While browsing your favorite blog or while doing any important work on the internet using the Chrome browser, it must be very annoying to get redirected to any other irrelevant websites. It can decline your browsing experience, and your work productivity could also be lost. Continuous redirects could also slow down your browser and system.
Google Chrome is an advanced web browser, and it mostly takes care of suspicious activities going on during web browsing. However, with time cybercriminals are also getting advanced and are continuously developing malware to breach the Chrome browser.
There could be several reasons that may be causing these redirects.
In this guide, we would discuss those causes and also some methods to stop the redirects.
What causes Redirects?
Browser redirects are not always harmful or unintentional. Some legit websites also redirect the user to other webpages of their websites or even to any other websites for useful purposes only. However, here we are, talking about the unintentional or unwanted redirects. The Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUPs) generally cause these redirects. Here are the top causes of the annoying redirects.
1. Browser Hijackers
Browser Hijackers, also known as the redirect virus, are the vicious malware that infiltrates your browser’s settings in order to promote thein affiliated websites or fake search engines. They are the primary cause of the redirects in Chrome and other browsers. After entering your browser, they change its settings so that users get redirected to the websites they are promoting. The homepage and default search engine are also set accordingly.
2. Adware
Adware is a type of malware that causes pop-ups and redirects on the browser. Again, it is also designed to promote a website or an application. So, to promote those, it falsely causes annoying redirects.
3. Web Extensions
Some Chrome web extensions look quite useful, and users install them, not knowing the reality of it. Though, Google regularly removes the malicious extensions from the Chrome Webstore, but still some of those become successful in tricking the users.
4. Vulnerable Websites
Many websites on the internet are specifically designed to cause unwanted redirects. Because of the vast traffic rate, they are mostly torrent sites, illegal download sites, and adult sites.
How to Stop Redirects in Chrome?
To stop redirects in Chrome, you have to remove its causes from the browser. Let us list the methods to do so.
1. Use Chrome Malware Scanner
Many features make Google Chrome the best browser among all others. One of those features is an inbuilt malware scanner. Chromes comes equipped with an antimalware that automatically scans for the malicious files or programs. However, you can perform a manual scan too.
– On the Chrome browser, click on the three dots icon at the top-right corner and look for the Settings.
– On the settings page, scroll down and click on Advanced.
– In advanced settings, section look for ‘Reset and clean up’ heading, and under it, click on the Clean up computer option.
– Click on Find to start the malware scanning.
2. Disallow Redirects from Site Settings
Chrome provides a setting to stop redirects and pop-ups on the browser.
– Go to settings by clicking on the three dots icon at the top-right corner on Chrome.
– In settings page look for ‘Privacy and Security‘ heading and click on Site Settings
– Move down and look for Pop-ups and redirects and click it.
– Make sure that the Allow option is disabled, and Blocked is enabled.
3. Clear Browsing Data
Sometimes by clearing browsing data, you can get rid of the Chrome redirects.
– Open the Chrome browser and press Ctrl+H to open the browsing history page.
– On left-side panel, click on Clear browsing data.
– Choose the time range according to when redirects started on your browser and click on Clear data.
4. Reset Chrome Browser
You can try resetting the browser if the redirect virus has caused much damage.
– Navigate to ‘Reset and clean up’ heading by following the steps provided in the 1st method.
– Under it click on ‘Restore settings to their original defaults‘
– A warning message would appear displaying the details of what would be reset. Click on the Reset Settings.
5. Delete Suspicious Web Extensions
Some web extensions have malicious intentions. They could also be the reason for redirects on Chrome. It is better to remove them permanently.
– Click on the three dots at the top corner and hover your mouse pointer to more tools and click on Extensions.
– You would reach to the page where all your installed extension would be there. Look for the suspicious ones and permanently remove them from the browser.
Bottom Line
So, these are the top methods to stop the redirects on your browser. Redirect viruses are not that harmful or alarming to your system. However, they could be very irritating and can have adverse effects on your workflow. Also, if you click any of the redirected page or ad, your system may get infected with other harmful malware like Trojans, or Ransomware. It is better to avoid redirects. For that, you don’t have to do much. Just stop visiting the unknown or insecure websites in the greed of getting free downloads. Also, keep a good antimalware program installed on your system for complete online protection.
