How to remove the My Apps Center application

What is My Apps Center?

My Apps Center is a browser hijacker designed to promote hmyappscenter.net (the address of a fake search engine) by modifying certain browser settings. These apps also function as information tracking tools (they gather browsing-related and other data).

Note that My Apps Center is distributed with another app called Hide My History. Commonly, users download and install these apps inadvertently and, therefore, they are categorized as potentially unwanted applications (PUAs).

Typically, browser hijackers promote fake search engines by modifying settings such as the address of the homepage, default search engine and new tab. My Apps Center sets them to hmyappscenter.net. With My Apps Center PUA installed on browsers, users are forced to visit hmyappscenter.net when they open a browser, new tab or enter search queries.

As mentioned, hmyappscenter.net is the address of a fake search engine. It displays results generated by another search engine. I.e., it redirects users to hidemyhistory.co, another dubious search engine. It is not safe to use these search engines to browse the web, since they often promote dubious pages (include them into search results).

Typically, users cannot undo the changes that were made by browser hijackers (remove addresses of fake search engines from browser settings) as long as PUAs are installed. In this case, hmyappscenter.net can only be removed from settings when My Apps Center is uninstalled.

Furthermore, browser hijackers collect various browsing-related details including IP addresses, entered search queries, addresses of visited pages, geolocations, and other browsing data. They might also record sensitive information. Furthermore, developers sell collected information to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) or misuse it to generate revenue in other ways.

Therefore, users who have these apps installed on their browsers and/or operating systems may become victims of identity theft, experience problems relating to browsing safety and online privacy, and other issues. Therefore, My Apps Center, Hide My History and other apps of this kind should never be trusted or downloaded/installed.

Threat Summary:

Name	My Apps Center
Threat Type	Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab.
Browser Extension(s)	My Apps Center
Supposed Functionality	Quick access to download pages for popular apps.
Promoted URL	hmyappscenter.net
Serving IP Address (hmyappscenter.net)	54.82.143.22
Detection Names (hmyappscenter.net)	Forcepoint ThreatSeeker (Suspicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal).
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.
Additional Information	My Apps Center is distributed with another browser hijacker called Hide My History.
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.
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Package Tracker Guru, MyWeatherFree and Online Radio Finder Tab are some of examples of other apps that are also classified as browser hijackers. Most PUAs of this type force people to use fake search engines. They do not include any valid features, improve browsing safety, or provide any other value.

Furthermore, these apps can cause serious issues. Browser hijackers such as My Apps Center should be uninstalled by following the steps described below.

How did My Apps Center install on my computer?

Commonly, users download and install browser hijackers (and other PUAs) during download/installation of other programs. These apps are distributed by including them into the download/installation set-ups of other programs as 'additional offers'.

These offers can be declined through "Advanced", "Custom" or other settings available in the set-ups, however, many users fail to check and change them, thereby allowing PUAs to infiltrate. This method to distribute PUAs is known as "bundling".

In some cases, unwanted apps are downloaded and installed through deceptive advertisements that execute certain scripts when clicked.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Check all settings such as "Custom" and "Advanced" and decline offers to download or install additionally-included (unwanted) software. Programs and files should be downloaded only from official websites via direct links. Avoid third party downloaders, Peer-to-Peer networks such as torrent clients, eMule, etc., unofficial sites, and other similar channels.

The same applies to installation via third party installers (avoid them). Do not click ads that appear on websites relating to gambling, pornography, adult dating or other dubious sites, they can open potentially malicious pages or, worse, cause download/installation of unwanted applications.

Remove any suspicious add-ons, plug-ins and extensions installed on the browser. Also remove programs of this kind that are installed on the operating system. If your computer is already infected with My Apps Center, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.

Notification stating that My Apps Center can read and change certain data:

Website promoting My Apps Center 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 My Apps Center?
• STEP 1. Uninstall My Apps Center application using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove hmyappscenter.net redirect from Internet Explorer.
• STEP 3. Remove My Apps Center browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove hmyappscenter.net homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 5. Remove hmyappscenter.net redirect from Safari.
• STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

My Apps Center 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, "My Apps Center"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications that cause browser redirects to the hmyappscenter.net website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

My Apps Center 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://hmyappscenter.net 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 "My Apps Center".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the hmyappscenter.net 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 "My Apps Center" and other recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons (e.g., "Hide My History"), 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 "My Apps Center" or "Hide My History", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://hmyappscenter.net or hxxps://hidemyhistory.co) 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://hmyappscenter.net" and "hxxp://hidemyhistory.co", 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 hmyappscenter.net 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 "My Apps Center", as well as all other recently installed browser plug-ins (e.g., "Hide My History").

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 "My Apps Center" or "Hide My History", remove hxxp://hmyappscenter.net , hxxp://hp.hmyappscenter.net, or hxxp://hidemyhistory.co 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 hmyappscenter.net 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 hmyappscenter.net 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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