Transit Maps Directions - How to remove

Transit Maps Directions is an extension that offers to help Chrome users find directions with an online map. It is also an intrusive browser hijacker which collects users’ private information so that marketers can apply it to deliver effective ads right there in the browser.

Installation and functionality

The page that advertises Transit Maps Directions present s a box to type in the addresses and see a route. Unexpectedly, after doing that, the person is instead prompted to install an extension called “Transit Maps Directions”. If the person listens to the website and installs the extension, Search Encrypt is presented as one of the optional offers. It’s not clear how to continue with Transit Maps Directions while also dismissing Search Encrypt, so installing it seems like the only thing to do to proceed.

This sort of chaining of installations together and making the optional offers look like part of the original installation is called “bundling” and is frowned upon. Bundling can be used to trick people to install software that they didn’t want, and even install stuff without realizing it. Sometimes bundling is abused to spread malware and potentially unwanted software, and even though legitimate software is sometimes promoted using this method, it’s still seen as suspicious by a lot of people. The fact that the developers of Transit Maps Directions take part in it doe snot inspire trust.

After it’s installed, Transit Maps Directions sets search.htransitmapsdirections.com as the new tab page. This page has a search bar, a toolbar with some links, and two text fields for the addresses that the route is to be planned for. Transit Maps Directions does not offer anything that is not already available to any internet user. Online maps are a click away, as is weather and news. But Transit Maps Directions insists on people installing the extension in order to be able to access these features. This is because Transit Maps Directions serves as an advertising platform for Eightpoint Technologies’ partners.

Eightpoint Technologies are the developers of Transit Maps Directions, and they’re a company responsible for quite a few browser hijackers. Transit Maps Directions has the same design that many other Eightpoint extensions have, too, and the same functionality: Search.htransitlocator.co, Search.heasymapfinder.net, Search.hquickmapsanddirections.com. Transit Maps Directions is nothing but a clone of older browser hijackers, without even cosmetic changes.

Ads by Transit Maps Directions

Transit Maps Directions sets Yahoo as its search engine. This might seem kind of random, but there is a reason for this: Yahoo here is providing a platform for users searches to be monetized. Transit Maps Directions injects a lot of ads into search results. Just search for anything that could possibly be interpreted as being interested in buying something (“best gift for mom”, “red t-shirt”) and the whole screen is filled with ads — you have to scroll quite far to reach the results. Oh, and there are ads at the bottom, too. Additionally, Yahoo might have the worst labeled ads of all search engines. The list of the ads are marked by some fine text at the top, and then they’re listed without any distinction from real results.

This ridiculous amount of ads and the way that they’re made difficult to tell apart from genuine results can make it frustrating to try to find relevant information. Even trying to use another search engine, like Google or Bing, is made difficult when Search Encrypt takes over and redirects the query (a query typed into Google’s or Bing’s search bar) to its own page. Once again, the whole screen is full of ads.

Privacy

In order to make the ads more effective, Transit Maps Directions collects quite a bit of information on its users. Their Privacy policy provides a list:

• Search activity when you use web search services (such as search queries) (“Search Data”).
• Internet protocol address (“IP Address”)
• The type of browser you are using when using our Services, including your browser’s “user agent” (e.g., Internet Explorer, Safari, and other browsers)
• Device event information such as crashes, system activity, hardware settings, browser language, and the date and time of your request and referral URL
• Your geographic location
• The Domain name of your Internet service provider
• The source of traffic acquisition
• Date of traffic acquisition, and
• Time and date of certain browser events such as:
  • Chrome extensions enabled
  • Homepage/new tab rendered
  • Search query performed
  • Search performed on search engine results page (“SERP”)
  • Search term on SERP
  • Paid advertisements clicked on SERP
  • Organic advertisements clicked on SERP
  • Icons clicked on Home page/New Tab Page
  • Uninstalls of extension
  • Views on landing page
  • Clicks on an action button on landing page
  • Cancellations of an extension installation
  • Acceptance of extension installation
  • Disablement of extension

And, according to the same Privacy policy, one of the ways that this information is used is “To help advertisers and publishers connect with you to offer relevant advertising in their apps and websites”. Search Encrypt has permission to change my privacy-related settings, and both extensions can read the person’s browsing history.

How to uninstall Transit Maps Directions

Transit Maps Directions can be uninstalled by just accessing the browser settings and removing the extension (or extensions, if additional hijackers were installed). If you suspect that there’s any malware and want a piece of mind, you can use something like Spyhunter (for Windows), Combo-Cleaner (for Macs), or another trusted antivirus program to check for malware, but it’s likely unnecessary.

Chrome and other browsers have ways to customize the new tab page (by, for example, pinning a link) without even requiring an extension, so don’t hesitate to experiment and create a personalized new tab page.

Automatic Malware removal tools

TopHow To remove Transit Maps Directions 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 Transit Maps Directions, 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.