How to uninstall ExpandedActivity adware from the operating system?

What is ExpandedActivity adware?

ExpandedActivity is designed to display unwanted advertisements and promote a fake search engine by modifying browser's settings. In other words, ExpandedActivity is designed to function as an adware-type application and a browser hijacker. Like most apps of this type, it is distributed using deceptive methods.

ExpandedActivity adware in detail

Adware-type applications like ExpandedActivity generate annoying advertisements designed to open questionable websites. In some cases, those ads cause unwanted downloads or even installations by running certain scripts. For these reasons, it is strongly recommended not to trust advertisements generated by ExpandedActivity and similar applications.

A couple of examples of ads that ExpandedActivity is likely to be designed to generate are banners, surveys, coupons, pop-up ads. If clicked, those ads may open websites like "MALWARE DETECTED Action Required", "Receive iPhone 12", "Apple Platform Security", or other pages designed to extract sensitive information or to trick visitors into installing unwanted software.

Furthermore, ExpandedActivity is designed to hijack a browser by changing its settings such as the address of a default search engine, homepage, and new tab. It changes those addresses to an address of a fake search engine. Therefore, its users are forced to visit a specific address each time they open a browser, new tab, or enter search queries into the URL bar.

It is worth mentioning that fake search engines can be designed to generate misleading results (to promote shady websites). In other cases, they could show results generated by a legitimate or untrustworthy search engines. Typically, users cannot remove a fake search engine from browser's settings unless they uninstall a browser hijacker.

One more important detail about ExpandedActivity is it may be designed to collect information that could be misused for marketing purposes, sold to third parties (potentially cybercriminals), used to make unauthorized transactions, purchases, steal identities, or misused in other ways.

Less harmful adware-type apps collect IP addresses, visited websites, entered search queries, geolocations, and other details of this kind. Nevertheless, other adware-type apps can also read credit card details, passwords, telephone numbers, and other sensitive information.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by ExpandedActivity
Threat Type	Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus
Detection Names	Avast (MacOS:Adload-AG [Adw]), Combo Cleaner (Adware.MAC.Generic.23403), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of OSX/Adware.Synataeb.F), Kaspersky (Not-a-virus:HEUR:AdWare.OSX.Adload.h), Full List (VirusTotal)
Additional Information	This application belongs to Adload malware family.
Symptoms	Your Mac becomes slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you are redirected to dubious websites.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers, torrent file downloads.
Damage	Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious 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.

ExpandedActivity adware in general

In conclusion, ExpandedActivity is an untrustworthy application designed to generate advertisements and alter browser's settings. It is not safe to have this app installed on a browser and (or) the operating system. It users should remove it as soon as possible. More adware examples are MainCharacterSearch, AphroditeLookup, and ProductiveUnit.

How did ExpandedActivity install on my computer?

Adware can be distributed through fake installers (many adware-type apps are distributed through fake Adobe Flash Player installers). It is important to know those deceptive installers can be designed to install ransomware, Trojans, or other malicious software. Typically, fake installers are promoted via untrustworthy websites.

Another way to distribute PUAs is to include them in downloaders and installers as optional offers. When users download or install programs that are bundled with PUAs without changing "Custom", "Manual", "Advanced", or other options, they agree to download or install those apps as well.

Also, potentially unwanted applications can be distributed through deceptive advertisements by designing them to execute specific scripts. Those advertisements appear on questionable, untrustworthy websites. Users unknowingly download or install PUAs by clicking them.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

It is recommended not to use Peer-to-Peer networks (like eMule, torrent clients), unofficial websites, third-party downloaders, and so on as sources for downloading files, programs. Third-party installers should not be used too. Files and programs should be downloaded only from official pages and via direct links.

Downloaders and installers for other programs with settings like "Advanced", "Custom", "Manual" should be checked for offers to download or install potentially unwanted apps. Those offers should be declined before completing downloads and installations. Intrusive ads that appear on shady pages should not be trusted (clicked).

By clicking ads on dubious pages, users often open other shady pages or cause unwanted downloads and installations. If there are any suspicious, unwanted extensions, plug-ins, or add-ons installed on a web browser, they should be removed. The same should be done with software of this kind that is installed on the operating system. If your computer is already infected with ExpandedActivity, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.

Pop-up window displayed once ExpandedActivity installation is over:

Screenshot of the ExpandedActivity's Contents folder:

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 ExpandedActivity?
• STEP 1. Remove ExpandedActivity related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove ExpandedActivity ads from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove ExpandedActivity adware from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove ExpandedActivity ads from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove ExpandedActivity adware using Combo Cleaner:

ExpandedActivity adware removal:

Remove ExpandedActivity-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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