How to remove “app_name Will Damage Your Computer. You Should Move It To The Trash” pop-up (Mac)

What is “app_name Will Damage Your Computer. You Should Move It To The Trash” pop-up

Note: MacOS can display “app_name Will Damage Your Computer. You Should Move It To The Trash” message for perfectly legitimate applications, just because it is new/unknown/not present in Mac App Store. If you know what you are doing and familiar with app you install/run you can ignore this message. Otherwise, read our guide carefully.

“app_name Will Damage Your Computer. You Should Move It To The Trash” (or “app_name Will damage your computer. You should move it to the Bin.”) is a type of security alert that appears in a pop-up window when Mac detects and considers an installed program to be potentially harmful. As a rule, it is often the presence of adware, browser hijackers, and other potentially unwanted apps (some examples include APMHelper, FocusReportingService, HIPRADE, Helperamc, Helpermcp, MapsAndDirections-1668307, ProntoApp, and many others as well) that trigger Mac to react with this message. Such apps are typically installed by accident while downloading some dubious program installers from third-party websites. Unwanted software may indeed be harmful to users – it may display untrustworthy ads, cause random redirects in browsers, replace default search engines, lead users to phishing websites, and so forth. In rarer cases, the “* Will Damage Your Computer. You Should Move It To The Trash” may also be forged by an unwanted program (like adware) to trick users into opening some phishing or malicious website. Using the Move to Trash button does not always guarantee that an unwanted app will be fully removed from the system. Therefore, it is also worth giving your Mac a thorough scan to make sure nothing unwanted is present.

How users become infected with unwanted programs

Some unwanted programs have their own download pages, which can be promoted through various ads, buttons, links, and other clickable content displayed on third-party pages. Such programs often exaggerate their capabilities and urge users into installing them due to their “usefulness”. In all other cases, potentially unwanted software is likely to be distributed alongside other program installers. For instance, users may download an unofficial/dubious program setup from some freeware or pirated websites. Along with the main program, this setup may also distribute additional offers that are oftentimes hidden in “Custom”, “Advanced”, or other installation settings. Unfortunately, many ignore such sections and agree to run the default installation. As a result, such negligent behavior frequently leads to the installation of adware, browser hijackers, or other potentially unwanted software disguised as something “useful”. This is why it is important to be extra careful while downloading software from unofficial or unverified resources.

1. Scan your PC for malware

As mentioned, “app_name Will Damage Your Computer. You Should Move It To The Trash” popup can be displayed due to the presence of malware that modifies browser settings. Such manipulations can put your privacy under risk and have to be prevented by removing malware that prompts “Your computer is low on memory” popup. On top of that, this message may be related to the scarcity of RAM that can be eaten by third-parties programs. We recommend using CleanMyMac, which is a versatile utility that can both delete unwanted programs and maintain your PC by clearing up junk leftovers that may slow down your system.

Download Repair Tool

Download CleanMyMac

There are special repair utilities for Mac, that can solve problems related to file system or app malfunction, stubborn apps, virus infection. We recommend you to use CleanMyMac to remove the “app_name Will Damage Your Computer. You Should Move It To The Trash” pop-up in MacOS.

CleanMyMac Dashboard

CleanMyMac Malware Removal

CleanMyMac Uninstaller results

2. Open Activity Monitor to terminate “app_name”

Activity Monitor displays full information on processes that upload your system. This can be very useful for identifying which one causes the pop-up and requires removal. To open Activity Monitor, follow the instructions below:

1. Find and open Finder on the dock.
2. Then choose Applications from the side menu of the window that appears.
3. In the Applications folder, select open the Utilities folder.
4. Now double-click on the Activity Monitor icon.
5. Find “app_name” in the list and click on x icon.
6. Confirm termination of app_name process.

3. Uninstall “app_name” from Mac:

1. In the Finder sidebar, click Applications.
2. app_name might have an Uninstaller.
3. Otherwise, drag app_name from the Applications folder to the Trash (located at the end of the Dock).
4. Then choose Finder > Empty Trash.

Note: You can also easily uninstall suspicious apps and remove leftovers using CleanMyMac utility. Open the program and choose Uninstaller function in the menu on the left side. Find “app_name” in the list click Uninstall and follow instructions from the app.

4. Remove “app_name” extension from Safari

1. Start Safari on your Mac, click Safari to open drop-down menu and choose Preferences
2. Click Extensions tab.
3. Find “app_name” extension.
4. Click Uninstall button to remove it.

Note: You can also easily uninstall suspicious extensions using CleanMyMac utility. Open the program and select Extensions function in the menu on the left side. Find “app_name” in the list click Remove and follow instructions from the app.

5. Disable Login Items/Hung Applications and Heavy Consumers

This method is simple, however, it can be very effective in reducing RAM usage. Most users do not realize that there might be a plenty of apps that are launched upon Mac startup and demand a lot of resources whilst running in the background. This is why disabling them, for the time being, may resolve the issue. To remove Login Items:

1. Firstly, open System Preferences on the dock and select Users & Groups.
2. Then select the User Account on the left.
3. Go to the Login Items tab.
4. Now check programs you don’t need to load on the startup.
5. Press the – (minus) sign below.

Note:Finally, this will reduce some RAM pressure since we have removed a couple of processes to no longer encounter with that annoying pop-up. You can also download CleanMyMac utility that provides managing Login Items and other memory-related options right in the program. To do so:

1. Open the app and go to the Optimization tab on the left pane.
2. Then check Login Items and disable the appeared list of apps that are opened when you start your Mac.

Conclusion

Be careful while installing or running unknown apps on MacOS. Although, it is known as rather safe and secure system allowing suspicious app to make changes to your system may lead to unpredictable consequences. If you are installing yet unknown application make sure it has a reliable publisher, check it with online virus scanner, like VirusTotal and try to research some information about it.