MyMapsTab hijacker - How to remove

There are many map-themed browser hijackers available for the most popular browsers: you might have heard of MapsGalaxy, but there are also Maps Now, Quick Maps And Directions, and a multitude of others. They are all classified as either browser hijackers, adware, or potentially unwanted programs.

Although these extensions are not viruses, their developers only seem to be interested in directing their users to see as many advertisements as possible. Like with MyMapsTab, instead of a useful product, there is only enough there to trick people into installing the extension, and then deliver ads and collect information about the user.

Why MyMapsTab — potentially unwanted application

Tightrope Interactive, which has also released FileConvertor, Getofficex.org, and Search Private, seems to be there just to create a marketing platform to reliably deliver ads to the users of their browser extensions.

Once installed, MyMapsTab sets a new tab page that has a link to maps and a form to search for directions. The “Get Directions” button just opens a Google Maps page. Frankly, that is not any more convenient than just going to the website of the map of your choice yourself. Additionally, the MyMapsTab home page has a row of links to popular websites, but no way to customise it. Normally web browsers have home page customisation, so it seems like installing MyMapsTab would result in a net loss of features.

Here is the MyMapsTab description:

List of features offered on the new tab page:

Select one of the popular maps service provider and enter “To” and “From” address.
Choose type of directions such as driving, bike, transit,etc
Convenient Search box
Additional features and links in the topbar.

No mention of the replaced search engine, or the excessive ads injected into the results.

MyMapsTab is compatible with Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Luckily, the Chrome browser has the system of permissions, which allows us to see what powers each extension has. For MyMapsTab, this includes reading your browser history and your search queries that you type into their search bar.

Another problematic thing that counts against MyMapsTab’s favour is that “Search Web” is bundled with the extension (Search Web takes control of the address bar which MyMapsTab left alone). Here is what that looks like (look at how tiny “No Thanks” button is!):

Bundling is the practice of combining promoted programs with the main product. Unfortunately, it’s easy for you to not even notice that additional programs are included — they’re usually installed by default, and hidden in fine print or behind custom installation options. Thus, any developers or distributors that engage in bundling are looked at with suspicion.

Ads by MyMapsTab

The quality of Yahoo as a search engine is a small detail compared to the problem of MyMapsTab injecting paid content into your Yahoo search results. The sponsored links usually span the whole screen, and there are more at the bottom of the page. So if you happen to type in a query that is interesting to MyMapsTab’s partner marketers, you’ll actually see more ads than real results (something like eight ads to six results was what I saw). On the side, there is also a selection of irrelevant ads.

MyMapsTab directs your searches to the Yahoo engine because it provides them a platform to monetise your clicks and to connect marketers to you. Your search history and your demographics help advertisers decide if and what they want to advertise to you.

Once you click on an ad, more often than not you are asked to allow push notifications — these can be abused to, for example, deliver popup ads. Usually, notifications are abused by unethical marketers whose ads wouldn’t be accepted by a reputable ad network that has standards and doesn’t want to endanger their users. Malicious ads lead to scams, spoof websites, infected sites, fake security warnings. At worst, falling for one of these scams can result in real financial harm. At best, excessive ads are still annoying.

The search results being replaced with ads, your information being tracked, your search engine being replaced, popups and scams — all in exchange for the “feature” of MyMapsTab linking to an online map from the home page.

How to remove MyMapsTab

When you know about all the problems and potential dangers of MyMapsTab, you might decide that you wish to remove it. You can do it by accessing your browser’s settings and removing the extensions, but also don’t forget to check notification permissions. A lot of the pages linked to by the ads in Yahoo search results wish to send you notifications and those will not stop unless you change their permissions.

You might also want to scan your machine with an antivirus program, for example, Spyhunter, to make sure that no malicious ads have have done any harm.

Automatic Malware removal tools

TopHow To remove MyMapsTab hijacker from Google Chrome:

• Click on the 3 horizontal lines icon on a browser toolbar and Select More Tools→Extensions
  
• Select all malicious extensions and delete them.
  
• Click on the 3 horizontal lines icon on a browser toolbar and Select Settings
  
• Select Manage Search engines
  
• Remove unnecessary search engines from the list
  
• Go back to settings. On Startup choose Open blank page (you can remove undesired pages from the set pages link too).
• If your homepage was changed, click on Chrome menu on the top right corner, select Settings. Select Open a specific page or set of pages and click on Set pages.
  
• Delete malicious search websites at a new Startup pages window by clicking “X” next to them.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to MyMapsTab hijacker, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on a Chrome’s menu button (three horizontal lines) and select Settings.
• Scroll to the end of the page and click on theReset browser 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.

How To remove MyMapsTab hijacker from Firefox:Top

• 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 MyMapsTab hijacker 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.
  
• If your homepage was changed, click on the Firefox menu in the top right corner, select Options → General. Enter a preferable URL to the homepage field and click Restore to Default.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to MyMapsTab, 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.
  
• ChooseTroubleshooting Information on the Help menu.
  
• Click on theReset Firefox button.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button on the confirmation box. Mozilla Firefox will close and change the settings to default.
  

If the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program to identify malicious entries.