Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware

If you're seeing some of these problems with Chrome, you might have unwanted software or malware installed on your computer:

  • Pop-up ads and new tabs that won't go away
  • Your Chrome homepage or search engine keeps changing without your permission
  • Unwanted Chrome extensions or toolbars keep coming back
  • Your browsing is hijacked, and redirects to unfamiliar pages or ads
  • Alerts about a virus or an infected device

In the future, avoid unwanted software by only downloading files or visiting sites that you know are secure.

Learn how to block or allow pop-ups in Chrome.

Turn pop-ups on or off

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Chrome app Chrome.
  2. Tap More More and then Settings Settings.
  3. Tap Content Settings and then Block Pop-ups.
  4. Turn Block Pop-ups on or off.

Allow pop-ups for a specific site

Not all pop-ups are ads or spam. Some legitimate websites display web content in pop-up windows.

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Chrome app Chrome.
  2. Go to a page where pop-ups are blocked.
  3. At the bottom, under "Pop-ups blocked," tap Always show.

Fix issues with pop-ups

If you're on a page with a pop-up or dialog that won't go away, try these steps:

  1. Turn on your phone's airplane mode.
  2. Quit Google Chrome.
  3. Close the tab with the bad pop-up or dialog box.

More info about malware

How to spot malware (video, 1:42)

How to avoid malware in the future

  • Watch out for things that look too good to be true. Winning a contest or getting expensive copyrighted content for free is sometimes a trick to get you to download malware.
  • If you haven't recently run a virus scanner, be wary of warnings about viruses or infected devices. The site might be trying to scare you into downloading unwanted software.
  • Only download files or visit sites that you know are secure. Learn more about healthy browsing.
  • Use Safe Browsing in Chrome and set your protection level to Enhanced protection.

If a popup about updating or downloading a program looks suspicious, don't click on it. Instead, go to the program's official website to download it.

To identify unwanted software that's been installed and remove it, run a Safety Check:

  1. In your address bar, enter chrome://settings/safetyCheck.
  2. Select Check now.

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