Despite what you may have heard, MacBooks can and do get viruses and malware. Admittedly, viruses on Macs are not as prevalent as on Windows, but they do happen. And if a virus happens to you, you need to know right away how to remove malware from your Mac.
In this article, we’ll be using the terms “malware” and “virus” interchangeably. To clarify, “malware” is a broad umbrella term covering many types of cyber threats. A “virus” is just one of those specific threats.
How to tell if your MacBook is infected with a virus or other malware
First, we’ll go over how to diagnose whether or not your MacBook has a virus or other form of malware.
You can’t allow malware to get a foothold on your system. If it does, your data is at serious risk of being stolen or damaged. Here are some signs you need to keep an eye out for.
Your MacBook is slowing down
All computers slow down at some point. Multiple programs can be running in the background, consuming the CPU and memory. Even having too many tabs open in your browser can also slow things down.
However, the following symptoms deserve special attention:
- If it’s happening on a regular basis
- If typing and moving the cursor becomes sluggish
- If your CPU is continually at 95% or over
- If your MacBook is frequently crashing
- If your MacBook is overheating
These issues indicate that you have a problem going on in the background that needs to be investigated.
Your Wi-Fi connection is continually turning off
When malware is on your computer, it often needs an internet connection to send back your data to its servers. That means your Wi-Fi connection is going to be taxed to the limit.
This will result in an unsustainable strain being placed on your network, which will end in the network just not being able to deal with that extra traffic and shutting down instead.
Again, losing your Wi-Fi connection occasionally is normal, but losing your connection many times in a short period could be something else entirely.
Suspicious, unwanted installed apps
Something else that is common with all forms of malware, including viruses, is installing their own app on your MacBook.
If you notice something in your Applications folder that you didn’t install, delete it immediately and run an antivirus scan. You’ll know the unknown app is malware if it reinstalls itself.
Your browser has been hijacked
We recently covered browser hijacking, which is when your browser settings are changed to redirect you to certain malware-infected websites and search engines that a hacker wants you to visit.
Even legitimate sites you want to visit can be redirected to similar-looking sites that, at first glance, may seem like where you want to go.
Pop-up ads are appearing all over your screen
One of the ways that more malware and viruses are brought onto your computer is through the use of pop-up ads on your screen. This is known as adware.
These pop-up ads will then entice you to click on links. In the case of scareware, you’ll be coerced into downloading a malware-infected “antivirus checker.” Yes, the irony is astounding.
How to remove malware from your Mac
If you’re convinced that you do indeed have malware on your Mac, you definitely need to start going on the Mac malware removal offensive. The longer the malware is on your machine, the more damage it’s going to cause you. It needs to be dealt with on day one.
For this, you need CleanMyMac, powered by Moonlock Engine. CleanMyMac is a powerful Mac virus removal tool that will detect malware and remove all types of it, even the ones you might have thought you would need an IT professional to remove.
Open CleanMyMac and go into the settings
First, click Configure Scan and select all of the options. Ensure that the Scan mode is set to Deep Scan to check every corner of your MacBook.
You only need to do this part if you’re using CleanMyMac for the first time. Your preferences will be saved and remembered next time.
Run CleanMyMac and wait for it to complete
Now click the Scan button and let CleanMyMac do its work. It’s a lightweight and powerful program, so it will complete the process quickly and track down anything it deems to be a threat.
Review the monitoring results and remove everything
Once the scan has been completed, you’ll be presented with a list of all the threats it has found. Simply select them all, and CleanMyMac will get rid of them all for you. It’s as simple as that.
Other ways to manually remove malware from a Mac
CleanMyMac, along with the built-in security tools on the Mac, will provide a rigid defense against anything a hacker tries to throw at you. But there are some other ways to get rid of malware on a Mac and remove viruses from your MacBook.
Check your browser extensions
Some types of malware manifest in the form of malicious browser extensions. These can be installed either by browser hijackers or by sideloading extensions outside of the browser’s extensions website (a good reason not to do it).
Check your browser extensions folder once a week or so. Make sure nothing is there that you don’t recognize. If there is something there, remove it immediately.
You may also want to consider uninstalling the browser then reinstalling it to be certain.
Check your Applications folder in Finder
As we said, suspicious, unknown applications are also a red flag when it comes to detecting and removing malware.
Give your Applications folder a look-through once a week. If anything seems off, delete it. We would still highly recommend running CleanMyMac afterward to make sure nothing is left behind.
Reset and wipe your MacBook
This is obviously the last-ditch nuclear option, but there are 2 major benefits to resetting and wiping your MacBook. First, it is guaranteed to destroy every piece of malware on your machine.
Second, Apple has made the resetting and wiping process much easier over the past few years with the introduction of M-series Macs. It’s now faster and more streamlined.
Just make sure you’ve backed up all of your important files before you wipe the whole hard drive.
What can you do if malware removal was unsuccessful?
Unless you completely wipe and reset your MacBook, there is a possibility that the malware may not be completely gone. No matter how good an antivirus solution is, malware is constantly evolving, and eventually, one may be able to fight back against the antivirus.
In these cases, the only thing you can do is wipe and reset the machine. You could also take the device to a professional IT technician. However, to be honest, they will most likely wipe and reset the machine themselves.
What else do you need to know about how to remove malware on a Mac?
We’ve already covered a lot of information regarding how to remove malware from your Mac. Here’s a quick summary of the most important points.
Malware is a blanket term for many kinds of cyber threats to your computer. This not only includes viruses but also spyware, scareware, ransomware, remote access trojans, and many more.
Despite what many people believe, a MacBook can indeed be infected with viruses and other malware. This is why it’s essential to have third-party antivirus software installed, such as CleanMyMac.
Viruses can cause all kinds of damage, such as data theft, file corruption, remote access to your machine, and much more. This is why viruses and other malware should be aggressively dealt with.
You should ideally have third-party antivirus software installed on your Mac. The existing built-in security tools on a Mac are good, but extra backup is essential to ensure maximum protection.
The Mac’s XProtect feature can detect and remove viruses from your Mac by itself. However, it is not perfect, and it is possible that it may miss some threats lurking on your machine. That’s why third-party antivirus software is an excellent insurance to ensure that all threats are detected and destroyed.
How can you ensure that malware doesn’t infect your Mac again?
Having to remove malware on a Mac is a time-consuming and highly inconvenient experience. Once you’ve gotten rid of it, the last thing you need is for it to come back again.
So, how do you minimize that possibility?
Install all macOS and app updates immediately
This is the obvious first measure. Hackers exploit vulnerabilities in macOS and Mac apps to push their malware through. By installing all updates in a timely manner, you can help firmly close that door.
Install third-party antivirus software
Next, make sure you have antivirus software installed. CleanMyMac is a trusted antivirus platform that is lightweight, fast, and ruthlessly efficient at what it does.
By enabling Malware monitoring and the option to look for threats in the background, CleanMyMac will continuously monitor your Mac and give you an immediate alert the moment it finds something.
Restrict software to the App Store and trusted developers
The chance of you downloading a malware-infected piece of software from the Mac App Store is negligible due to Apple’s policy of rigorously vetting and scanning all App Store listings.
Obviously, nothing in life is guaranteed — malware could be invented tomorrow that can circumvent the App Store’s protections. But, compared to third-party developers on their own websites, the App Store is the safest place to be.
You can use trusted third-party developers such as MacPaw and Moonlock. If in doubt, do a web search for the name of the company and check them out.
Be extremely cautious when clicking links
Phishing links are the easiest “low-effort, high-reward” method of spreading malware. They can send the links out by email, text message, or chat message, or they can redirect people to a malware-infected website where those links are.
Basically, only click links if you absolutely trust the person. If you don’t completely trust them, err on the side of caution and don’t click it. It’s not worth the risk.
Don’t visit non-HTTPS websites
On the topic of malware-infected websites, do not visit websites that are not HTTPS-secured. Many of the top browsers today will warn you if you attempt to visit an HTTP website. You can override those warnings and proceed anyway, but it is not recommended.
Not all HTTPS websites are automatically safe, but they’re much safer than non-HTTPS.
The process to remove malware on a Mac is usually quite easy, especially if you have CleanMyMac powered by Moonlock Engine. It makes quick work of any nasties that a hacker may try to covertly put onto your device.
The longer the virus or other malware is on your MacBook, the harder it can be to fully remove it. It will also start sucking up your personal data and damaging your computer. That’s why an aggressive approach is the best option.
This is an independent publication, and it has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Mac, MacBook, and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc.
