Pop ups and a browser you did not choose
My browser opens strange pages and shows pop ups all the time. How do I clean it?
Written by The CommonFixes team · fact checked by CommonFixes review desk
Last updated
Short answer
An add on installed alongside free software has taken over your browser settings. It is annoying rather than dangerous, and it removes cleanly. The quickest thing to try first: remove unknown extensions — In Chrome or Edge open the three dot menu, Extensions, Manage extensions, and delete anything you do not recognise. In Safari open Settings and then Extensions. Most people are done in about 15 minutes.
Full walkthrough below: 5 steps for Windows and Mac, rated medium.
Sounds like this
- •New tabs open by themselves
- •Search engine changed
- •Toolbars you never installed
Why it happens
An add on installed alongside free software has taken over your browser settings. It is annoying rather than dangerous, and it removes cleanly.
Work through these in order
0% done- 1
Remove unknown extensions
In Chrome or Edge open the three dot menu, Extensions, Manage extensions, and delete anything you do not recognise. In Safari open Settings and then Extensions.
- 2
Reset the search engine and home page
In browser settings choose your preferred search engine again and clear any start page that was set for you.
- 3
Block notifications you never asked for
Open browser settings, then Privacy and security, then Site settings, then Notifications, and remove every site allowed to send them.
- 4
Uninstall the program that brought it
On Windows open Settings, Apps, Installed apps, sort by install date, and remove anything unfamiliar from the day the trouble began.
- 5
Scan once with a reputable tool
Run a full scan with Windows Security, or Malwarebytes on either platform. One scan is enough. Never install several security tools at once.
If none of that worked
If pop ups continue after a browser reset, back up your files and consider a clean reinstall of the browser profile.
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Who wrote this and how we checked it
The CommonFixes team
Writer and researcher
We are a small group of people who spend our days repairing laptops and desktops for family, friends and small offices. Every guide here starts with a problem someone actually brought to us, and we only write down the steps that put the machine right.
- Everyday repairs
- Windows and Mac
- Plain language
CommonFixes review desk
Technical editor
Before a guide goes live, a second person walks through it on a real machine and checks each instruction against the maker's own support pages. Anything we cannot confirm is removed rather than guessed at.
- Fact checking
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This guide was last updated on 10 August 2026. If a step no longer matches what you see on screen, tell us on the contact page and we will test it again.
A gentle reminder: back up anything you cannot afford to lose before major repairs. If a step ever feels risky, stop and ask a technician. There is no shame in that.