TopLookup Mac Adware - How to remove

TopLookup is a suspicious Safari plugin that installs in the background and uses its access to the browser to spy on the user and show them unwanted ads. TopLookup can be recognized by its icon – a green circle under a white magnifying glass. This extension might get replaced or change its name, additional copies might be installed. TopLookup is difficult to uninstall normally.

TopLookup is only a threat to Mac users. But what a threat it is – TopLookup causes unwanted pop-ups, crashes, freezes, all after it gets installed secretly and returns every time after it’s removed. TopLookup might take over your screen and your mouse cursor to trick you to press certain buttons in pop-up boxes.

TopLookup is only one version of a big group of Mac browser hijackers, including AgileHelp, TechNetSearch, LogicalSearch, ExtraList, and others. These apps are very similar and sometimes one of them replaces another.

TopLookup is an application that’s not only bad for privacy, it also causes system instability and makes your Mac difficult to use:

Type of threat	Adware Browser hijacker Spyware
Problems caused by TopLookup	Unwanted pop-ups Freezing and crashing applications Additional ads in the browser Private browsing data exposed to the extension
TopLookup infection source	Malvertising Fake software updates Misleading browser extensions
How to remove TopLookup	Delete related files and remove TopLookup manually Use antivirus tools and uninstallers like Combo Cleaner Delete other suspicious applications that were installed at the same time as TopLookup Block malicious websites and ads

TopLookup features

Unstable system

Some people whose computers are infected with TopLookup might not notice anything wrong, but others might have a lot of issues just trying to use their Mac normally:

• For example, every time you start your computer, a message could pop up saying “Apple wants to make changes” and asking for your password.
• TopLookup starts every time Safari starts, but it doesn’t reveal its functions. Even if you don’t use Safari on your Mac, TopLookup can still have a lot of annoying effects.
• Using Safari to browser might show TopLookup injecting ads in various pages.
• Some applications, like email apps, crash regularly. Using the browser and opening too many tabs might also crash or freeze it.
• Other pop-ups also might appear, such as warnings about TopLookup being potentially dangerous.

As a Safari extension, TopLookup has the permissions to see what you do on the websites you visit (including passwords and other private information), so it’s not good for your privacy. Overall, TopLookup looks like a bad case of a browser hijacker.

Browser hijackers are commonly used nowadays to get around privacy measures implemented on the Web, such as encrypted search (which is adopted by more and more websites) and choices people make about their cookies. TopLookup gets to track your browsing by watching everything you do from your computer on the browser that the adware extension is installed on.

Unwanted installation

The TopLookup Safari extension doesn’t even pretend to be useful, rather, it tries to look like a default system tool to avoid suspicion. So, genuinely searching for and finding TopLookup, and then installing it for its functionality is not something that ever happens.

Adware bundles are the main way that TopLookup makes its way into people’s systems. It doesn’t ask for permission, rather, it just appears in a pop-up asking to finish the installation. TopLookup is downloaded in bundles under false pretenses.

One common idea that comes up with victims of TopLookup’s siblings is that software updates were performed not long before the infection. And we know that there are a lot of fake software update alerts online that spread adware bundles: “Updates for your version of Chrome”, “Update Flash Player”, various pop-ups that demand you to install unwanted browser extensions, like “Flash SD App Required To Proceed”.

How to remove TopLookup

If you’ve tried uninstalling TopLookup and it kept coming back, that means that you need to first remove some files that are lurking in your system that keep reinstalling TopLookup.

Look inside /Library/LaunchAgents, ~/Library/LaunchAgents, /Library/LaunchDaemons, and find suspicious files and delete them. The important thing here is to first make backups of these folders and hen to look up every file in there to check if they’re legitimate. TopLookup’s files won’t be called “TopLookup”, but something else – something generic that wouldn’t jump out.

Alternatively, scan your computer with a security tool like Combo Cleaner, an uninstaller (Combo Cleaner also has that function), or a file finder, and look for malicious files related to TopLookup. By the way, knowing that TopLookup probably spreads in adware bundles and with fake updates, it’s likely that it’s not the only infection that needs to be removed.

Deleting browser data might be useful, though it’s not enough on its own to get rid of TopLookup. The instructions for freeing the Safari browser from a hijacker are in the following section. Some persistent pop-ups that lead to malicious websites can be stopped by just removing saved browser data. As malicious sites are likely to be responsible for a TopLookup infection, getting rid of them is important to avoid repeat infections. It’s also useful to block malicious websites with the help of an anti-malware tool to avoid the worst malicious ads.

Automatic Malware removal tools

How to remove TopLookup Mac Adware from Safari:Top

Remove malicious extensions

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences.
  
• Select Extensions and uninstall TopLookup Mac Adware and other suspicious extensions.
  
• If your homepage was changed, click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences and choose General tab. Enter preferable URL to the homepage field.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings(older versions) If you are still experiencing any issues related to TopLookup Mac Adware, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Reset Safari…
  
• Select which options you want to reset (usually all of them come preselected) and click on the Reset button.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.