Stop Maps And Directions App from hijacking your browser

What is Maps And Directions App?

Maps And Directions App is browser hijacker. Promoted as a free application for accessing maps, getting directions and local traffic news, also offering a supplementary fake search engine. It is classified as a PUA (potentially unwanted application), as most users install it inadvertently.

Maps And Directions App changes browser settings (leaving users no choice but to use its fake search engine - search.mapsanddirectionstab.com) and it may also possess intel gathering abilities.

In most cases, browser hijackers are designed to target browsers boasting the greatest popularity (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer). They operate by changing browser settings, such as: homepage, new tab/window URL and default search engine.

Maps And Directions App changes them to search.mapsanddirectionstab.com. While these alterations may seem easy to undo, without uninstalling the application, changes are either impossible to make or are simply reset afterwards.

Users attempting to use a hijacked browser are bound to experienced a poor browsing experience; every new tab/window opened and every web search typed into the URL bar - will all redirect to search.mapsanddirectionstab.com - a fake search engine.

As search.mapsanddirectionstab.com is illegitimate, it then further redirect users to search.yahoo.com, an actual search engine. In other words, it does not produce any search results on its own but simply redirects to the Yahoo search engine. Typically, browser hijackers also possess data tracking abilities.

By gathering information relating to browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search engine history and etc.), they can infer personal information (IP address, geolocation, real-life user identity details). It must be known, that this gathered data is then sold to third parties and can end up serving criminal purposes.

It should be mentioned, that Maps And Directions App is often distributed alongside Hide My Searches app, both falling into the category of PUAs.

In summary, all PUAs (including browser hijackers) can potentially cause serious browser and system invasions/infections, as well as lead to severe privacy issues (even culminate in identity theft). Therefore, all rogue applications must be removed, in order to ensure device and user safety.

Threat Summary:

Name	Maps And Directions App
Threat Type	Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab
Detection Names	Avast (Win32:AdwareSig [Adw]), DrWeb (Adware.Spigot.145), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of Win32/WinWrapper.V Potentially Unwanted), Kaspersky (Not-a-virus:HEUR:AdWare.Win32.WebSearch.gen), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Browser Extension(s)	Maps And Directions App, Maps
Supposed Functionality	GPS-relating functions (maps, driving directions, etc.)
Promoted URL	search.mapsanddirectionstab.com
Serving IP Address (search.mapsanddirectionstab.com)	34.206.62.241
Affected Browser Settings	Homepage, new tab URL, default search engine
Symptoms	Manipulated Internet browser(s) settings (homepage, default Internet search engine, new tab settings). User's are forced to visit hijacker's website and search the Internet using their search engines.
Additional Information	Maps And Directions App is distributed alongside with another browser hijacker called Hide My Searches.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers.
Damage	Internet browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), displaying of unwanted ads, redirects to shady websites.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Developers of Maps And Directions App have released many identical browser hijackers (e.g. Quick Local Weather, Get TV Easy, Maps Utility and others). In general, applications of this type tend to be quite similar. They are designed to appear legitimate and innocuous, luring users into installing them by advertising some sort of "useful" and "beneficial" features.

However these features rarely operate as promised, if they are functional at all. It has to be stressed, that the only purpose that all PUAs serve is to generate revenue for their designers; to users they have no genuine value whatsoever.

Instead of delivering on any promises, they: promote fake search engines, cause unauthorized redirects to sale-oriented, untrustworthy, even malicious websites, deliver intrusive ad campaigns (pop-ups, banners, coupons, etc.) and some can even track vulnerable data.

How did Maps And Directions App install on my computer?

Maps And Directions App has an official website, where this browser hijacker is free to download. Although, in most cases PUAs are installed without explicit user consent and/or knowledge. Undesirable apps can be autonomously downloaded/installed by invasive advertisements executing scripts designed to do so.

This type if invasion is triggered by visitors clicking on intrusive adverts (usually hosted by compromised and questionable sites). PUAs are also spread through install packs/bundles. "Bundling" is a false marketing technique, by which ordinary programs are packed together with unwanted applications.

Software gotten from untrustworthy sources can be downloaded bundled with PUAs. When installing, by ignoring terms, skipping steps and using pre-set settings - users can miss the presence of undesirable apps or think them a harmless addition - and consequently install them onto their systems.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

It is recommended to always research desired software/features/additions before installing/consenting to them, in order to verify their legitimacy. Downloading sources should always be official and trustworthy, ideally downloading via direct download links.

It is ill-advised to use peer-to-peer sharing networks (e.g. BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule, etc.) and other third party downloaders, as programs downloaded from such are more likely to contain PUAs.

There are a few installation advices, which help diminish the chances of unwanted app infiltration: reading terms and studying possible options, using "Custom/Advanced" install settings, opting-out/declining from installing/downloading supplementary applications/features. Prudent browsing is also encouraged; i.e. avoiding suspicious sites and advertisements.

Intrusive adverts tend to look absolutely ordinary, therefore are easy to fall prey to. However, the websites they redirect to (e.g. gambling, adult-dating, pornography and etc.) - can be used as an indicator for an invasive ad.

Should users encounter such ads/redirects, they are recommended to check their system and remove all dubious applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with Maps And Directions App, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.

Maps And Directions App browser hijacker installer set-up:

Website promoting Maps And Directions App browser hijacker:

IMPORTANT NOTE! This deceptive site asks to enable web browser notifications:

Therefore, before commencing, perform these steps:

Google Chrome (PC):

• Click the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen
• Select "Settings", scroll down to the bottom and click "Advanced"
• Scroll down to the "Privacy and security" section, select "Content settings" and then "Notifications"
• Click three dots on the right hand side of each suspicious URL and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again)

Google Chrome (Android):

• Click on the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and click "Settings"
• Scroll down, click on "Site settings" and then "Notifications"
• In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and click on them one-by-one
• Select "Notifications" in the "Permissions" section and set the toggle button to "OFF"

Mozilla Firefox:

• Click the Menu button (three bars) on the right upper corner of the screen
• Select "Options" and click on "Privacy & Security" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen
• Scroll down to the "Permissions" section and click the "Settings" button next to "Notifications"
• In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs, click the drop-down menu and select "Block"

Internet Explorer:

• Click the Gear button on the right upper corner of the IE window
• Select "Internet options"
• Select the "Privacy" tab and click "Settings" under "Pop-up Blocker" section
• Select suspicious URLs under and remove them one by one by clicking the "Remove" button

Microsoft Edge:

• Click the menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the Edge window
• Scroll down, find and click "Settings"
• Scroll down again and click "View advanced settings"
• Click "Manage" under "Website permissions"
• Click the switch under each suspicious website

Safari (Mac):

• Click "Safari" button on the left upper corner of the screen and select "Preferences..."
• Select the "Websites" tab and then select "Notifications" section on the left pane
• Check for suspicious URLs and apply the "Deny" option for each

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Quick menu:

• What is Maps And Directions App?
• STEP 1. Uninstall Maps And Directions App application using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove search.mapsanddirectionstab.com redirect from Internet Explorer.
• STEP 3. Remove Maps And Directions App browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove search.mapsanddirectionstab.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 5. Remove search.mapsanddirectionstab.com redirect from Safari.
• STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Maps And Directions App browser hijacker removal:

Windows 11 users:

Right-click on the Start icon, select Apps and Features. In the opened window search for the application you want to uninstall, after locating it, click on the three vertical dots and select Uninstall.

Windows 10 users:

Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.

Windows 7 users:

Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.

macOS (OSX) users:

Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.

In the uninstall programs window: look for any recently installed suspicious applications (for example, "Maps And Directions App"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications (which cause browser redirects to the search.mapsanddirectionstab.com website), scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

Maps And Directions App browser hijacker removal from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove browser redirects:

Remove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:

Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

Change your homepage:

Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Internet Options", in the opened window remove hxxp://search.mapsanddirectionstab.com and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you launch Internet Explorer. You can also enter about: blank to open a blank page when you start Internet Explorer.

Change your default search engine:

Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". In the opened window, select "Search Providers", set "Google", "Bing", or any other preferred search engine as your default and then remove "Maps And Directions App".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.mapsanddirectionstab.com redirect, reset your Internet Explorer settings to default.

Windows XP users: Click Start, click Run, in the opened window type inetcpl.cpl In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: Click the Windows logo, in the start search box type inetcpl.cpl and click enter. In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.

Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.

In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.

Click the Reset button.

Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

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 "Maps And Directions App" and other recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons (e.g., "Hide My Searches"), and remove them.

Change your homepage:

Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable "Maps And Directions App" or "Hide My Searches", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://search.mapsanddirectionstab.com or hxxps://hidemysearches.com) below the “Open a specific or set of pages” option. If present click on the three vertical dots icon and select “Remove”.

Change your default search engine:

To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings", in the "Search engine" section, click "Manage search engines...", in the opened list look for "hxxp://search.mapsanddirectionstab.com" and "hxxp://hidemysearches.com", when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Remove from list".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.mapsanddirectionstab.com redirect, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.

After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious plugins from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions" and remove "Maps And Directions App" (or simply "Maps"), as well as all other recently installed browser plug-ins (e.g., "Hide My Searches").

Change your homepage:

To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Options", in the opened window disable "Maps And Directions App" (or simply "Maps") or "Hide My Searches", remove hxxp://search.mapsanddirectionstab.com or hxxp://hidemysearches.com and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you start Mozilla Firefox.

Change your default search engine:

In the URL address bar, type about:config and press Enter.
Click "I'll be careful, I promise!".
In the search filter at the top, type: "moz-extension"
Right-click on the found preferences and select "Reset" to restore default values.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with search.mapsanddirectionstab.com redirect removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.

Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.

Select Troubleshooting Information.

In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.

Remove malicious extensions from Safari:

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click Safari menu, then select Preferences...

In the preferences window select the Extensions tab. Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions and uninstall them.

In the preferences window select General tab and make sure that your homepage is set to a preferred URL, if its altered by a browser hijacker - change it.

In the preferences window select Search tab and make sure that your preferred Internet search engine is selected.

Optional method:

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...

In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.

Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:

Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate any recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.

Change your homepage and new tab settings:

Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section look for the name of the browser hijacker and click "Disable".

Change your default Internet search engine:

To change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge: Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Privacy and services", scroll to bottom of the page and select "Address bar". In the "Search engines used in address bar" section look for the name of the unwanted Internet search engine, when located click the "Disable" button near it. Alternatively you can click on "Manage search engines", in the opened menu look for unwanted Internet search engine. Click on the puzzle icon near it and select "Disable".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.mapsanddirectionstab.com redirect, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.

In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.

Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

• If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.

Summary:

A browser hijacker is a type of adware infection that modifies Internet browser settings by assigning the homepage and default Internet search engine settings to some other (unwanted) website URL. Commonly, this type of adware infiltrates operating systems through free software downloads. If your download is managed by a download client, ensure that you decline offers to install advertised toolbars or applications that seek to change your homepage and default Internet search engine settings.

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