Mac Tonic Unwanted Application (Mac)

What is Mac Tonic?

Mac Tonic is a deceptive application similar to Mac Auto Fixer, Advanced Mac Cleaner, Mac Mechanic, MacOptimizer, and a number of other rogue apps.

By offering system optimization and malware removal functionality, Mac Tonic attempts to give the impression of legitimacy. In fact, this app is a potentially unwanted application (PUA) that infiltrates systems without users’ permission.

This PUA provides a function to scan the system and search for potential infections. After the scan, users are presented with a list containing hundreds of infections. Furthermore, the free version of Mac Tonic is not capable of eliminating detected threats and users are encouraged to purchase the 'full version'.

This is a scam - the list of detected threats is fake. Cyber criminals generate revenue by tricking gullible users into purchasing a full version that is not even needed - your computer is likely to be safe and virus-free. In addition, the full version gives no real value, since it simply opens "backdoors" for other viruses to infiltrate the system.

Therefore, never be tricked into purchasing the full version of the Mac Tonic PUA. As mentioned above, it is likely infiltrate systems without consent. There is a probability that it came together with a number of other rogue applications, such as adware or browser hijackers.

These programs deliver intrusive advertisements, cause unwanted redirects, and gather sensitive information - behavior that poses a direct treat to your privacy and Internet browsing safety. Therefore, as with Mac Tonic, all potentially unwanted apps should be eliminated immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	Mac Tonic virus
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus
Symptoms	Your Mac became slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you get redirected to shady websites.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers, torrent file downloads.
Damage	Internet browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), displaying of unwanted ads, redirects to shady websites, loss of private information.
Malware Removal (Mac)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your Mac with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner for Mac To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

There are hundreds of potentially unwanted applications that share similarities with Mac Tonic. As with Mac Tonic, these applications also offer "useful features", however, they are designed only to generate revenue for the developers. They deliver no real value for regular users and all claims are attempts to give the impression of legitimacy.

Rather than enabling the functionality promised, PUAs cause unwanted redirects, gather sensitive information, deliver intrusive ads, and (sometimes) promote in-app purchases.

How did Mac Tonic install on my computer?

Mac Tonic is typically proliferated using a deceptive marketing method called "bundling" (stealth installation of third party apps with regular software) and fake error messages delivered by deceptive websites. Developers know that users often rush when downloading and installing software.

Therefore, "bundled" apps are hidden within various sections (typically "Custom" or "Advanced" settings) of these procedures. Fake errors state that the system is infected and encourages users to immediately download Mac Tonic to resolve all issues.

Therefore, skipping download/installation steps and installing various applications (without understanding the possible consequences) exposes systems to risk of various infections. The main reasons for computer infections are poor knowledge and careless behavior.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

The key to computer safety is caution. Therefore, pay close attention when browsing the Internet and downloading/installing software. Potentially unwanted applications are often distributed using intrusive advertisements that lead to malicious sites and run scripts that stealthily download and install malware.

These advertisements typically seem legitimate, but once clicked, redirect to survey, gambling, adult dating, pornography, and other dubious websites. If you encounter such ads, immediately remove all suspicious applications and browser plug-ins.

We also strongly recommend that you select "Custom/Advanced" settings and closely analyze each window of the download/installation dialogs. Opt-out of all additionally-included programs and decline offers to download/install them. Software should be downloaded from official sources only, using direct download links.

Third party downloaders/installers monetized using the "bundling" method and, thus, these tools should never be used. If your computer is already infected with Mac Tonic, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this PUA.

Official Mac Tonic PUA installation setup:

Fake error promoting Mac Tonic PUA:

IMPORTANT NOTE! Mac Tonic adds itself to the list of applications that automatically run upon each user log in. Therefore, before commencing, perform these steps:

• Go to System Preferences -> Users & Groups. 
• Click your account (also known as Current User).
• Click Login Items.
• Look for the "Mac Tonic" entry.  Select it, and click the "-" button to remove it.

Update October 2nd, 2019 - Crooks have recently released an updated variant of this application and it is now called Mac Tonic Pro.

Screenshot of Mac Tonic Pro application:

Appearance of Mac Tonic Pro application (GIF):

Website promoting Mac Tonic Pro application:

Installation setup of Mac Tonic Pro:

IMPORTANT NOTE! Mac Tonic Pro adds itself to the list of applications that automatically run upon each user log in. Therefore, before commencing, perform these steps:

• Go to System Preferences -> Users & Groups. 
• Click your account (also know as Current User).
• Click Login Items.
• Look for "Mac Tonic Pro" entry.  Select it, and click the "-" button to remove it.

Instant automatic Mac malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of Mac malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner for Mac By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is Mac Tonic?
• STEP 1. Remove PUP related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove rogue extensions from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove rogue add-ons from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove potentially unwanted plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove adware and browser hijackers from a Mac computer:

Potentially unwanted programs removal:

Remove PUP-related potentially unwanted applications from your "Applications" folder:

Click the Finder icon. In the Finder window, select “Applications”. In the applications folder, look for “MPlayerX”,“NicePlayer”, or other suspicious applications and drag them to the Trash. After removing the potentially unwanted application(s) that cause online ads, scan your Mac for any remaining unwanted components.

Remove adware-related files and folders

Click the Finder icon, from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder...

Check for adware generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchAgents/

In the "LaunchAgents" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for adware generated files in the ~/Library/Application Support/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/Application Support/

In the "Application Support" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious folders. For example, "MplayerX" or "NicePlayer", and move these folders to the Trash.

Check for adware generated files in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/LaunchAgents/

In the "LaunchAgents" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for adware generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons/ folder:

In the "Go to Folder..." bar, type: /Library/LaunchDaemons/

In the "LaunchDaemons" folder, look for recently-added suspicious files. For example "com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist", "com.myppes.net-preferences.plist", "com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist", "com.avickUpd.plist", etc., and move them to the Trash.

Scan your Mac with Combo Cleaner:

If you have followed all the steps correctly, your Mac should be clean of infections. To ensure your system is not infected, run a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus. Download it HERE. After downloading the file, double click combocleaner.dmg installer. In the opened window, drag and drop the Combo Cleaner icon on top of the Applications icon. Now open your launchpad and click on the Combo Cleaner icon. Wait until Combo Cleaner updates its virus definition database and click the "Start Combo Scan" button.

Combo Cleaner will scan your Mac for malware infections. If the antivirus scan displays "no threats found" - this means that you can continue with the removal guide; otherwise, it's recommended to remove any found infections before continuing.

After removing files and folders generated by the adware, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.

Remove malicious extensions from Internet browsers

Remove malicious Safari extensions:

Open the Safari browser, from the menu bar, select "Safari" and click "Preferences...".

In the preferences window, select "Extensions" and look for any recently-installed suspicious extensions. When located, click the "Uninstall" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Safari browser - none are crucial for regular browser operation.

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More Tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.

Remove malicious extensions from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window) and select "Add-ons and themes". Click "Extensions", in the opened window locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, click on the three dots and then click "Remove".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.

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