Add-to-browser.xyz Pop-ups - How to remove

Add-to-browser.xyz shows deceptive pop-up ads for the Adblocking Addon browser extension. Adblocking Addon is just a third-party add-on that blocks ads on Youtube.com, but Add-to-browser.xyz’s pop-ups are specially designed to make Adblocking Addon look like a trusted first-party program. Basically, Add-to-browser.xyz shows fake browser messages recommending the extension, which gives people the wrong impression that, if they trust their browser, they ought to install Adblocking Addon.

Add-to-browser.xyz is not a trustworthy site:

Problems with Add-to-browser.xyz	Shows ads that look like browser messages but aren’t, misrepresents the product being advertised.
Problems with Adblocking Addon	Asks for intrusive permissions that it shouldn’t need, has weak functionality.
How Add-to-browser.xyz spreads	Advertised on pirating and other shady websites, promoted by search hijackers.
Removing hijackers and pop-up ads	Uninstall Adblocking Addon and other unwanted browser extensions, scan your computer with an anti-malware program (Combo Cleaner for Mac, SpyHunter for PC, etc.), block unwanted notifications, install an antivirus program with web security, use a real ad-blocker.

Add-to-browser.xyz tricks people into installing Adblocking Addon

There is no doubt that Add-to-browser.xyz is trying to trick visitors. Both Chrome and Firefox different-looking ads tailored to mimick their user interface. Add-to-browser.xyz on Firefox even shows a fake settings window in the background. This is on top of Add-to-browser.xyz looking at your operating system – Mac OS or Windows – to make the ads look even more like real system messages.

Add-to-browser.xyz is not going to infect your computer with malware, only to advertise Adblocking Addon. If you encounter Add-to-browser.xyz, it’s best to just ignore it, but don’t panic if you didn’t.

Add-to-browser.xyz tells you to enable adblocker and enjoy Youtube without ads. This pop-up appears in Dutch, German, French, and English languages, but they all promote the same extension – Adblocking Addon. It’s actually introduced as AdBlocker Premium, which is suspiciously close to the real, legitimate, and very well-reviewed AdBlock Premium extension. Adblocking Addon is not related to it and its functionality is much weaker.

Adblocking Addon is a Youtube-only ad-blocker. Meaning, it only blocks ads on Youtube and nowhere else. Many users who negatively reviewed Adblocking Addon were disappointed because they had been under the impression that it would be a real ad-blocker. Even on the Chrome Web Store, Adblocking Addon shows images that imply that it’s a universal ad-blocker. You have to scroll down to its description to get the “Youtube only” disclaimer. Clearly, this is meant to trick distracted users, as well as those who are not fluent in English.

Here are some of the issues that users of Adblocking Addon complained about:

• Adblocking Addon slows down the browser,
• it doesn’t block ads (this one is really common),
• it shows its own pop-up ads,
• removing Adblocking Addon still leaves unwanted ads in the browser.

Despite only blocking ads on Youtube.com, Adblocking Addon asks to be able to “Read and change your data on the websites that you visit”. With this amount of access, Adblocking Addon can not only spy on your browsing and collect personal information (though its privacy policy denies that), it can also inject ads into any website. This could explain some users’ experience with unwanted pop-ups after installing Adblocking Addon. Another explanation is an adware infection.

How did you find Add-to-browser.xyz?

Add-to-browser.xyz is very similar to Add-extension.xyz. It affects Firefox, Chrome, and Chromium browsers, like the new Edge. It’s most popular in Germany, the Netherlands, France, and the US.

People encounter Add-to-browser.xyz after clicking on some ads online. These ads appear on the usual suspects:

• monetized URL shorteners (like flvto.biz),
• adult sites,
• free streaming websites.
• torrenting and file download sites,
• search results in alternative search engines.

That last option is pretty suspicious. If Add-to-browser.xyz showed up in your search results, if you have Searchmulty, Searchdimension, Becovi, or another site returning your results, you should be concerned that adware has infected your device. Most likely it’s just a bad browser extension that you can remove together Adblocking Addon.

How to remove unwanted pop-up ads

If you have a problem with excessive pop-ups and ads, there very well could be an adware infection on your computer. The answer is not ad-blockers, but an anti-malware program to find and remove the infection. You could also try and find the adware on your own, though it could be difficult, especially with the more persistent infections Scanning with an anti-malware program (Combo Cleaner for Mac OS, SpyHunter for Windows, etc.) could reveal the infections, but it’s not the only answer.

You could also be suffering from notification hijacking. Notification spammers send unwanted pop-ups to your browser if you accidentally allowed them. We have this article – How to disable web push notifications. Check it out to block unwanted notification pop-ups.

Finally, if you wish to avoid the types of websites like Add-to-browser.xyz, one option is to use an antivirus program to block malicious URLs. It could also help to use a real ad-blocker to avoid malicious ads and to be careful on sites that are filled with aggressive ads.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Manual removal of Adblocking Addon

TopRemoving Add-to-browser.xyz Pop-ups from Chrome

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Google Chrome window. Select “Settings”.
  
• Click “Extensions” on the left menu bar.
• Go through the extensions list and remove programs you do not need, especially similar to Add-to-browser.xyz. Click on the trash bin icon next to Add-to-browser.xyz Pop-ups or other add-ons you want to remove.
  
• Press on the “Remove” button on the Confirmation window.
  
• If unsure, you can disable them temporarily.
  
• Restart Chrome.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to Add-to-browser.xyz, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on Chrome’s menu button (three horizontal lines) and select Settings.
  
• Scroll to the end of the page and click on the Reset settings button.
  
• Click on the Reset button on the confirmation box.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

TopRemoving Add-to-browser.xyz Pop-ups from Firefox

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla window and select the “Add-ons” icon (or press Ctrl+Shift+A on your keyboard).
  
• Go through Extensions and Addons list, remove everything Add-to-browser.xyz related and items you do not recognise. If you do not know the extension and it is not made by Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, Oracle or Adobe then you probably do not need it.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to Add-to-browser.xyz Pop-ups, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla Firefox window. Click on the Help button.
  
• Choose Troubleshooting Information on the Help menu.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button on the confirmation box. Mozilla Firefox will close and change the settings to default.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

How to remove Add-to-browser.xyz Pop-ups from Microsoft Edge:Top

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Microsoft Edge window. Select “Extensions”.

• Go through the extensions list and remove programs you do not need, especially similar to Add-to-browser.xyz. Click on the "Remove" icon next to Add-to-browser.xyz Pop-ups or other add-ons you want to remove.

• Press on the “Remove” button on the Confirmation window.

• If unsure, you can disable them temporarily.

• Restart Microsoft Edge.