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  • Active
  • Severity: Medium
  • Adware
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Aug 2019

How to remove Chromatic adware

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Ugnius Kiguolis · The mastermind

Chromatic is a web browser that offers to protect your online privacy but often comes bundled with other software

Chromatic browser

Chromatic is a free and legitimate application that promises users to create a safer browsing environment. According to its developers, the browser can protect users from landing on malicious websites, which can result in malware infections, personal information loss, and other online threats.

While Chromatic can be downloaded from third-party domains (download.com, soft32.com, cnet.com, softonic.com, and so on), as well as its official site, – it is mainly distributed within software bundle packages, so users rarely notice when the browser enters their devices.

Once installed, the application may set itself as a default browser with predetermined settings. Besides, users are often presented with an intrusive advertisement when using the application: pop-ups, offers, deals, banners, coupons, and other intrusive material is covering all sites that they visit. For those reasons, users are recommended to remove Chromatic adware and resume using trusted browsers instead.

Name Chromatic
Type Browser
Category Adware/PUP
Distribution  Third-party sites, software bundles 
Symptoms  Chromatic set as a default browser, ads on most sites that you visit
Termination  You can delete the PUP manually as per our instructions below  or employ automatic tool like FortectIntego

According to its developers, Chromatic is simply better at everything, as the slogan presented states:

Welcome to Chromatic, your favorite new Browser! Enjoy unlimited access to videos, uncensored content and amazing discounts!

Developers state that users can enjoy Netflix and other geo-restricted content from anywhere in the world, protect personal information, increase the speed of downloads by 50%, and save money by offering coupons and deals. Therefore, is there a reason to remove Chromatic browser? As it turns out, there are quite a few aspects of the app that might make you want to do so.

While all the offered features sound pretty amazing, not everything is as good as it seems, and we believe that negative aspects of Chromatic adware[1] outweigh the positives. First of all, the distribution of the application is typical to potentially unwanted programs – software bundles[2] ensure that less attentive users install the app without notice.

The second part is the advertisement content. Experts can easily categorize this application as adware, as it presents users with advertisements which are disguised as allegedly useful discounts and coupons. However, multiple users will not be as pleased when they will spot countless pop-ups on all the sites that they visit.

Also, there is no guarantee that content presented by Chromatic adware is entirely secure. Potentially unwanted programs often take no responsibility about the sites that they link users to. It basically means that, in case you land on a malicious site, the developers of the app will not be responsible, and you will have yo deal with the consequences yourself.

Chromatic adware

Even more, even though Chromatic browser claims to be concerned about your privacy, it has been found that it may install tracking cookies[3] and monitor your browsing activities itself. It seems to be targeted at personally non-identifiable information, such as IP address, PC's location, email address, search terms, websites visited, data entered in them, clicks and so on

All in all, we suggest you proceed with Chromatic adware removal. You can do it manually by entering the installed application list or employ security software that can find adware and delete all its traces. For that, we suggest using FortectIntego.

Ad-supported software is hidden inside software bundles

The browser tends to spread bundled with various download managers, PDF creators, and media players that are distributed via such websites as soft32.com, softonic.com, downloads.com, cnet.com, etc. Unfortunately, it's not possible to distinguish software packages from the outside, which is the main reason why people keep installing freeware with additional attachments.

In order to check whether your chosen freeware carries an attachment, it's a must to opt for Advanced or Custom installation (the expanded mode that discloses all available checkboxes) and trace the entire process step-by-step. Your main task is to detect the list of “optional downloads,” which may contain from one to several components set by default. Besides, you should look for such and similar statements: “By clicking the Next, I agree to set Chromatic as my default web browser.” Make sure that you unmark ticks that are set alongside such statements and only then finish the process.

Chromatic privacy policy

If you found Chromatic adware on your computer, delete by following this guide

Some people might believe that Chromatic adware is a great alternative to most popular web browsers, such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera, and others. However, there is a reason why less known projects are shut down pretty fast – users are unsure how much can they trust new browsers that claim to protect ones privacy, increase download speed and all those other allegedly useful features.

Because the official website is no longer available, you might obtained the PUP when downloading freeware from other sites. Thus, you should remove Chromatic adware either by using anti-virus software or by uninstalling the app via the installed program list.

Chromatic adware removal would be much faster if choosing automatic method – a full system scan should only take a few minutes. However, we believe that manual deletion method can be just as successful – check the detailed guide below.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
  2. Pick Manage Add-ons.
  3. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

  1. Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
  2. Select Reset.
  3. In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.Reset Internet Explorer

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.

Reset Google Chrome:

If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari

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