There’s nothing more frustrating than when you’re using your browser, but it keeps redirecting you to an entirely different website. This is usually the result of a browser hijacker — a form of malware that installs itself on your computer and changes your browser settings: things like your default homepage and search engine.
If this is happening on your browser, and more specifically, if it redirects you to the website YT5s.com, you’re in the right place. This article will explain how your Mac could have been infected and provide instructions on how to remove it.
| Name | YT5s.com Virus |
| Category | Browser hijacker |
| Symptoms | Browser redirects |
| Infection method | Deceptive ads and software bundling |
| System damage | Online activity tracking, slow performance, annoying pop-ups, and webpage redirects |
| Removal | Manual removal |
What is YT5s virus?
YT5s.com is a website that lets you download YouTube videos, and the virus itself consistently redirects your browser to that page. For example, if you tried to check your email or do some online shopping, instead of pulling up the site you typed in, your browser will load YT5s.com.
Unfortunately, that’s not where it ends. It also floods your browser with invasive pop-ups for fraudulent and sometimes even malicious software.
How did my Mac get infected with YT5s?
The two most likely explanations for how your Mac was infected with this malware is through rogue ads and software bundling.
Rogues ads are designed to look like regular software notifications and trick you into thinking you need to either do software updates or install an antivirus app. But instead, you’re installing malicious software like a browser hijacker.
The other common way the YT5s virus infects Macs is through a process known as software bundling. That happens when a person installs an app, typically a free one, with a rogue code hidden in the installation.
Typically, when installing a new app, choose “Advanced” or “Manual” installation. If there is malware bundled with the free software you’re attempting to install, you will be able to see an additional package listed and then prevent it from being installed on your computer.
Is YT5s safe for my Mac?
This is a bit of a tricky question. The website YT5s.com is a YouTube video downloader and converter. So, it already falls into a bit of a gray area with the legality and copyright issues. It gets even more questionable when you see annoying ads pop up on this website. YT5s.com uses an ad network that shares banners and pop-ups similar to what I mentioned earlier. They might be false or lead you to believe something is wrong with your Mac.
Website aside, the YT5s.com virus is something different. It exploits the browser extension feature and redirects all of your traffic back to this site in the hopes that you’ll click on one of the ads on the page.
How to remove YT5s virus from Mac manually
The brightside is that getting rid of the YT5s.com virus isn’t as difficult as it sounds. It is a bit tedious, but will take you less than 15 minutes if you follow the steps below.
You will have to do this for each of the browsers you have installed on your Mac — not just the one you’re actively using.
Safari
- Open Safari.
- Click Safari > Preferences > Extensions.
- Select the YT5s extension (or anything else suspicious) > Uninstall.
- Now, restart Safari.
Chrome
- Open Google Chrome.
- Click Chrome > Preferences > Extensions.
- Find the YT5s.com extension and click Remove.
- Restart Chrome.
Firefox
- Open Firefox.
- Click the button with the three lines > Add-ons and themes > Extensions.
- Scroll until you see the YT5s.com extension.
- On the extension click … > Remove.
- Finally, restart Firefox.
After you’ve finished going through all of your browsers and deleting the extension, go ahead and restart your entire Mac. It gives all of your software the chance to stop and start back up again — fresh.
How to avoid PUAs, browser hijackers and other malware
Scanning your Mac on a regular basis is a great way to prevent other malware and adware. As you use your computer daily, it’s easy to forget what you’ve downloaded, or you just might not have the time to thoroughly research an app before you install it. So, using an app like CleanMyMac X to scan your entire hard drive can help you catch things that snuck on there without you noticing.
You can download CleanMyMac X here — the app has been notarized by Apple and recommended by Forbes. Once you have it installed, this is all you have to do:
- Open CleanMyMac X.
- Click Malware Removal in the sidebar.
- Then, hit Scan.
That’s really all you need to do. When the scan is complete, the app will remove any of the things it found for you. So, there’s nothing left for you to do — CleanMyMac X does it all.
Browser hijackers like the YT5s.com virus can be incredibly annoying. In fact, in some cases, they can make it almost impossible to browse the internet. But, hopefully, after reading this article, you’re feeling confident enough to remove it and get your Mac back to running the way it should. And with the help of CleanMyMac X, you’ll be able to fully optimize your computer and catch future threats before they wreak havoc on your machine.
