How to remove the Palo APP unwanted application
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is Palo APP?
Palo APP is classified as a browser hijacker. It forces users to visit gooogle.page (a fake search engine). Typically, apps of this type promote these bogus addresses by changing certain browser settings, however, this particular app promotes the aforementioned URL without even changing any settings.
Apps such as Palo APP often gather data including details relating to users' browsing activities. People often download and install browser hijackers inadvertently and, therefore, they are categorized as potentially unwanted applications (PUAs).
When users of Palo APP open a browser, they automatically arrive at gooogle.page. After entering a search query, they are redirected from gooogle.page to s3redirect.com and then to s3arch.page, smashapps.net, or another address. These actions depend on users' geolocations.
Note that smashapps.net redirects users to search.yahoo.com. In any case, Palo APP promote addresses of fake search engines that either do not generate unique results or display those that might include links to dubious websites. A hijacked browser can be prevented from opening bogus addresses only when the app that originally changed the settings is uninstalled.
In this case, gooogle.page (and the aforementioned addresses) can be avoided by uninstalling Palo APP from the browser. This PUA might also collect information relating to users' browsing habits. For example, geolocations, entered search queries, addresses of visited websites, IP addresses and other browsing data.
In some cases, PUAs can access personal, sensitive details as well. The information could be sold to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) or misused to generate revenue in other ways.
These apps can thus cause problems relating to privacy, browsing safety and even identity theft. Therefore, remove browser hijackers (including Palo APP) from browsers and operating systems immediately.
Name | Palo APP |
Threat Type | Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab. |
Browser Extension(s) | Palo APP |
Supposed Functionality | This app supposedly improves the browsing experience. |
Promoted URL | gooogle.page |
Serving IP Address (gooogle.page) | 104.28.28.248 |
Serving IP Address (s3redirect.com) | 104.27.148.159 |
Affected Browser Settings | Homepage, new tab URL, default search engine. |
Symptoms | Manipulated Internet browser settings (homepage, default Internet search engine, new tab settings). Users are forced to visit the hijacker's website and search the Internet using their search engines. |
Distribution methods | Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers. |
Damage | Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites. |
Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
More examples of browser hijackers are Weather Discover, My Recipe Finder and IncognitoNow. Commonly, these apps are advertised as legitimate and useful, however, they are designed only to help the developers to generate revenue. Therefore, remove all browser hijackers/PUAs immediately.
How did Palo APP install on my computer?
In most cases, browser hijackers and other PUAs are distributed by including them into the set-ups of other programs as 'additional offers'. This distribution method is called "bundling", and is used to deceive users into downloading and installing PUAs with other required programs.
Offers to download and install additionally-included apps are generally listed in "Advanced", "Custom", "Manual" or other settings of set-ups, however, many users fail to check and change these settings before completing the process. Leaving them unchanged agrees by default with offers to download and install PUAs.
In some cases, PUAs are downloaded and installed by clicking deceptive advertisements that execute certain scripts.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications
Do not download or install software from unofficial websites, through Peer-to-Peer networks such as torrent clients, eMule, third party downloaders, installers or other channels of this kind, since they are often used to distribute unwanted, potentially malicious programs.
The safest way to download files and programs is using official websites and direct links. Check all settings that are available in the download/installation setup and decline offers to download or install unwanted (additionally-included) software.
Do not click intrusive ads that are displayed on dubious websites, since they can open other untrusted websites or cause unwanted download and installations. Remove all unwanted, unknown or suspicious extensions, plug-ins and add-ons installed on the browser, and programs of this kind installed on the operating system.
If your computer is already infected with Palo APP, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.
gooogle.page redirects to s3arch.page (GIF):
gooogle.page redirects to smashapps.net (GIF):
Notification stating that Palo APP can read and change certain data:
Website promoting Palo 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 Palo APP?
- STEP 1. Uninstall Palo APP application using Control Panel.
- STEP 2. Remove gooogle.page redirect from Internet Explorer.
- STEP 3. Remove Palo APP browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove gooogle.page homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
- STEP 5. Remove gooogle.page redirect from Safari.
- STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
Palo 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, "Palo APP"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".
After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications that cause browser redirects to the gooogle.page website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.
Palo 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://gooogle.page 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 "Palo APP".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the palo app 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 "Palo APP" and other recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, 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 "Palo APP", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.gooogle.page) 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 "gooogle.page", 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 palo app 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 plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:
Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions" and remove "Palo APP", as well as all other recently installed browser plug-ins.
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 "Palo APP", remove hxxp://gooogle.page 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: "extensionControlled"
Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the button.
Optional method:
Computer users who have problems with palo app 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 palo app 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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