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  • Active
  • Severity: Medium
  • Browser Hijackers
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Jan 2021

How to remove Facemoods

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

Olivia Morelli · Ransomware analyst

Facemoods is a potentially unwanted program that triggers annoying ads

Facemoods is a misleading toolbar that may also be found under the name Face Moods. It has been developed by Facemoods Software and is promoted on various software download pages as a free add-on for improving Facebook Chat by providing a huge variety of winks, emoticons, text effects, and so on.

Despite its appealing representation, Facemoods toolbar should not be trusted as it tends to jeopardize web browser's settings, present users with bogus search results, and even collect/share browsing-related information about the users with suspicious third parties.

If you are a security-minded person, you should never use Facemoods virus or any of its clones. To find out more about how this app works and how to stop its potentially dangerous activities read the rest of the post.

Remove Facemoods

Facemoods is deemed as a 'browser hijacker' and a 'potentially unwanted program' due to several reasons. First of all, it seldom requires appropriate permission to be installed on the system. Second of all, once its extension is enabled, it performs unauthorized web browser modifications.

According to the malware analysts, Facemoods redirect virus supports IE, Chrome, and Firefox web browsers, so the changes it performs will be visible on each of them. So what does it do?

  • It installs on a Windows startup;
  • Starts running executable facemoodssrv.exe within Task Manager;
  • Usually sets Start.Facemoods.com or facemoods.com as a default start page, search provider, and a new tab window;
  • Injects a search toolbar on each web browser;
  • Enables tracking cookies and starts collecting browser-related information;
  • Exhibits sponsored search results (filled with sponsored links and advertisements).

These are the main changes, but don't underestimate them. The best solution is to simply remove Facemoods and there are several important reasons for such a decision.

First of all, you may be annoyed heavily as such changes can ruin your customized browser's settings and do not allow you to reset them. On top of that, each time you browse the net when this toolbar is installed, you risk experiencing Facemoods redirects to doubtful or unsafe web pages.

This way, you risk exposing your PC to various cyber threats, including adware, other browser hijackers, malware, or even virus. Thus, if you have noticed Start.Facemoods.com homepage on your web browser, as well as Facemoods toolbar installed out of nowhere, we would recommend you to install SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes and perform a full scan with it.

You can remove Facemoods malware and all of its counterparts manually too. To help you perform the removal, we will provide a detailed removal guide at the end of this article.

Be careful if you want to prevent potentially unwanted programs from entering your computer

This particular hijacker can be downloaded from its official page. Nevertheless, people seldom land on this page accidentally because it's not the one that can be seen on the first pages of search results for toolbars.

The considerably more successful distribution method of this tool is 'bundling,' which enables Facemoods virus to spread along with other free software. Be careful when surfing the net because you may accidentally fall for installing a freeware bundle.

This questionable Facebook Chat enhancer may be attached to various zip files, software updates, PDF creators, media players, download managers, and so on. Therefore, whenever you decide to install free software, make sure that you do that as carefully as possible. To stay safe, you should always:

  • Verify it the developer of a free app is reliable;
  • Read EULA, Privacy Policy, and other accessible information;
  • Avoid Express, Quick or Basic installation as these may hide 'optional downloads' and install them by default;
  • Choose Custom or Advanced installation instead;
  • Monitor the whole process that will allow you to spot and opt-out of unwanted additional downloads.

Remove Facemoods to avoid any suspicious ads

It is important to note that browser hijackers like Facemoods PUP do not pose direct harm to the PC's operating system. However, keeping such third-party toolbars is risky due to close collaboration with third parties and unverifiable content that they may expose you to.

Thus, if you have been hijacked by this potentially unwanted program, you should either employ a professional malware removal tool or perform the Facemoods removal manually.

If you want to remove Facemoods virus manually, you should follow the steps below. However, we recommend using a powerful antivirus program that will help eliminate all possible threats.

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

Did this guide help?

4 comments

  1. Raul Acevedo

    Malware!!!!! Installed without my permission, god knows when.

  2. John David

    Facemoods is a spammed product! It keeps installing itself onto my chrome, invites ads and changes my homepage.

  3. Kendra Gay

    how do i delete Facemoods? i want google chrome as my search engine and i cant get rid of this!

  4. Scott Berner

    This app is a trap. If you want some more Facebook emoticons, look for another tool because this malware takes up chrome/firefox and search engine. The worst app ever!!!

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