How to remove CommonRemote (Mac)

What is CommonRemote

CommonRemote is a type of adware specifically designed to target Mac operating systems. Adware, a portmanteau of “advertising-supported software,” is typically used to describe software that displays unwanted advertisements to the user. However, CommonRemote goes beyond mere annoyance, incorporating features that can compromise user privacy and system integrity. It operates by embedding itself within the system or accompanying legitimate software, making detection and removal a challenging task for the average user. Once it infiltrates a Mac, CommonRemote can drastically degrade the user experience and system performance. Users are bombarded with intrusive advertisements, including pop-ups and redirects that hamper web browsing. Beyond mere annoyance, CommonRemote tracks user activities, collects personal information without consent, and transmits this data to third parties, posing a serious privacy risk. The system’s performance may also suffer due to unwanted background processes, leading to application lag or crashes. Furthermore, CommonRemote’s presence can weaken a system’s defenses, making it more vulnerable to further infections by disabling security features or creating backdoors for other malware.

How CommonRemote infects Mac computers

The infection methods of CommonRemote are multifaceted, exploiting both technical vulnerabilities and human psychology. It often arrives bundled with free software from unofficial sources, where during installation, users may unknowingly agree to install the adware. Phishing attacks, another common vector, deceive users into downloading seemingly legitimate software laden with CommonRemote. Additionally, the adware can exploit outdated software or systems to install itself without user interaction, and it may disguise itself as legitimate updates or security alerts to trick users into installation.

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

Remove CommonRemote manually for free

Note: CommonRemote 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 “CommonRemote” entry. Select it, and click the “-“ (minus) button to remove it.

Note 2: CommonRemote 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 CommonRemote in the list.
3. Click Force Quit button.

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

Remove CommonRemote from Applications

Remove CommonRemote from Mac:

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

Cannot uninstall CommonRemote

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

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

Remove CommonRemote add-on from your browsers

Removing CommonRemote 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 CommonRemote 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 CommonRemote 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 CommonRemote 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 CommonRemote extension.
4. Click Disable or Remove button.

Reset browser settings

To finish CommonRemote 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 CommonRemote


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


Download AdGuard for Mac to block malicious pop-ups, that promote CommonRemote

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 CommonRemote in browsers.

How to protect Mac OSX from adware, like CommonRemote

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.