If your Mac is running slower than usual, your search engine is acting strange and showing different results, or if you notice an increase in ads while browsing the web, your Mac may have been infected by MainSearchSignal. This kind of adware might not cause major harm if you avoid clicking on the ads or links it displays, but removing it as soon as possible is essential to ensure your Mac stays safe and runs smoothly.
In this article, we have discussed the What is MainSearchSIgnal and different methods to remove it from your Mac.
What is MainSearchSignal?
MainSearchSignal is a type of software that you probably don’t want on your Mac. It takes over your web browser and changes the settings to show fake search results. This leads to many annoying ads on your screen, like surveys, banners, and coupons. If you accidentally click these ads, you might be on unsafe websites or downloading unwanted stuff. Besides, MainSearchSignal may also gather your browsing data and personal information.
The people behind this adware make money when you click on those ads or when they sell your personal info to others. So, to keep yourself safe from potential cyber scams, getting rid of MainSearchSignal is crucial as soon as possible.
Also read: Fix: MacOS cannot verify that this app is free from malware
How to remove MainSearchSignal?
To completely remove MainSearchSignal from your Mac, follow the below-explained methods.
Quit the suspicious process from the Activity Monitor
The Activity Monitor displays all the programs and tasks running on your computer. If MainSearchSignal is currently running, you might be able to spot the processes related to it by checking the Activity Monitor. To quit the process, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Go to Finder, click on Applications and then click on Utilities.
Step 2: In Utilities, run the Activity Monitor.
Step 3: In the Activity Monitor, click on the Memory tab.
Step 4: Look for any suspicious process similar to MainSearchSignal, select it, click on the cross at the top and then click on Force Quit.
Remove Suspicious apps
If you remember installing any software from the internet recently, and you suspect it might be the cause of MainSearchSignal, you should remove it from your Applications folder.
MainSearchSignal could have been installed as its app or have come bundled with other unwanted programs on your Mac. So, it’s essential to check for any installed apps you didn’t notice or didn’t intentionally install and remove them. To remove suspicious applications, follow the steps below.
Step: Go to Finder, click on the Applications option in the sidebar and right-click on the app that looks suspicious and then in the dropdown menu, click on the Move to Bin option.
Also read: Cannot send audio messages at this time: Quick Fix
Remove suspicious files from Library
Malware or adware, such as MainSearchSignal, uses Launch Agent scripts during its attack. These scripts create files in different folders to help the malware carry out specific tasks. To remove files from the library, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Click on Go, and then in the dropdown menu, click on the Go to Folder option.
Step 2: Type /Library/LauchAgents/ and hit Enter.
Step 3: If you find any files with names similar to MainSearchSignal that seem like viruses, delete them. But if you’re unsure and don’t see any such files, it’s best not to delete anything.
Step 4: Repeat the same procedure with the following library directories.
- ~/Library/LaunchAgents
- /Library/Application Support
- /Library/LaunchDaemons
Remove MainSearchSignal extensions from Safari, Chrome and Firefox
Safari
Step 1: Open Safari browser and click on Safari, and then in the dropdown menu, click on the Settings option.
Step 2: Click on the Extensions tab and select the Extension you want to remove and click on Uninstall.
Chrome
Step 1: Click on the Triple-dot menu. In the dropdown menu, hover over Extensions and then click on Manage Extensions.
Step 2: In the Extensions, click the Remove button under the extension you want to remove.
Firefox
Step 1: Click on the Menu (triple horizontal bars) icon and then in the dropdown menu click on Addons and themes option.
Step 2: Click on the triple horizontal dots icon beside the extension you want to remove and then in the dropdown menu click on Remove.
Also read: Fix: The server rejected one of the recipient’s addresses
