Despite the fact that Macs are known to not have a lot of viruses or spyware, there are still plenty of maleficent software tools that can infect your Mac. In fact, these days, the Mac platform is just as prone to dealing with malware attacks. That’s why it’s a good idea to figure out how you can remove spyware from your Mac effectively.

How do you know you have spyware on your Mac?

Are there any signs to look for? Absolutely, there are certain telltale signs that will automatically show malware might be on your device. For example, the search engine and homepage being changed in your browser are always a major red flag. The same thing is valid when it comes to seeing a black command line screen at startup, or a huge spike in resources being used. Even new toolbars, preference bars or extensions tend to be a major red flag and something to look out for.

Removing spyware from your Mac

Use a Mac cleanup tool

Once you know how to detect spyware on Mac, the next step is to remove spyware from your Mac as quickly as possible. Using a Mac cleanup tool is a great idea, because this tool automatically finds unnecessary files on your device, along with any type of malware. You will need to use it from time to time, and it will automatically find all spyware instances, then delete them as quickly as possible. It’s a great idea to use this tool if you want to keep your device free of any spyware, and it’s totally worth using regularly for consistent protection.

Another option is to install an antivirus or an anti-malware solution. Those are usually offering real-time protection, whereas the cleanup tool will just identify and remove malware. However, the combo of a cleanup tool and an antivirus is preferred, since you’re getting the best protection, while avoiding any potential issues.

Install the latest updates from Apple

Installing the latest updates is helpful, because it could include malware removal tools, along with security features and better protection. Keeping the automatic updates on is always a great idea, because it gives you the security and feature updates you want. Plus, it improves your anti-malware protection, so it’s very much preferred to turn Automatic Updates on.

Remove any browser extensions that you’re not using

We highly recommend checking the browser extensions regularly and removing those that are not in use. The most important thing to keep in mind is that a lot of the time, browser extensions are installed with software, and you can end up with dozens of them without knowing.

Enter the browser’s “Extensions” menu and in there you want to check what each extension does, and if you need it or not. Delete/uninstall any of the browser extensions that you don’t plan on using right now. Some of them might have malware, so deleting them is the right thing to do. Otherwise, they might spread malware to the browser and your device as a whole.

Delete apps that you don’t know

Check the Applications folder and in here you want to see what apps you don’t use or don’t know at all. The thing is, a lot of the time, apps will end up being problematic if they are taken from sources outside of the app store. They could have malware or all kinds of viruses and trojans/spyware. Making sure you delete apps that you don’t know from the Applications folder is extremely important.

Once you delete apps from the Applications folder, you can head to the Library folder. In here, check for app cache, application support, logs, cookies, containers and so on. These folders tend to have remaining app data. Even if you move the app to the Trash, you still need to enter the Library folder and all those adjacent folders, trying to delete any of the remaining files. Empty the trash when you want to fully delete everything.

Tips to consider when removing spyware

  • If you want to remove spyware from your device, make sure that you disconnect from the Internet. The internet connection can bring additional malware, so isolating the malware locally and not having internet access will make it easier to remove.
  • Reset the browser if possible, once you removed extensions. That will help clean up malware, and ensure you don’t need to worry about any remaining spyware within its files.
  • Restoring your Mac from a backup could help. The same thing is valid if you want to reset your Mac to factory. Remember that in these cases, you should create a backup of all important files and keep it either on mobile storage or the cloud. Because once you restore from a backup or reset your Mac, you will lose all data.

These tips are very effective if you want to remove spyware from your Mac. There are always challenges when it comes to spyware removal, and that’s why you need to be extremely careful. We highly recommend implementing these ideas, as they will help eliminate spyware and malware from your device!