Remove the Magnifying Glass Application on Mac (Updated 2023)

What is  the Magnifying Glass application?

If you see an application with a magnifying glass as an icon, then your mac is infected with an adware that is specifically for Mac users. This threat has the ability to inserts its own advertisements into webpages that the victim visits, which can be annoying and distracting.

The specific icon is typically the ones seen when a Mac device is infected by an adware. It can range from many different names such as DataTest, VirtualUpgrade, BrowserInterface and many more. But despite the hundreds of names it can generate, it will always have the magnifying glass icon.

Personal information such as browser history, search phrases, and browsing patterns may also be collected by this adware. If you notice any unusual behavior on your computer like unexpected popups or changes to your browser settings, then you are most likely infected by this type of malware.

Since the Magnifying Glass application permits third-party advertisers to track users’ surfing patterns, it should be removed as soon as possible. This data can used for marketing activities, which could put your computer at risk by installing unwanted apps or other harmful software.

If you are infected with an application that has a magnifying glass icon, different pop-up advertisements will appear every few minutes. It could be injected through websites you browse, search engines, or notifications.

Once it is installed in the Mac OS, the adware application will begin to display advertisements on all webpages visited as well as in notifications. These advertisements may not always be useful or relevant, and they may even takeover web pages that were previously open in the browser and inject it with ads.

In addition to impacting web browsing experience and privacy, adware programs can slow down your system performance and interfere with online security measures such as antivirus software.

In order to prevent your Mac from becoming infected with adware ever again. Make sure that your device has the most recent security fixes installed.

You’ll be less likely to be infected with viruses and other malware this way. Additionally, run antivirus software and keep your browser as well as your PC clean. Finally, when visiting the internet, exercise caution and avoid downloading apps from untrustworthy sources.

How to Remove App with Magnifying Glass Icon

This procedure will assist you in removing Magnifying Glass application as well as any dangers related with the adware infection. You can rest assured that the information provided below has been tried and tested.

Step 1: Remove the Application and Associated Files

The first step is to address the source of the problem, which is removing the adware from the system. Since this sort of malware takes the form of an application, it can be removed easily with only a few clicks. It’s also worth noting that leftovers and files related to the adware should be deleted as well.

Remove the Application

1. Open the Finder application from the Dock.
2. Select Application from the left sidebar.
3. Find the Magnifying Glass application then right click it’s icon then select Move to trash. (We will be using the MacKeeper application as an example.)

Remove Files Associated with the Magnifying Glass application

1. Click the Go from the Finder toolbar and select Go to folder from the expanded menu.
2. Search the following paths for files associated with the application. These files will have the .plist extension and will look similarly to com.ExampleApp.plist. (Note: Do not delete files that comes from legit applications)

~/Library/LaunchAgents

~/Library/Application

/Library/LaunchAgents

/Library/LaunchDaemons

3. Once you have found them, right click and select Move to trash in order to get rid of those files.

Empty the Trash Bin

1. From the Dock, right click the Trash application and select Empty Trash in order to delete the files permanently.
2. A confirmation window may appear asking if you really want to delete the files on the Trash, go ahead and proceed to delete them.Now, the Magnifying Glass application application as well as files related to the adware threat are now permanently deleted from the mac system.

Step 2: Remove Profiles Created by the Adware

These application has the ability to prevent users from reverting to their default browser settings. As a result, when users attempted to alter their preferences back, they were either unable to do so or their preferences were turned back after a few minutes.

Removing the profiles added by the adware is required to ensure that configurations are not altered again once they have been reverted. (Note: If the device does not have any profiles related to the adware, you may proceed to the next step.)

1. Click the Apple logo on the upper left corner of the screen then select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.
2. On the System Preferences window, find and click Profiles. (If you cannot find Profiles, then it means you do not have profiles on your mac. You may skip this procedure and head over to the next step.)
3. Find and remove profiles that may be associated with the adware. Click the minus button on the lower left part of the window to remove the profile.

Step 3: Reset the Infected Browser

Your browsing program is most likely tainted by adware since this type of malware rely solely on the usage of internet contents which is why resetting it will undo the changes done by the adware.

If you do not wish to reset your browser, you can undo the changes manually by removing the extension, changing the default homepage and search preferences back to normal. However if you are not much of a techy person, resetting the browser will be the easier approach.

For Google Chrome:

1. Open Google Chrome and click the three dots in the upper right corner of your screen to access the Google Chrome menu.
2. Click the Settings button, then click the Advanced menu on the left side of the screen from the settings screen.
3. On the drop down menu, select Reset settings.
4. Click on the Restore settings to their original defaults.
5. hen a small window will appear and click the Reset Settings.

For Safari:

We will be using the utilization of the Terminal application to reset the Safari browser because unlike Chrome or Safari, they do not have an auto reset feature for the browser.

1. To use the Terminal application, open Finder and navigate to the Applications/Utilities folder.
2. Copy and paste each code lines separately in Terminal. Some of the first codes will have a confirmation line, type y to continue.(Note: Make sure the Safari application is closed while proceeding with working with the codes.)

rm -Rf ~/Library/Cookies/*;

rm -Rf ~/Library/Cache/*;

rm -Rf ~/Library/Safari/*;

rm -Rf ~/Library/Caches/Apple\ -\ Safari\ -\ Safari\ Extensions\ Gallery;

rm -Rf ~/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari;

rm -Rf ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari;

rm -Rf ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.WebKit.PluginProcess;

rm -Rf ~/Library/Cookies/Cookies.binarycookies;

rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/Apple\ -\ Safari\ -\ Safari\ Extensions\ Gallery;

rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.LSSharedFileList.plist;

rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.RSS.plist;

rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.plist;

rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.WebFoundation.plist;

rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.WebKit.PluginHost.plist;

rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.WebKit.PluginProcess.plist;

rm -Rf ~/Library/PubSub/Database;

rm -Rf ~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State/com.apple.Safari.savedState;

After running all the codes to the Terminal application, the Safari browser should look good as new.

For Mozilla Firefox:

1. Launch Mozilla Firefox browser then open the menu by clicking on the three horizontal lines located in the upper right corner.
2. Navigate down and click Help then select More Troubleshooting Information from the options given.
3. Select the Refresh Firefox button.
4. A confirmation window will appear, click Refresh Firefox.

Step 4: Scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is one of the most powerful anti-malware programs available. They have some of the most advanced threat detection tools, ensuring that any harmful virus on your computer is eliminated completely.

Download Malwarebytes

1. Using your web browser, go to the official anti-malware website or click the button above to download the most recent version of the program. When you first download the application, you will also receive a 14-day trial of the premium software.
2. After the file has finished downloading, click on the installation package and run the file to start installing the application.
3. Follow the installation procedure shown on the setup and wait for it to finish.
4. Your password may be required to continue installer from installing the new software. Give it permission and click Install Software.
5. Wait for Malwarebytes Anti-malware to finish installing on the mac system.
6. Once the process is complete, the application will open. Click on the Get started button and follow the procedure to start using Malwarebytes.
7. When prompted to choose between personal and organizational use, click the personal option unless you are downloading it within your company.
8. After the initial start up, proceed to running your first scan. The scanning may take a while depending on how many files you have on your system.
9. Malwarebytes will show all malware identified on the machine after the scan, and you can remove the detected threats by pressing the quarantine button. (Note: Some threats may require a restart of the computer.)

The application with the magnifying glass icon, as well as any other potential threats identified on the Mac system, should be removed once the process is finished. We also recommend to turn on Malwarebytes Real Time Protection, which will secure your computer and detect threats as soon as they appear.