What Is Accountsd
If you see the Accountsd wants to use the login keychain pop-up to start appearing on your Mac, then there is a significant chance that you may have a dubious “Accounts” app that may be added to your device. Usually, this pop-up is a legitimate pop-up by macOS, but it means that your Mac may be compromised in one or more ways by unwanted software. This software may be of all kinds, ranging from adware, all the way up to dangerous malware.
Read this article to learn how to solve the Accountsd wants to use the login keychain problem and fix your Mac.
Accountsd wants to use the login keychain Summary
| Name | Accountsd, also known as “Accountsd wants to use the login keychain” |
| Type | Mac Virus |
| Short Description | The Accountsd message appearing means that this error message could be the consequence of some type of Malware added on your Mac. |
| Symptoms | A pop-up appears, stating “Accountsd wants to use the login keychain”. |
| Distribution Method | Bundled downloads. Web pages which may advertise it. |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your Device Has Been Affected by Accountsd
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Malware Removal Tool
|
User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Accountsd. |
Accountsd wants to use the login keychain Mac – What Does It Do?
The “Accountsd wants to use the login keychain” message is part of a series of adware messages appearing on macOS that may be showing due to unwanted programs or viruses. Other programs, like this one include Scan Event Handler, DiscoveryUnitd, CiscoAnyConnect and “P” will damage your computer. These programs are most often ad-support software or other kinds of malware. They often find their way onto your Mac either by being automatically bundled to the setups of other free programs, like file converter apps, image editors and other such software. The main way this happens is for the app in question that may be behind the “Accountsd wants to use the login keychain” pop-up to be added as a “free extra” in one of the more concealed install steps of these free apps.
Once Accountsd wants to use the login keychain is included on your Mac, the main activity it may be causing is to display multiple different kinds of unwanted content on yoru browsers, such as:
- Notification pop-ups.
- Redirects.
- Pop-up ads.
- Banner adware.
- Search results advertisements.
- Highlighted ads in text.
The main problem with these pop-ups is not only that they have different trackers, like cookies, pixels, tags and others that are often used to obtain online browsing details from your Mac, but they may also be risky. One of the ways they can be problem for your Mac is they could lead you to the following dangerous websites:
- Virus websites.
- Phishing pages.
- Scam sites.
- Fake Tech Support scams.
- Fraud surveys.
But this is not all. Seeing those dangerous sites opens up a whole different possibility for infection with malware on your Mac, like:
- Rootkits.
- Adware viruses.
- Botnets.
- Ransomware for Mac.
- Trojans.
If your Mac is infected by malware as a result of “Accountsd wants to use the login keychain” pop-up, then it could be exposed to the following malicious activities without you even knowing it:
- Taking screenshots.
- Logging the keys you type in real-time.
- Stealing passwords and other information saved on your web browser.
- Stealing files.
- Damage causing your files to no longer be able to be opened.
- Tapping into your microphone or camera.
- Deleting files.
- Controlling your internet connection.
- Downloading an adding other adware.
These are the main ways in which the “Accountsd wants to use the login keychain” pop-up may represent a danger for your Mac if it turns out to be risky software or a virus. Keep reading this article to learn how to remove it.
Remove Accountsd from Your Device
If you want to remove Accountsd wants to use the login keychain pop-up and the software that might be causing it on your computer, then we advise that you follow the removal instructions we have set up beneath this article. These steps have been made in order to help you remove “Accountsd wants to use the login keychain” either manually or automatically. For the removal with the greatest effectiveness, security experts strongly recommend that you delete Accountsd wants to use the login keychain from your Mac by scanning it using advanced anti-malware software. Such a program is specifically created with the main idea to automatically perform a scan on your Mac and remove any viruses, trackers, adware, and other types of malware from it.
Ventsislav Krastev
Ventsislav is a cybersecurity expert at SensorsTechForum since 2015. He has been researching, covering, helping victims with the latest malware infections plus testing and reviewing software and the newest tech developments. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for learning new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management, Network Administration and Computer Administration of System Applications, he found his true calling within the cybersecrurity industry and is a strong believer in the education of every user towards online safety and security.
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Preparation Phase:
Before starting to follow the steps below, be advised that you should first do the following preparations:
- Backup your files in case the worst happens.
- Make sure to have a device with these instructions on standy.
- Arm yourself with patience.
Step 1: Uninstall Accountsd and remove related files and objects
1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove Accountsd via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 2: Remove Accountsd – related extensions from Safari / Chrome / Firefox
Remove an extension from Safari and reset it.
Remove a toolbar from Google Chrome
Remove a toolbar from Mozilla Firefox
Step 3: Scan for and remove Accountsd files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as Accountsd, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.
Accountsd FAQ
What is Accountsd on your Mac?
The Accountsd threat is probably a potentially unwanted app. There is also a chance it could be related to Mac malware. If so, such apps tend to slow your Mac down siginficantly and display advertisements. They could also use cookies and other trackers to obtain browsing information from the installed web browsers on your Mac.
The creators of such unwanted apps work with pay-per-click schemes to get your Mac to visit risky or different types of websites that may generate them funds. This is why they do not even care what types of websites show up on the ads. This makes their unwanted software indirectly risky for your MacOS.
Can my Mac get a virus?
Yes. As much as any other device, Apple computers do get viruses. Apple devices may not be a frequent target by malware authors, but rest assured that the following Apple devices can become infected with a virus:
- iMac
- Mac Mini
- Macbook Air
- Macbook Pro
- iPhone
- iPad
What are the symptoms of Accountsd on your Mac?
There are several symptoms to look for when this particular threat and also most Mac threats in general are active:
Symptom #1: Your Mac may become slow and has poor performance in general.
Symtpom #2: You have toolbars, add-ons or extensions on your web browsers that you don't remember adding.
Symptom #3: You see all types of ads, like ad-supported search results, pop-ups and redirects to randomly appear.
Symptom #4: You see installed apps on your Mac running automatically and you do not remember installing them.
Symptom #5: You see suspicious processes running in your Mac's Activity Monitor.
If you see one or more of those symptoms, then security experts reccomend that you check your Mac for viruses.
What types of Mac threats are there?
According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the threats that can currently infect your Mac can be the following types:
- Rogue Antivirus programs.
- Adware and hijackers.
- Trojan horses and other spyware.
- Ransomware and screen-lockers.
- Cryptocurrency miner malware.
What to do if I have a Mac virus, like Accountsd?
Do not panic! You can easily get rid of most Mac threats by firstly isolating them and then removing them. One reccomended way to do that is by using a reputable malware removal software that can take care of the removal automatically for you. There are many Mac anti-malware apps out there that you can choose from. SpyHunter for Mac is one of the reccomended Mac anti-malware apps, that can scan for free and detect any viruses, tracking cookies and unwanted adware apps plus take care of them quickly. This saves time for manual removal that you would otherwise have to do.
How to secure my passwords and other data from Accountsd?
With few simple actions. First and foremost, it is imperative that you follow these steps:
Step 1: Find a safe computer and connect it to another network, not the one that your Mac was infected in.
Step 2: Change all of your passwords, starting from your e-mail passwords.
Step 3: Enable two-factor authentication for protection of your important accounts.
Step 4: Call your bank to change your credit card details (secret code, etc.) if you have saved your credit card for online shopping or have done online activiites with your card.
Step 5: Make sure to call your ISP (Internet provider or carrier) and ask them to change your IP address.
Step 6: Change your Wi-Fi password.
Step 7: (Optional): Make sure to scan all of the devices connected to your network for viruses and repeat these steps for them if they are affected.
Step 8: Install anti-malware software with real-time protection on every device you have.
Step 9: Try not to download software from sites you know nothing about and stay away from low-reputation websites in general.
If you follow these reccomendations, your network and Apple devices will become significantly more safe against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.
More tips you can find on our website, where you can also ask any questions and comment about your Mac problems.
