

Was this guide helpful?

Know someone who needs this? Send them the guide.

Written by

Jordan Dickson

Founder, CyberSecurityGuides

Founder of CyberSecurityGuides, writing practical, jargon-free guides that help everyday people recover from and protect against online attacks.

Reviewed by CSG Security Engineers