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- Remove malware from a Mac
How to remove malware from your Mac
Pop-ups, a search engine that keeps switching to Bing, or a warning that your Mac is infected? Work through these eight steps in order. Most problems are gone by step 6.
Signs your Mac has malware
- Ads and pop-ups on sites that never had them, or new tabs opening by themselves
- Your homepage or search engine changed to Bing, Yahoo or a site you do not recognise
- Browser extensions or toolbars you did not install
- Warnings that your Mac is infected or “memory is full”, often with a phone number to call
- A Mac that is suddenly slow, hot or noisy for no clear reason
- Apps in your Applications folder that you do not remember installing
Remove it in eight steps
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Close the scam, do not engage with it
Never call a number or pay for anything shown in a pop-up. Quit the browser with Command-Q, or press Option-Command-Esc to force quit. Hold Shift while you reopen Safari so it does not restore the same tabs.
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Back up your documents
Run a Time Machine backup or copy important files to an external drive before you start removing things. It is a precaution, not because cleanup usually deletes your files.
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Check login items
Open System Settings > General > Login Items (called Login Items & Extensions on newer macOS). Remove anything you do not recognise from the list that opens at login, and switch off unknown items allowed to run in the background.
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Remove apps you did not install
Open your Applications folder in Finder and sort by Date Added. Move anything unfamiliar to the Trash, especially “cleaner”, “optimizer”, “search” or video player apps that arrived with something else.
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Look for configuration profiles
Open System Settings and search for “Profiles” (on recent macOS it is under General > Device Management). Adware sometimes installs a profile that locks your browser settings. Remove any profile you did not add, unless it belongs to your work or school.
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Clean up your browsers
Remove unknown extensions in Safari (Settings > Extensions), Chrome (Window > Extensions) and Firefox (Add-ons and themes). Then set your homepage and search engine back. A Browser Restore Scan in Antivirus Zap does all three browsers in one go, though it also signs you out of websites.
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Run a malware scan
Manual checks miss files hidden in Library folders. Run a Quick Scan in Antivirus Zap, remove what it finds, then restart your Mac. If anything comes back, run a Full Scan overnight.
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Update macOS and change exposed passwords
Install updates in System Settings > General > Software Update. If you typed a password into a suspicious page, change it and turn on two-factor authentication for that account.
Short on time? Steps 4, 6 and 7 fix most adware. Antivirus Zap covers them with one Browser Restore Scan, for a one-time $9.99.
How to avoid it next time
- Install apps from the Mac App Store or the developer's own website.
- Never install a “Flash Player update”. Flash was retired in 2020, so every such prompt is fake.
- Read installer screens and untick bundled extras before clicking Continue.
- Avoid pirated apps and “free” downloads of paid software.
- Keep macOS and your browsers up to date.
Common questions
Can Macs get viruses?
Yes. Macs are less targeted than Windows PCs, but trojans, spyware, ransomware and especially adware for macOS are common. Most arrive through fake installers, pirated apps and malicious browser extensions rather than by breaking in on their own.
Does resetting Safari remove malware?
It removes the symptoms inside the browser, such as a changed search engine or a bad extension. If an app or login item keeps reinstalling the extension, the problem returns. Remove the app and login items too, or run a malware scan that checks the whole Mac.
Is it safe to delete the files Antivirus Zap finds?
Antivirus Zap shows the name and location of every detection before anything is removed. If a result is a file you know and trust, untick it. If you are unsure, email antivirus.support@antiviruszap.com with a screenshot and we will tell you.