Tampermonkey Extension - How to remove

Tampermonkey is a powerful web tool that allows people to share scripts and modify the functionality of their browser. This userscript manager has versions for Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Fixefor, and a few other browsers. On Chrome, the most popular one, it has over 10  million users. The extension doesn’t do much to your browser but provide a platform to share and use, update, edit, and manage scripts written by a community of users.

Tampermonkey itself isn’t dangerous but some of the scripts can be. The extension provides an interface for JavaScript scripts — little programs that manage how a webpage behaves. JavaScript can be used to move around, hide, create web elements, click buttons. With the right scripts, you can use this add-on to really streamline your browsing experience. The wrong script can do some real harm.

Is Tampermonkey safe?

Some examples of useful Tampermonkey scripts include a script that automatically skips YouTube ads, a script that blocks certain websites from showing up in search results, and a tool to translate selected text without leaving your page. There are many more scripts that can be extremely useful and even become an essential part of your everyday browsing experience.

These individual scripts sound useful, like little extensions. But, like extensions, scripts can be dangerous, too.

Scripts are similar to extensions, and malicious extensions are created all the time. Many are rejected before being uploaded but some slip through the review process. Malicious extensions include ones that steal passwords, display unwanted ads, use dishonest installation, hijack the hardware to mine cryptocurrency. Extensions that try to hide their functionality or pretend to be other extensions are also considered bannable. Examples of malicious Chrome extensions include the password-stealing FacexWorm and the malware-distributing Kodi.

The same applies to Tampermonkey scripts. The add-on can read and change all your data on every website you visit, which is necessary for powerful functionality, but can be used for evil in the wrong hands. Tampermonkey’s creator has a blacklist of scripts where he adds the ones that have broken rules, for example, was showing advertisements, and the Tampermonkey has certain limitations that limit what a script can do. But what if a script isn’t caught quickly enough?

The consequences can be just like those of installing malicious extensions:

• Stolen credentials, especially to bank, cryptocurrency accounts, and social media accounts.
• Unexpected redirects to unsafe pages.
• The display of pages modified in unsafe ways.
• Ads being shown.

People could try to share their scripts while hiding the malicious functionality under the hood of some simple utility. Malware can try to install Tampermonkey in the background in order to later hijack the browser easier using various scripts. The malware is the problem in such a case and you’d need to remove it and whatever malicious scripts it downloaded.

There are some who experience annoying ads, redirects, and other problems who find that either Tampermonkey was being used by malware (and its removal was prevented), or that a malicious script has been loaded. There is no perfect protection against browser modifications, so if you use Tampermonkey, it’s important to be very careful with what you load.

How to remove Tampermonkey scripts

Even though there are malicious scripts out there, there are also ways to avoid them. Make sure that each script you want to use has a good reputation among the other users. You should be able to inspect the code of a script before enabling it, or you could ask other Greasemonkey/Tampermonkey users to tell you if the script is safe. If you do notice some suspicious behavior by one, you can report it. Don’t forget to monitor each script to see that its functionality isn’t changed in a suspicious way after an update.

Tampermonkey has a website with instructions for how to manage your scripts and the extension. If you find yourself unable to remove Tampermonkey or saw it installed on your browser but don’t remember having ever done that, you need to check your computer for malware that could be responsible. Scan your device with SpyHunter (https://www.2-viruses.com/downloads/spyhunter2) (PC), Combo Cleaner (https://www.2-viruses.com/downloads/combocleaner.dmg) (Mac), or Malwarebytes (https://www.2-viruses.com/downloads/mbam.exe) to see if any bad programs have been installed. Consider using an antivirus program with real-time protection that could block some dangerous functions, like malicious websites.

Automatic Malware removal tools

How to remove Tampermonkey Extension using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like Tampermonkey Extension install some of their components as regular Windows programs as well as additional software. This part of malware can be uninstalled from the Control Panel. To access it, do the following.

• Start→Control Panel (older Windows) or press Windows Key→Search and enter Control Panel and then press Enter (Windows 8, Windows 10).
• Choose Uninstall Program (if you don't see it, click in the upper right next to "View by" and select Category).
• Go through the list of programs and select entries related to Tampermonkey Extension . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make Tampermonkey Extension easier to find.
• Click the Uninstall button. If you're asked if you really want to remove the program, click Yes.
• In many cases anti-malware programs are better at detecting related parasites, thus I recommend installing Spyhunter (https://www.2-viruses.com/downloads/spyhunter2) to identify other programs that might be a part of this infection.

How to remove Tampermonkey Extension from macOS

Delete Tampermonkey Extension from your applications.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go.
3. Select Applications from the dropdown.
4. Find the Tampermonkey Extension app.
5. Select it and right-click it (or hold the Ctrl and click the left mouse button).
6. In the dropdown, click Move to Bin/Trash. You might be asked to provide your login password.

TopRemove malicious extensions from Internet Explorer

• Press on the Gear icon→Manage Add-ons.
  
• Go through Toolbars and extensions. Remove everything related to Tampermonkey Extension and items you do not know that are made not by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Oracle or Adobe.
  
• Close the Options.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

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

• Press on the Gear icon->Internet Options.
  
• Choose the Advanced tab and click on the Reset button.
  
• Select a “Delete personal settings” checkbox and click on the Reset button.
  
• Click on the Close button on the confirmation box, then close your browser.
  

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

TopRemoving Tampermonkey Extension 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 Tampermonkey Extension. Click on the trash bin icon next to Tampermonkey Extension 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 Tampermonkey Extension, 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 Tampermonkey Extension 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 Tampermonkey Extension 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 Tampermonkey Extension, 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 Tampermonkey Extension 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 Tampermonkey Extension. Click on the "Remove" icon next to Tampermonkey Extension 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.

TopRemoving Tampermonkey Extension from Safari (Mac OS X)

• Click on the Safari menu.
• Choose Preferences.
  
• Click on the Extensions Tab.
• Click on the Uninstall button near the Tampermonkey Extension. Remove all other unknown or suspicious entries too. If you are not sure whether you need the extension or not, you can simply uncheck the Enable check-box to disable the extension temporarily.
  
• Restart Safari.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

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

• Click on the Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Reset Safari.
  
• Select which options you want to reset (usually all of them come preselected) and click on the Reset button.
  

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