What Is MapsFox Mac?
MapsFox is the name of an ad-supported program, whose primary purpose is to generate profit from the ads it may display on your Mac. These programs are referred to as adware or browser hijackers. The main method via which this app generates profit is to show you a lot of different ads and use these advertisements to make money through pay-per-click schemes. The problem here is there is no way of knowing to which sites these ads may land your computer and this is how you may end up being misled to visiting unsafe sites that may even be scams or malware.
This is why it is recommended to focus on removing MapsFox from your computer completely. Read this article to remove this unwanted app and stop any ads that may be seen on your macOS in the future.
MapsFox Summary
| Name | MapsFox |
| Type | Mac Browser Hijacker / PUP |
| Short Description | Aims to modify the settings on your web browser in order to get it to cause browser redirects and display different advertisements. |
| Symptoms | Your web browser begins to display various types of online advertisements, which results in slowing down of your computer. |
| Distribution Method | Bundled downloads. Web pages which may advertise it. |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your Mac Has Been Affected by MapsFox
Download
Malware Removal Tool
|
User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss MapsFox. |
MapsFox Mac – What Does It Do?
MapsFox is an unwanted program for Mac. It is very similar in terms of activity to other adware for Mac, such as PowerfulBrowse, RecordMapper and ProType. These apps may all end up being added to your Mac after being included in the installers of some free app downlaoded from the web. Such apps are oftend downloaded from third-party websites and they include media players, YouTube downloaders, image editors, converters and other.
Once MapsFox has already been added to your Mac, you are likely to start seeing the following kinds of ads to begin to appear:
- Browser pop-ups.
- Banner adverts.
- Push notifications promotions.
- Redirects and transfers to third-party sites.
- Ads appearing instead of search results.
- Text-embedded advertisements.
The advertisements that may be shown by MapsFox could perform different kinds of tracking activity. This is done with the help of the so-called trackers – small objects dropped on your Mac that can remain for years of time if not removed. These objects include:
- Cookies.
- Tags.
- Pixels.
- Geo-location trackers.
- LSOs (Locally Shared Objects, also known as flash cookies).
These tracking objects may be utilized so that they get information about what you do online to show you more targeted ads, for example:
- Pages visited.
- Bookmarked sites.
- Browser history.
- Your clicks made online.
The main problem that exists when it comes to MapsFox is that the sponsored ads may lead you to some sites that are not on your Mac with your best interests. In fact, some of these sites may even represent a risk, such as:
- Rogue software download frauds.
- Endless redirect loop schemes.
- Scam surveys.
- Phishing or “Fake” sites.
- Scamming sites.
- Virus domains.
- Tech support scams.
This is the main reason why you should focus on deleting this program from your Mac immediately.
How to Remove MapsFox from Your Mac
MapsFox is the kind of app that may prove tricky to remove along with all of its trackers and objects it may leave on your Mac. This is why we advise following the removal manual that is posted beneath this article. It has been created with the main purpose to help you remove MapsFox from your web browsers and your macOS. Be advised that if you want to remove this program with the best effectiveness possible, a professional solution is scanning your Mac with a reputable anti-malware app. Such software has been created with the main purpose to help automatically find and erase any trackers, adware and malware from Mac.
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.
Follow Me:
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 MapsFox 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 MapsFox 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 MapsFox – 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 MapsFox files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as MapsFox, 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.
MapsFox FAQ
What is MapsFox on your Mac?
The MapsFox 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 MapsFox 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 MapsFox?
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 MapsFox?
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.
