The list of browser hijackers that can find their way onto your Mac and intrude on your web browsing is seemingly endless. Many of these browser hijackers are labeled as a virus but don’t behave like viruses at all. The so-called fuq.com virus is an example of one such browser hijacker.   

What you need to know about fuq.com virus

Firstly, as we said above, it’s not a virus. Viruses self-replicate and copy themselves from computer to computer. In contrast, browser hijackers like fuq.com usually download themselves to your Mac by bundling with another application that you think is legitimate and choose to download. 

Once it’s on your Mac, fuq.com redirects your homepage to its own website and displays adverts for adult content in your web browser whenever you surf the web. The content of some of the adverts is graphic and likely to be offensive to many people, which makes this browser hijacker a particularly nasty example of its type. If you’re wondering, “Is fuq.com safe?” the answer is that while it won’t harm your Mac, it steals personal data and will hamper its performance. 

How to avoid downloading fuq.com browser hijacker? 

Vigilance is the watchword. Be careful about the sites you visit and the files you choose to download. macOS has a built-in tool called Gatekeeper that restricts the applications that can be downloaded and installed on your Mac to either apps from the App Store only or those apps plus applications from trusted developers. 

If you want to download any other app, you need to manually override Gatekeeper in System Preferences when the app prompts you to do so. The easiest way to avoid fuq.com is not to override Gatekeeper, ever. And if you need to install apps that require authorization in System Preferences, make sure that you know what they are and that they aren’t hiding any nasty surprises in the form of malware. 

If you’re not sure whether or not you’ve already downloaded an app that may have bundled fuq.com or any other malware, take a look at your Applications folder. If you see anything in there you don’t recognize, uninstall it. 

Pro tip: Just dragging an app to Trash doesn’t get rid of it completely. There may be other files lying around on your startup drive. The easiest way to completely remove it is to use a dedicated uninstaller like this tool.

How to get rid of fuq.com virus on Mac

Here’re a few steps you should follow if you want to get rid of this nasty piece of malware.

Step 1: Kill the process and get rid of the app 

  1. Launch Activity Monitor from Applications > Utilities.
  2. Locate the fuq.com process in the list of processes on the left side.
  3. Select it and press the Quit Process button (an ‘x’ in a circle) in the toolbar.
  4. Go to your Applications folder and look for any app that looks suspicious or you haven’t deliberately downloaded.
  5. Uninstall the app.

Step 2: Remove fuq.com from Safari 

1. Launch Safari, click on the Safari menu, and choose Preferences.

2. Choose Extensions.
3. Look for an extension called fuq.com or similar.
4. Select it and click Uninstall. 
5. Choose the General tab.
6. Change the homepage URL to your preferred homepage.

Step 3: Remove fuq.com from Chrome 

  1. Launch Chrome and click on the More button.
  2. In the menu, click on More Tools, then choose Extensions.
  3. Alternatively, type chrome://extensions in the address bar.
  4. Locate an extension called fuq.com or similar and press Remove.
  5. Type chrome://settings in the address bar.
  6. Scroll down to “On startup.” 
  7. If the setting has been altered, change it back to your preference.

Step 4: Remove fuq.com from Firefox 

  1. Click on the three horizontal lines on the right of the toolbar.
  2. Choose Add-ons and themes.
  3. Select Extensions and locate the fuq.com extension. 
  4. Click remove.
  5. Click on the three horizontal lines again.
  6. Choose Settings.
  7. In the window that opens, click on Home. 
  8. Set “Homepage and new windows” to your preferred homepage. 

Carrying out all the steps above will remove fuq.com from your Mac and set your browser’s homepage back to your chosen homepage. However, as you can see, it’s a lengthy process, especially if you use several different web browsers. There is an easier way, thankfully. 

How CleanMyMac X can keep you safe from malware

Recently named “Product of the Month” on Product Hunt, CleanMyMac X can uninstall applications, remove browser extensions, and delete login items and launch agents at the click of a few buttons. It also has a Malware Removal module with a regularly updated database that contains the signatures of the latest Mac malware. 

You can download the app’s free edition here.
Then, navigate to the Malware Removal tab and click Scan.

Removing threats

 Here’s how to remove browser extensions with CleanMyMac X:

  1. Download the app (see the previous step).
  2. Click on Extensions in the left-hand sidebar.
  3. Choose Safari Extensions.
  4. Check the box next to the extension you want to remove.
  5. Click Remove.

To remove login items, do the following:

  1. Click on the Optimization tool in the sidebar.
  2. Choose Login Items.
  3. Check the box next to the item you want to remove and press Remove.

To remove launch agents, follow the steps above, but choose Launch Agents at step 2. 

Fuq.com is a particularly objectionable browser hijacker because it redirects your browser to a porn website and also displays adverts for that site in your browser whenever you go on the web. It’s not a virus and won’t harm your computer. Nevertheless, few people would want it on their Mac. Fortunately, removing fuq.com is straightforward, albeit a fairly lengthy process, if you use multiple web browsers. The easiest way to uninstall apps, remove browser extensions, and get rid of login items and launch agents is to use a dedicated cleaner app. For example, you can try CleanMyMac X and forget about this annoying issue forever.

Finally, as with all malware, the best strategy is to avoid it by being vigilant about the sites you visit on the web and the applications you download.