How to remove MacAppExtensions

What is MacAppExtensions

MacAppExtensions (Adware.MAC.Linkury.C) is malware related to Search.tapufind.com hijacker, that we described in some of our earlier articles. It works in MacOS and targets Safari, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers. The main symptom is, that your browsers search and homepage settings change to search.tapufind.com, and this setting cannot be modified until MacAppExtensions is removed. However, this virus not only hijacks the browser, but also gathers private information about its user (collects data related to browsing activity: geolocations, entered search queries, URLs of visited websites, IP addresses etc.). This data is then transferred to third parties and can be used for advertising purposes. Learn how to remove MacAppExtensions and get rid of Search.tapufind.com hijacker in browsers in this article.

How MacAppExtensions infected your Mac

Adware like this can infiltrate Mac via deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers, torrent file downloads. As one of the signs of infection with MacAppExtensions you may see windows with following text:

To protect your Mac and prevent infection with such threats we recommend using quality anti-malware protection. BitDefender is one of the best solutions for Mac security. You can find download link for BitDefender Antivirus in the bottom of this tutorial.

Remove MacAppExtensions manually for free

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

Remove MacAppExtensions from Applications

Remove MacAppExtensions from Mac:

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

Cannot uninstall MacAppExtensions

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

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

Remove MacAppExtensions add-on from your browsers

Removing MacAppExtensions from Applications often does not bring the desired effect. It is browser extension and it may still be active in Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Here are instructions on how to remove MacAppExtensions 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 MacAppExtensions 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 MacAppExtensions 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 MacAppExtensions extension.
4. Click Disable or Remove button.

Reset browser settings

To finish MacAppExtensions 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 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 MacAppExtensions


~Library/MacAppExtensions/MacAppExtensions.app


How to protect Mac OSX from hijackers, like MacAppExtensions

Mac OSX is known to be one of the safest operating systems, and for a long time there was no need in 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.