There is nothing worse than someone or something constantly bugging you to buy or try something you have absolutely no interest in. And that's doubly true when you just want to surf the web in peace. But despite all of the security precautions and pop-up blockers, hackers have found other ways to bombard Mac users with dubious ads.

If you're reading this article, you've probably experienced the annoying redirects to CheckRobotics.com. Well, keep reading, and you'll learn how to remove Check Robotics and how to protect your computer against future malware attacks.

Name

Check Robotics

CategoryPotentially unwanted application (PUA), browser hijacker
Symptoms

Browser redirects, ads not from the website you’re on, excessive pop-up ads, slow browsing speeds

Infection methodDeceptive ads and software bundling
System damage

Online activity tracking, breach of privacy, open door to additional malware

Removal

Manual removal

What is Check Robotics virus?

Check Robotics is pretty much your run-of-the-mill malware. It’s sometimes considered to be a type of “browser hijacker,” which means it takes over your browser and alters the settings and preferences. It changes things like your default homepage and search engine to constantly redirect you to sites associated with Check Robotics.

How can a Mac get infected with Check Robotics?

There are two fairly standard ways malware like Check Robotics can infiltrate your computer — deceptive ads and software bundling.

The first way is one I’m sure everyone has seen before. The ads look like an error message or a software update notification. The pop-ups will basically trick you into believing something is wrong with your Mac, and you need to download this software and to fix the problem Instead of being the legitimate software, it claims to be, it’s actually malware.

The other way is when you download and install free software, more often than not, there’s other junk, like malware and adware hidden in the installation. This is the most common way Check Robotics is installed on Macs. But there are instances when it uses the previous method instead.

How does Check Robotics harm a Mac?

The good news is that it’s fairly innocuous malware. Check Robotics is more annoying than it is harmful. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t worry about it. In fact, it can still track your browsing history and save it on a cloud server. Or even make it easier for other malware to install itself, leaving your Mac more vulnerable.

How to remove Check Robotics virus from Mac manually

On a positive note, getting rid of the Check Robotics virus from your Mac is not difficult. But on the flip side, it is tedious. Because it’s something that impacts your browser, that means you’ll need to remove it from each of your browsers individually.

How to remove it from different browsers

You’ll need to check for two different features — extensions and notifications — for each browser you have installed on your Mac. Installing a browser extension is the primary method Check Robotics takes over your browser, but for users who have them disabled, it will resort to push notifications. Here’s how you can check for both in your browsers.

Safari

  1. Open Safari.
  2. Click Safari > Preferences > Extensions.
  3. In the sidebar, select the Check Robotics extension and click Uninstall.
  4. Now click Websites > Notifications.
  5. Select CheckRobotics.com and click the Remove button.

Firefox

  1. Open Firefox.
  2. Click the menu button (it looks like three lines) > Add-ons and Themes > Extensions.
  3. Look for the adware extension. Then, click the ellipsis on the extension and select Remove.
  4. Close that tab and click Firefox > Preferences > Privacy & Security.
  5. Scroll to the Permissions section > Notifications.


  6. Select CheckRobotics.com and click the Remove Website button.

Chrome

  1. Open Google Chrome.
  2. Click Chrome > Preferences > Extensions.
  3. Find the Check Robotics extension and click Remove.
  4. Then, close the Extensions tab and you open the Settings tab again.
  5. Click Privacy and security > Site Settings > Notifications.

  6. Select CheckRobotics.com.
  7. In the “Pop-ups and redirects” category, click Don’t allow sites to send pop-ups or use redirects.”

After you’ve finished going through each browser, then you should go ahead and restart your computer. It just makes sure your apps have a chance to reset and start fresh.

How to prevent installing PUAs, browser hijackers and other malware

Now that you’ve rid your Mac of Check Robotics, how do you protect yourself from malware in the future? That’s a great question, and it’s one with an easy answer. Regularly scanning your computer with a program like CleanMyMac X can help you catch a suspicious app before it does too much damage.

The good news is you can download CleanMyMac X for free and try it out for yourself. It’s been notarized by Apple and recommended by Forbes as a tool to keep your Mac's performance optimized. Once you have it downloaded and installed, here’s all you’ll have to do:

  1. Open CleanMyMac X.
  2. Click Malware Removal.
  3. Then, hit the Scan button.
Scan completed in malware removal module of CMMX

When it’s finished, CleanMyMac X will show you everything suspicious it found on your computer and then let you remove it all.

The Check Robotics malware is definitely more of a nuisance than a danger. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be concerned about it. Especially if you’re only now just seeing a pop-up here and there for it, in a short time, your browser will be inundated with pop-ups every time you try to use it. Fortunately, now you have everything you need to remove it from your Mac. And you know how to prevent it from happening again in the future.