OnClickAds.net is a website is a monetization platform. The site spreads advertisements and you it can redirect you to other, similar advertisement networks. That is why it is considered adware. The owners of such advertising platforms make their revenue from adverts and by monetizing online traffic generated through them. To remove all of the advertisements and the platform, you should read the full article.
Threat Summary
| Name | OnClickAds.net |
| Type | Adware, PUP |
| Short Description | The site generates advertisements, which can show on other websites when you browse. |
| Symptoms | You will see advertisements all over your browsers, like pop-ups, message boxes, in-text links or other ad types. |
| Distribution Method | Freeware Installations, Bundled Packages |
| Detection Tool |
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| User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss OnClickAds.net. |
OnClickAds.net – How Does It Spread?
The OnClickAds.net website mainly spreads with third-party installation setups. Without your knowledge, the adware could be placed computer device with third-party installer setups through bundled programs or freeware. Installers might be set by default to add components with the primary software of the installation. Preventing any unwanted components from installing is doable if you find a Custom or an Advanced options.
OnClickAds.net advertises itself throughout the Internet and lots of sites display those adverts. Banners, pop-up and pop-under adverts are used for spreading the adware, and can penetrate your computer’s defenses and nesting itself there. Visiting websites with an origin that is unknown or others that seem suspicious is one way for the adware to spread. Using redirects on similar websites is another. Browsers that can get affected are the following: Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer and Safari.
OnClickAds.net – What Does It Do?
OnClickAds.net is the primary page of an advertising platform using the same name. Bulks of advertising content, as well as redirects, are pushed by it. That can happen when you are browsing the Web and if you have an application tied to OnClickAds on your computer. The platform and each related application are all considered adware. From the snapshot displayed down here you can see the homepage of OnClickAds.net:
From looking at that page, we see that it is “powered by Propeller Ads.” This means that OnClickAds.net is a subsidiary site of the Propeller advertising network. Targeted advertisement content is possible to appear from customers of the service.
In case your personal computer has some software residing on it, which is related to OnClickAds.net, you will see a multitude of advertisements on every site that you visit. If your browsers have an extension, add-on or a plug-in connected to the adware, you will witness even more adverts. You might be redirected to similar sites of advertising networks, which can be partnered up or affiliated with the owners of Propeller Ads.
Advertisements spread by the platform can show one of these texts:
- Ads by OnClickAds.net
- Advertisement by OnClickAds.net
- Ad by OnClickAds.net
- Advert from OnClickAds.net
- Powered by OnClickAds.net
- Brought to you by OnClickAds.net
Redirects can show in the shape of in-text advertisements, buttons or links. The OnClickAds.net platform will generate those and put them on websites to generate online traffic. That will inevitably spread targeted ads and sponsored content for the website owners. The Web traffic that is gathered can be easily turned into actual money with using a pay-per-click scheme.
Advertisements can be of mixed kinds, but all of them will serve one and the same purpose – making revenue for the platform owners. Adverts associated with OnClickAds.net can be shown around the Internet as pop-ups, in-text links, pop-unders, banners, interstitial or transitional ads. More advertising types are not entirely excluded from appearing, too.
OnClickAds.net – Privacy Policy
As OnClickAds.net is a subsidiary platform of the Propeller Ads advertising network, its Privacy Policy is the same. The website collects both personally identifying and non-personally identifying information. Some of the information is disclosed to third parties, advertising networks, and related websites.
You can view the Privacy Policy right here:
Information that can be collected from you:
Personally identifying information:
- Your email address
- Information you provide
Non-personally identifying information:
- The type of Internet browser
- The type of computer operating system
- The domain name of the website visited
- Information related to websites and web pages a user is viewing when an advertisement is shown
Cookies, as well as other Internet tracking technologies, such as pixels, will track your interaction with the website, advertisements and other websites you land on.
The following quotations from the Privacy Policy do not sound convincing:
We do not collect PII via our Services, and therefore, we do not sell, rent, or share PII collected on our customer’s websites to non-affiliated third parties.
So, the contact line of the service is where Propeller Ads get their personally identifying information, as is admitted after that quote from the Policy. That means that they do collect PII, and can disclose it or do something else with it as long as it is with affiliated third parties, and the selling, renting and sharing of that information happens outside the “customer’s websites.” That does not necessarily mean that affiliates cannot gather 100% of that data.
And the second quotation is:
The use of cookies by our affiliates, service providers or tracking utility company is not covered by our Privacy Policy. We do not have access or control over these cookies. These third parties use session ID cookies to make it easier for you to navigate our site.
The above quote is a way of saying that Propeller Ads, plus OnClickAds.net cookies which are used by any other sites, might collect your personal information, although Propeller Ads have agreed to that by signing a contract with them.
The recommended action for you is to remove the adware and everything that is connected to it, as you do not know what data might be collected from you where it will be sent.
Remove OnClickAds.net Effectively
To remove OnClickAds.net manually from your computer, follow the step-by-step removal tutorial provided below. In case this manual removal does not get rid of the ads completely, you should search for and remove any leftovers with an advanced anti-malware tool. Such an application can keep your computer secure in the future.
- Windows
- Mac OS X
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Safari
- Internet Explorer
- Stop Push Pop-ups
How to Remove OnClickAds.net from Windows.
Step 1: Scan for OnClickAds.net with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode
Step 3: Uninstall OnClickAds.net and related software from Windows
Uninstall Steps for Windows 11
Uninstall Steps for Windows 10 and Older Versions
Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.
Step 4: Clean Any registries, Created by OnClickAds.net on Your PC.
The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by OnClickAds.net there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.
Video Removal Guide for OnClickAds.net (Windows).
Get rid of OnClickAds.net from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall OnClickAds.net and remove related files and objects
Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to OnClickAds.net. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
- 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 OnClickAds.net 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: Scan for and remove OnClickAds.net files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as OnClickAds.net, 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.
Video Removal Guide for OnClickAds.net (Mac)
Remove OnClickAds.net from Google Chrome.
Step 1: Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu
Step 2: Move the cursor over "Tools" and then from the extended menu choose "Extensions"
Step 3: From the opened "Extensions" menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its "Remove" button.
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Erase OnClickAds.net from Mozilla Firefox.
Step 1: Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window:
Step 2: Select the "Add-ons" icon from the menu.
Step 3: Select the unwanted extension and click "Remove"
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Uninstall OnClickAds.net from Microsoft Edge.
Step 1: Start Edge browser.
Step 2: Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.
Step 3: From the drop menu select "Extensions".
Step 4: Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.
Step 5: Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.
Remove OnClickAds.net from Safari
Step 1: Start the Safari app.
Step 2: After hovering your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, click on the Safari text to open its drop down menu.
Step 3: From the menu, click on "Preferences".
Step 4: After that, select the 'Extensions' Tab.
Step 5: Click once on the extension you want to remove.
Step 6: Click 'Uninstall'.
A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select 'Uninstall' again, and the OnClickAds.net will be removed.
Eliminate OnClickAds.net from Internet Explorer.
Step 1: Start Internet Explorer.
Step 2: Click on the gear icon labeled 'Tools' to open the drop menu and select 'Manage Add-ons'
Step 3: In the 'Manage Add-ons' window.
Step 4: Select the extension you want to remove and then click 'Disable'. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected extension, and some more add-ons might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click 'Disable'.
Step 5: After the unwanted extension has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red 'X' button located at the top right corner and start it again.
Remove Push Notifications from Your Browsers
Turn Off Push Notifications from Google Chrome
To disable any Push Notices from Google Chrome browser, please follow the steps below:
Step 1: Go to Settings in Chrome.
Step 2: In Settings, select “Advanced Settings”:
Step 3: Click “Content Settings”:
Step 4: Open “Notifications”:
Step 5: Click the three dots and choose Block, Edit or Remove options:
Remove Push Notifications on Firefox
Step 1: Go to Firefox Options.
Step 2: Go to “Settings”, type “notifications” in the search bar and click "Settings":
Step 3: Click “Remove” on any site you wish notifications gone and click “Save Changes”
Stop Push Notifications on Opera
Step 1: In Opera, press ALT+P to go to Settings.
Step 2: In Setting search, type “Content” to go to Content Settings.
Step 3: Open Notifications:
Step 4: Do the same as you did with Google Chrome (explained below):
Eliminate Push Notifications on Safari
Step 1: Open Safari Preferences.
Step 2: Choose the domain from where you like push pop-ups gone and change to "Deny" from "Allow".
OnClickAds.net-FAQ
What Is OnClickAds.net?
The OnClickAds.net threat is adware or browser redirect virus.
It may slow your computer down significantly and display advertisements. The main idea is for your information to likely get stolen or more ads to appear on your device.
The creators of such unwanted apps work with pay-per-click schemes to get your computer 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 OS.
What Are the Symptoms of OnClickAds.net?
There are several symptoms to look for when this particular threat and also unwanted apps in general are active:
Symptom #1: Your computer may become slow and have poor performance in general.
Symptom #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 Task Manager.
If you see one or more of those symptoms, then security experts recommend that you check your computer for viruses.
What Types of Unwanted Programs Are There?
According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the threats that can currently affect your device can be rogue antivirus software, adware, browser hijackers, clickers, fake optimizers and any forms of PUPs.
What to Do If I Have a "virus" like OnClickAds.net?
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 email 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 activities 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 recommendations, your network and all devices will become significantly more secure against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.
How Does OnClickAds.net Work?
Once installed, OnClickAds.net can collect data using trackers. This data is about your web browsing habits, such as the websites you visit and the search terms you use. It is then used to target you with ads or to sell your information to third parties.
OnClickAds.net can also download other malicious software onto your computer, such as viruses and spyware, which can be used to steal your personal information and show risky ads, that may redirect to virus sites or scams.
Is OnClickAds.net Malware?
The truth is that PUPs (adware, browser hijackers) are not viruses, but may be just as dangerous since they may show you and redirect you to malware websites and scam pages.
Many security experts classify potentially unwanted programs as malware. This is because of the unwanted effects that PUPs can cause, such as displaying intrusive ads and collecting user data without the user’s knowledge or consent.
About the OnClickAds.net Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this OnClickAds.net how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific, adware-related problem, and restore your browser and computer system.
How did we conduct the research on OnClickAds.net?
Please note that our research is based on independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware, adware, and browser hijacker definitions.
Furthermore, the research behind the OnClickAds.net threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.