How to stop pop-ups, notification spam and browser hijackers
If pop-ups appear even when you're not browsing, if your search results come from a site you've never heard of, or if your homepage changed on its own, the cause is almost always one of three things. All three can be fixed in a few minutes without buying anything.
First, work out which problem you have
| What you're seeing | Most likely cause | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| Pop-up "alerts" in the corner of your screen, often about viruses, prizes or dating, even when the browser is minimized | A website was allowed to send notifications | Fix 1 |
| Ads appearing on sites that don't normally have them, or new tabs opening by themselves | An unwanted browser extension | Fix 2 |
| Your homepage or search engine changed and keeps changing back | A hijacker extension or program | Fix 2, then Fix 3 |
| It happens in every browser, not just one | A program installed on the computer | Fix 4 |
Menu names can differ slightly between browser versions, but the paths below have been stable for a long time.
Fix 1: block spammy site notifications
This is the most common cause by far. A website shows a message such as "Click Allow to confirm you're not a robot" or "Allow to watch the video". Clicking Allow actually gives that site permission to send you notifications, which it then fills with fake virus warnings and ads.
Chrome
- Open Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Notifications.
- Under Allowed to send notifications, find any site you don't recognize or trust.
- Click the three dots next to it and choose Block or Remove.
Microsoft Edge
- Open Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Notifications.
- Under Allow, remove any site you don't recognize.
Safari on Mac
- Open Safari → Settings → Websites → Notifications.
- Select any unfamiliar site and set it to Deny, or click Remove.
Firefox
- Open Settings → Privacy & Security and scroll down to Permissions.
- Next to Notifications, click Settings, then remove or block unfamiliar sites.
Prevent it happening again: legitimate sites rarely need to send you notifications. If a site asks you to "click Allow" to continue, close it instead.
Fix 2: remove unwanted browser extensions
Extensions can be installed alongside free software you downloaded, or by clicking through a pop-up. Some quietly inject ads or change your search engine.
- Chrome: go to chrome://extensions in the address bar.
- Edge: go to edge://extensions.
- Firefox: open the menu, then Add-ons and themes → Extensions.
- Safari: open Safari → Settings → Extensions.
Remove anything you don't remember installing or don't actually use. Be especially suspicious of extensions with vague names about "search", "PDF converters", "weather", "coupons" or "speed". If you're unsure, removing an extension is harmless. You can always reinstall one you need from the official web store.
Fix 3: reset the browser to its defaults
If your homepage or search engine keeps changing back, a reset clears it all in one go. It turns off extensions and restores default settings, but keeps your bookmarks and saved passwords.
- Chrome: Settings → Reset settings → Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Edge: Settings → Reset settings → Restore settings to their default values.
- Firefox: type about:support in the address bar and click Refresh Firefox.
If the settings change back again after a reset, something installed on the computer itself is doing it. Go on to Fix 4.
Fix 4: remove the program causing it
On Windows
- Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps.
- Sort the list by install date so the most recent programs appear first.
- Look for anything installed around the time the problems started, especially "optimizers", "cleaners", search tools or programs you don't recognize, and uninstall them.
- Then run a full scan. See how to scan with Windows Security.
On a Mac
- Open System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions.
- Remove or switch off anything unfamiliar that opens automatically.
- Open your Applications folder and move any app you don't recognize to the Trash, especially "Mac cleaner" or "speed up" apps you didn't deliberately install.
- Repeat Fix 2 and Fix 3 for each browser you use.