FacebookTwitterLinkedIn

How to get rid of MapsCheckerSearch browser hijacker?

Also Known As: mapschecker.com redirect
Damage level: Medium

What kind of application is MapsCheckerSearch?

The purpose of MapsCheckerSearch is to promote the mapschecker.com/a fake search engine by modifying web browser settings. It could also be capable of collecting various information about its users. It is uncommon for apps like MapsCheckerSearch to be installed by users intentionally. Thus, they are called potentially unwanted apps (PUAs).

mapschecker.com browser hijacker

MapsCheckerSearch in detail

MapsCheckerSearch changes the default search engine, new tab page, and homepage. It sets them to mapschecker.com. This address/fake search engine redirects users to nearbyme.io, search.yahoo.com, and possibly other addresses. It does not generate search results and can show results generated by untrustworthy search engines like nearbyme.io.

Fake search engines can be designed to show search results containing links to questionable, potentially malicious pages. Usually, they cannot be removed from browsers (their settings) while browser hijackers are present. A removal guide for browser-hijacking apps and fake search engines is provided below.

Threat Summary:
Name MapsCheckerSearch
Threat Type Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab
Browser Extension(s) MapsCheckerSearch
Supposed Functionality Improved browsing experience
Promoted URL mapschecker.com
Detection Names (mapschecker.com) N/A (VirusTotal)
Affected Browser Settings Homepage, new tab URL, default search engine
Symptoms Manipulated Internet browser settings (homepage, default Internet search engine, new tab settings). Users are forced to visit the hijacker's website and search the Internet using their search engines.
Distribution methods Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers.
Damage Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites.
Malware Removal (Windows)

To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner.
▼ Download Combo Cleaner
To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Browser hijackers in general

Browser hijackers open certain addresses when users enter search queries into the URL bar, open a new tab or window. Apps of this type have one purpose - to promote fake search engines. Although, they also can be designed to gather various data. More examples of browser hijackers are PDFFreeSearch, JustSearchMaps, and GoCouponSearch.

How did MapsCheckerSearch install on my computer?

Most users download and install browser hijackers by clicking on certain advertisements, using fake installers downloaded from shady pages, or through downloaders and installers for other programs. Advertisements can download or install unwanted apps when they are designed to run certain scripts.

Downloaders and installers used to distribute apps like MapsCheckerSearch have "Custom", "Advanced", or other settings that need to be changed to avoid unwanted downloads or installations. When users download or install programs without doing it, they agree to download or install included apps as well.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Use official pages and legitimate platforms to download applications (and files). Avoid using other sources for that and clicking on advertisements that questionable pages have on them. Also, deselect optional downloads or installations using the settings mentioned previously before downloading or installing programs.

If your computer is already infected with MapsCheckerSearch, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.

Mapschecker.com redirects to nearbyme.io (GIF):

mapscheckersearch browser  hijacker mapschecker.com redirects to nearbyme.io

Browser notification informing about what MapsCheckerSearch brower hijacker can do:

mapscheckersearch browser hijacker browser notification

Dubious page promoting MapsCheckerSearch browser hijacker:

Website used to promote MapsCheckerSearch browser hijacker

Another shady website promoting MapsCheckerSearch browser hijacker:

mapscheckersearch browser hijacker promoter 2

IMPORTANT NOTE! These deceptive sites ask permission to enable web browser notifications.

Therefore, before commencing, perform these steps:

Google Chrome (PC):

  • Click the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and select "Settings"
  • Scroll down to the "Privacy and security" section, select "Site settings" and then "Notifications"
  • Click three dots on the right hand side of each suspicious URL and select "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again)

Disabling browser notifications in Google Chrome web browser (PC)

Google Chrome (Android):

  • Click on the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and tap "Settings"
  • Scroll down, tap on "Site settings" and then "Notifications"
  • In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and tap on them one-by-one
  • Once the pop-up shows up, select either "Block" or "Remove" (if you tap "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again)

Disabling browser notifications in Google Chrome web browser (Android)

Mozilla Firefox:

  • Click the Menu button (three bars) on the right upper corner of the screen
  • Select "Settings" and click on "Privacy & Security" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen
  • Scroll down to the "Permissions" section and click the "Settings" button next to "Notifications"
  • In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and block them using the drop-down menu or either remove them by clicking "Remove Website" at the bottom of the window (if you click "Remove Website" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again)

Disabling browser notifications in Mozilla Firefox web browser (Android)

Microsoft Edge:

  • Click the menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the Edge window and select "Settings"
  • Click on "Cookies and site permissions" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen and select "Notifications"
  • Click three dots on the right hand side of each suspicious URL under "Allow" section and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again)

Disabling browser notifications in Microsoft Edge web browser (PC)

Safari (Mac):

  • Click "Safari" button on the left upper corner of the screen and select "Preferences..."
  • Select the "Websites" tab and then select "Notifications" section on the left pane
  • Check for suspicious URLs and apply the "Deny" option using the drop-down menu or either remove them by clicking "Remove" at the bottom of the window (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again)

Disabling browser notifications in Safari web browser (Mac)

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

MapsCheckerSearch browser hijacker removal:

Windows 11 users:

Accessing Apps and Features in Windows 11

Right-click on the Start icon, select Apps and Features. In the opened window search for the application you want to uninstall, after locating it, click on the three vertical dots and select Uninstall.

Windows 10 users:

Accessing Programs and Features (uninstall) in Windows 8

Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.

Windows 7 users:

Accessing Programs and Features (uninstall) in Windows 7

Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.

macOS (OSX) users:

Uninstall app in OSX (Mac)

Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.

mapschecker.com browser hijacker uninstall via Control Panel

In the uninstall programs window: look for any recently installed suspicious applications (for example, "MapsCheckerSearch"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications (which cause browser redirects to the mapschecker.com website), scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

MapsCheckerSearch browser hijacker removal from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove browser redirects:

Google Chrome logoRemove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Removing mapschecker.com related Google Chrome extensions

Click the Chrome menu icon Google Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More tools" and click "Extensions". Locate "MapsCheckerSearch" and other recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.

Change your homepage:

Removing mapschecker.com from Google Chrome homepage

Click the Chrome menu icon Google Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable "MapsCheckerSearch", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.mapschecker.com) below the “Open a specific or set of pages” option. If present click on the three vertical dots icon and select “Remove”.

Change your default search engine:

Removing mapschecker.com from Google Chrome default search engine

To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon Google Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings", in the "Search engine" section, click "Manage search engines...", in the opened list look for "mapschecker.com", when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Remove from list".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the mapschecker.com redirect, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon Google Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.

Google Chrome settings reset step 1

After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.

Google Chrome settings reset step 2

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Google Chrome settings reset step 3

Mozilla Firefox logoRemove malicious plugins from Mozilla Firefox:

Removing mapschecker.com related Mozilla Firefox extensions

Click the Firefox menu firefox menu icon (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions" and remove "MapsCheckerSearch", as well as all other recently installed browser plug-ins.

Change your homepage:

Removing mapschecker.com from Mozilla Firefox homepage

To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu firefox menu icon (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Options", in the opened window disable "MapsCheckerSearch", remove hxxp://mapschecker.com and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you start Mozilla Firefox.

Change your default search engine:

Removing mapschecker.com from Mozilla Firefox default search engine

In the URL address bar, type about:config and press Enter.
Click "I'll be careful, I promise!".
In the search filter at the top, type: "extensionControlled"
Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the Mozilla Firefox switch about:config entry button button.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with mapschecker.com redirect removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.

Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, firefox menu icon in the opened menu, click Help.

Accessing settings (Reset Firefox to default settings step 1)

Select Troubleshooting Information.

Accessing Troubleshooting Information (Reset Firefox to default settings step 2)

In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.

Clicking on Refresh Firefox button (Reset Firefox to default settings step 3)

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.

Confirm your want to reset Firefox settings to default (Reset Firefox to default settings step 4)

safari browser logoRemove malicious extensions from Safari:

Removing browser hijackers from safari step 1 - accessing preferences

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click Safari menu, then select Preferences...

removing browser hijacker from safari step 2 - removing extensions

In the preferences window select the Extensions tab. Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions and uninstall them.

Removing browser hijackers from safari step 3 - changing homepage

In the preferences window select General tab and make sure that your homepage is set to a preferred URL, if its altered by a browser hijacker - change it.

removing browser hijackers from safari step 4 - changing the default Internet search engine

In the preferences window select Search tab and make sure that your preferred Internet search engine is selected.

Optional method:

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...

resetting safari step 1

In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.

resetting safari step 2

Microsoft Edge (Chromium) logoRemove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:

Removing browser hijackers from Microsoft Edge step 1

Click the Edge menu icon Microsoft Edge (chromium) menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate any recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.

Change your homepage and new tab settings:

Removing browser hijackers from Microsoft Edge step 2

Click the Edge menu icon Microsoft Edge (chromium) menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section look for the name of the browser hijacker and click "Disable".

Change your default Internet search engine:

Removing browser hijackers from Microsoft Edge step 3

To change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge: Click the Edge menu icon Microsoft Edge (chromium) menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Privacy and services", scroll to bottom of the page and select "Address bar". In the "Search engines used in address bar" section look for the name of the unwanted Internet search engine, when located click the "Disable" button near it. Alternatively you can click on "Manage search engines", in the opened menu look for unwanted Internet search engine. Click on the puzzle icon Microsoft Edge (Chromium) puzzle icon near it and select "Disable".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the mapschecker.com redirect, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon Microsoft Edge (chromium) menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.

Microsoft Edge (Chromium) reset step 1

In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.

Microsoft Edge (Chromium) reset step 2

Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Microsoft Edge (Chromium) reset step 3

  • If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.

Summary:

declining installation of browser hijackers while downloading free software sampleA browser hijacker is a type of adware infection that modifies Internet browser settings by assigning the homepage and default Internet search engine settings to some other (unwanted) website URL. Commonly, this type of adware infiltrates operating systems through free software downloads. If your download is managed by a download client, ensure that you decline offers to install advertised toolbars or applications that seek to change your homepage and default Internet search engine settings.

Post a comment:
If you have additional information on mapschecker.com redirect or it's removal please share your knowledge in the comments section below.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the purpose of forcing users visit mapschecker.com website?

The higher the traffic of the mapschecker.com page is, the more revenue individuals behind this page generate.

Is visiting mapschecker.com a threat to my privacy?

It can be. Many websites like mapschecker.com are used as tools to gather browsing-related and (or) other information about their visitors.

How did a browser hijacker infiltrate my computer?

Plenty of browser hijackers are distributed or promoted using social engineering tactics (for example, browser notifications, online advertisements), untrustworthy websites, downloaders (and installers) for other software.

Will Combo Cleaner help me remove MapsCheckerSearch browser hijacker?

Yes, Combo Cleaner will scan your computer and eliminate MapsCheckerSearch (or other detected browser hijackers). When multiple browser hijackers are present, all of them have to be removed at once because they can be capable of reinstalling one another. In such cases, manual removal does not always work.

▼ Show Discussion

About the author:

Tomas Meskauskas

Tomas Meskauskas - expert security researcher, professional malware analyst.

I am passionate about computer security and technology. I have an experience of over 10 years working in various companies related to computer technical issue solving and Internet security. I have been working as an author and editor for pcrisk.com since 2010. Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay informed about the latest online security threats. Contact Tomas Meskauskas.

PCrisk security portal is brought by a company RCS LT. Joined forces of security researchers help educate computer users about the latest online security threats. More information about the company RCS LT.

Our malware removal guides are free. However, if you want to support us you can send us a donation.

About PCrisk

PCrisk is a cyber security portal, informing Internet users about the latest digital threats. Our content is provided by security experts and professional malware researchers. Read more about us.

Removal Instructions in other languages
Software uninstall instructions
Malware activity

Global malware activity level today:

Medium threat activity

Increased attack rate of infections detected within the last 24 hours.

QR Code
mapschecker.com redirect QR code
Scan this QR code to have an easy access removal guide of mapschecker.com redirect on your mobile device.
We Recommend:

Get rid of Windows malware infections today:

▼ REMOVE IT NOW
Download Combo Cleaner

Platform: Windows

Editors' Rating for Combo Cleaner:
Editors ratingOutstanding!

[Back to Top]

To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.