How to remove EmailCheckToday browser hijacker

EmailCheckToday is a potentially unwanted application that takes over your browser

EmailCheckToday is a browser-hijacking application that can be installed on your browser without you realizing it. This usually happens when users install freeware from third-party sources and don't pay attention to the optional apps that are offered in a bundle. Alternatively, you might have after seeing a misleading ad on some suspicious site or were attracted to its alleged function of providing quick access to various email services.

As soon as the EmailCheckToday hijacker is installed on the system, the homepage and the search engine of the browser are immediately changed. While this may initially not seem like a big deal, users would soon see that their searches are being redirected to an alternative provider, such as Bing or another one – it usually depends on your location and other preferences. This would also change the way search results are displayed, as they would be filled with sponsored links.

Another issue with EmailCheckToday is data tracking, as all browser hijackers gather at least some amount of information for as long as they are installed on the browser or system. Data can even be shared with or sold to unknown third parties. Thus, we recommend you remove the browser extension as soon as possible.

Browser hijackers often come to users' systems uninvited

Browser hijackers are not new, and they've been around for a while. They fall into the “potentially unwanted program” category due to several characteristics shared by the EmailCheckToday browser plugin as well. One of the best examples of this is the distribution technique that is so commonly used by PUPs, resulting in the unintentional installation by users.

Software bundling^[1] is a method used by distributors to install additional unwanted programs onto people's computers during the installation process of shareware or freeware.^[2] This typically happens quickly and without much input from the person installing it. For example, pre-ticked checkboxes give automatic permission to install extra apps, or there might be fine print that goes unnoticed.

To avoid this, please be wary when installing new apps from third-party websites, as they often use bundling as one of the main monetization methods. Never rush through the installation steps and always make sure you remove ticks from pre-selected checkboxes. Likewise, pick Advanced settings instead of Recommended ones when prompted, as this would provide you much more control of what is actually being installed on your device.

Another way how users could get infected with EmailCheckToday accidentally is when browsing the web and encountering a phishing^[3] website. For example, they might be told that their system is lacking Flash Player or that some update for already installed software is available. Please ignore all the requests like this, as you would only be letting in other potentially unwanted programs or malware into your system.

How to remove EmailCheckToday browser hijacker

While browser hijackers are not as dangerous as ransomware or other serious threats, they can still be detrimental on the quality of browsing experience. Therefore, we recommend you hurry and get rid of potentially unwanted applications. In this case, you should be looking at the browser extension section, as this is how the app spreads.

Google Chrome

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

Mozilla Firefox

• Open the Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the window's top-right).
• Select Add-ons.
• Here, select the unwanted plugin and click Remove.

MS Edge (Chromium)

• Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
• Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.

Safari

• Click Safari > Preferences…
• In the new window, pick Extensions.
• Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.

Internet Explorer

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

Don't forget to take care of your privacy and scan check for other threats

If you have found an EmailCheckToday browser hijacker on your system out of the blue, you should be concerned about other unwanted programs being installed on your device as well. Therefore, you should make sure you scan your system with SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes to check it thoroughly.

Potentially unwanted applications collect data, but there are ways to stop them. You could remove the extension, but that might not work because some tracking cookies may stay in your computer's cache directories. If you want to get rid of them easily, use a PC maintenance and repair program FortectIntego. If you'd rather do it yourself, follow these steps:

Google Chrome

• Click on Menu and pick Settings.
• Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
• Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
• Click Clear data.

Mozilla Firefox

• Click Menu and pick Options.
• Go to Privacy & Security section.
• Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
• Click on Clear Data…
• Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content, and press Clear.

MS Edge (Chromium)

• Click on Menu and go to Settings.
• Select Privacy and services.
• Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
• Under Time range, pick All time.
• Select Clear now.

Safari

• Click Safari > Clear History…
• From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
• Confirm with Clear History.

Internet Explorer

• Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
• Under Browsing history, click Delete…
• Select relevant fields and press Delete.