How to remove Alcalde.app (Mac)

What is Alcalde.app

Alcalde.app is classified as adware, a form of malware designed to display unwanted advertisements to the user. It falls under the broader category of potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) that can degrade system performance, compromise privacy, and expose users to further malware infections. Alcalde.app is part of the Adload malware family, known for its aggressive ad campaigns and the ability to bypass Mac’s security measures to establish a foothold on the system. Once installed, Alcalde.app begins to manifest through various disruptive and potentially harmful behaviors. Users may notice an increase in unwanted pop-up ads, banners, and redirects to dubious websites, which not only hinder the browsing experience but can also lead to further malware infections. The adware may track users’ online activities, collecting sensitive information that could be shared with third parties without consent, thus raising significant privacy concerns. Additionally, the presence of Alcalde.app on a Mac can lead to decreased system performance, with applications responding more slowly or crashing unexpectedly. Removing Alcalde.app from an infected Mac involves several steps. Users should start by identifying and uninstalling any suspicious applications that may have been installed alongside the adware. It is also crucial to manually search for and delete files and folders created by Alcalde.app in various system directories. Removing malicious browser extensions and resetting browser settings can help eliminate unwanted ads and redirects.

How Alcalde.app infects Mac computers

The primary methods through which Alcalde.app infects Mac computers include deceptive pop-up ads, bundling with free software, and fake Flash Player installers. Users often inadvertently install Alcalde.app by clicking on misleading ads that prompt software updates or by installing free applications that come bundled with the adware. Torrent downloads and other peer-to-peer file-sharing services are also common vectors for spreading Alcalde.app, as these platforms may host software packages that secretly include the adware.

1. Download Alcalde.app Removal Tool
2. Remove Alcalde.app from Login Items
3. Remove/Uninstall Alcalde.app from Applications
4. Remove Alcalde.app from browsers
5. Reset browser settings
6. Remove Alcalde.app files and folders
7. Block Alcalde.app ads and pop-ups
8. How to protect from threats, like Alcalde.app

Remove Alcalde.app manually for free

Note: Alcalde.app sets up to start on macOS startup. Therefore, before starting the removal, perform these steps:

1. Open System Preferences, choose Users & Groups.
2. Choose your account (set up as Current User).
3. Click Login Items tab.
4. Find “Alcalde.app” entry. Select it, and click the “-“ (minus) button to remove it.

Note 2: Alcalde.app won’t quit just by closing it, therefor use Force Quit to end the process.

1. Press 3 buttons at the same time: Option, Command, and Esc (Escape). This is similar to Control-Alt-Delete on a Windows PC.
2. Choose Alcalde.app in the list.
3. Click Force Quit button.

Here is a manual step-by-step tutorial for full Alcalde.app removal from your computer. This works 99% and was checked with the latest versions of Alcalde.app installer on operating systems with the latest updates and browser versions.

Remove Alcalde.app from Applications

Remove Alcalde.app from Mac:

1. In the Finder sidebar, click Applications.
2. Alcalde.app might have an Uninstaller. If you see Uninstall Alcalde.app or Alcalde.app Uninstaller, double-click it and follow the onscreen instructions.
3. Otherwise, drag Alcalde.app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located at the end of the Dock).
4. Then choose Finder > Empty Trash.

Cannot uninstall Alcalde.app

If you can’t uninstall Alcalde.app using instructions above, or it keeps coming back, you can use free AppCleaner for Mac to remove all residual data and libraries of Alcalde.app. Follow instructions below:

1. Download free AppCleaner.
2. Drag Alcalde.app from Applications folder to AppCleaner window.
3. Choose files and folders you want to remove along with Alcalde.app.
4. Click Delete button.

Remove Alcalde.app add-on from your browsers

Removing Alcalde.app from Applications often does not bring the desired effect. It is a browser extension, and it may still be active in Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Here are instructions on how to remove the Alcalde.app extension from your browsers manually.

Safari:

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

Google Chrome:

1. Start Google Chrome browser
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) chrome://extensions.
3. Find Alcalde.app extension.
4. Click the trash can icon to remove it.

Mozilla Firefox:

1. Start Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) about:addons.
3. Choose Alcalde.app extension.
4. Click Disable or Remove button.

Reset browser settings

To finish Alcalde.app removal, reset your browser settings to make sure, there are no leftover items in browser folders.

Reset Safari:

1. Start Safari on your Mac, click Safari to open drop-down menu and choose Preferences
2. Go to the Privacy section of Safari’s preferences.
3. Click Remove All Website Data button.
4. In the opened window, click Remove Now button to remove data stored by websites in Safari.
5. Go to the Advanced section of Safari’s preferences.
6. Click the Show Develop menu in menu bar option.
7. In the menu, click Develop and select Empty Caches from this menu.
8. Again, go to Safari menu and choose Clear History….
9. Choose to clear all history and click Clear History button.

Reset Google Chrome:

1. Start Google Chrome browser
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) chrome://settings.
3. Scroll down and find Show advanced settings link.
4. Click on it and scroll down to the bottom again.
5. Click Reset settings button and click Reset to confirm.

Reset Mozilla Firefox:

1. Start Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) about:support.
3. Click Refresh Firefox… button.
4. Click Refresh Firefox to confirm.

Remove following files and folders of Alcalde.app


~/Library/Application Support/.[random_string]/Services/com.Alcalde.app.service.app
~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.Alcalde.app.service.plist
/Library/Application Support/.[random_string]/System/com.Alcalde.app.system
/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.Alcalde.app.system.plist


Download AdGuard for Mac to block malicious pop-ups, that promote Alcalde.app

AdGuard is the best ad-blocker, internet filtering, and internet security application for macOS. It can cut out unwanted banners from site pages, block pop-ups, stop redirects, and prevent users from visiting potentially dangerous resources. Use it to stop ads promoting Alcalde.app in browsers.

Download AdGuard for Mac

How to protect Mac OSX from adware, like Alcalde.app

Mac OSX is known to be one of the safest operating systems, and for a long time, there was no need for antivirus products for Mac. But with the growing popularity of Mac computers and notebooks and evolving technology, viruses, trojans, adware, toolbars, hijackers, and other malware paved the way for Mac users. We recommend you to use one of the best anti-malware for Mac available — Malwarebytes for Mac.

Download Malwarebytes for Mac