iQIYI ads: what it is and how to remove it
iQIYI is a real Chinese video streaming service founded by Baidu, not a virus, but its Windows PC client has been reported to come in bundles, use a lot of processor time and show ads. If you did not choose it, uninstall it in Settings, turn off its start-up and check your browser; if you watch iQIYI, you can keep it.
Facts checked October 6, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation.
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IQIYI: summary
| Type | iQIYI is a real streaming service, not a virus; our 2017 report filed its Windows PC client as adware because of bundling, ads and processor use |
|---|---|
| Risk | Low for the website opened by yourself; low to medium for a PC client you did not choose, and for whatever came in the same bundle |
| Symptoms | Processes named QyClient, QyKernel, QyBrowser or QiyiService in Task Manager, high processor use, Chinese-language ads or pages, iQIYI in Installed apps without you adding it |
| How to get rid of it | Decide whether you use it, uninstall it in Settings > Apps, check Start-up, remove anything bundled with it, check browser extensions and permissions, then scan |
| Our check (6 October 2026) | No notification request, no pop-ups, no service worker on one visit; one redirect to www.iqiyi.com; ads marked 广告 on the page; PC client not tested |
| Running since | Domain registered 11 July 2010 (RDAP); company founded 6 January 2010 (Wikipedia); our first report 17 July 2017 |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 11 more facts
| Domain registered | 11 July 2010 (registry record, registrar Alibaba Cloud Computing (Beijing) Co., Ltd.) |
|---|---|
| Installed on the PC | Nothing from the site itself in our test (we allowed no downloads). The PC client installs when you run its installer; the files the old report named are QiyiService.exe, QyBrowser.exe, QyClient.exe and QyKernel.exe (not confirmed by us) |
| Detection | No Microsoft detection name is known to us; we did not scan the client |
| Damage | No harm to files in any report we hold; the old report said processor use up to 100% and ads |
| Distribution | Bundled with other software, per the old report; iQIYI's own site and the Microsoft Store also offer the client. We installed nothing, so today's bundles are not confirmed |
| Evidence | Our test, English Wikipedia, iQIYI's download page, the registry record and our 2017 report |
| Name | IQIYI |
| Files and processes | QyClient.exe |
| Program | IQIYI |
| First seen | 17 July 2017 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Facts checked on 6 October 2026 against our own test of iqiyi.com in desktop Chromium from Europe, the registry record, English Wikipedia, iQIYI's download page, the Microsoft Store listing and Microsoft Support. Not tested:
- the iQIYI PC client or any bundle
- the site from China or on a phone
- a second visit
The files named in the old report are not confirmed by us as the client's.
What iQIYI is, and what the old report got wrong
iQIYI is a real Chinese video streaming service, not a virus, and our 2017 report was wrong to call it one. What people complain about is its Windows PC client: the old report said it came bundled with other software, ran four background processes, used up to 100% of the processor and showed ads. We did not install the client, so how much of that holds today is not confirmed; the steps below work either way.
- What iQIYI is
- A Chinese video streaming service for series, films, anime and variety shows. English Wikipedia says it was founded on 6 January 2010 by Baidu, is headquartered in Beijing and is listed on Nasdaq under the symbol IQ. Our test page of 6 October 2026 was titled 爱奇艺 iQIYI, roughly "iQIYI, popular exclusive series to watch online"
- How it is linked to Baidu
- English Wikipedia says Baidu founded it, took full ownership on 2 November 2012 and in May 2013 bought the online video business of PPStream, which became part of iQIYI. We read only that history, not today's shareholders
- What the old report meant by "links with Hao123"
- Hao123 is a Chinese listings portal run by Baidu, so the two share a parent in that history. They are different things: iQIYI is a video service, Hao123 a start page. English Wikipedia says Hao123 has been accused of acting as a browser hijacker; the old report's claim that iQIYI is the same kind of program is not something we can confirm
- The four files named in the old report
- QyBrowser.exe, QyClient.exe, QyKernel.exe and QiyiService.exe. The "Qy" and "Qiyi" in the names match the company's own, and iQIYI's download page offers a PC client for Windows and macOS. We did not install it, so we have not confirmed that these files belong to it
- Who it is aimed at
- Chinese-speaking viewers. English Wikipedia says that, as of 2019, iQIYI operated directly in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore and several other Asian countries, and elsewhere through third parties. A PC anywhere can still end up with it
- What it is not
- Not ransomware, and nothing in our test or in the reports we hold points to encrypted or deleted files. Whether the client does anything beyond streaming and showing ads is untested
Is iQIYI dangerous?
Our test on 6 October 2026
We opened iqiyi.com as a visitor would (clean desktop Chromium, Europe), allowed no downloads and clicked nothing, and looked for notification requests, pop-ups, redirects and background scripts. The page was quiet on this one visit. We did not install the PC client or any bundle.
iqiyi.com · desktop Chromium · Europe · 6 October 2026
- Notification requestNone on this one visit.
- Pop-ups and new tabsNone on this one visit.
- Redirects on loading the pageOne:
iqiyi.commoved towww.iqiyi.com, the same company's address. It did not send us to any unrelated site. - Service workerNone registered, so nothing keeps running in the browser after you leave.
- Push and pop-under ad networksNone recognised on this visit.
- Ads on the pageYes, and marked as such. Boxes labelled 广告 ("advertisement") showed online games and an iQIYI creator tool. These are the site's own ads, shown to anyone who opens it; they are not the ads from a program on your PC that the old report described.
- Other hosts contactedBesides iQIYI's own addresses (
iqiyipic.com,qy.net) the page contacted Tencent hosts (qq.com),71edge.com, a request to127.0.0.1(the computer itself) and two hosts we could not place,rumt-zh.comandzx.20130123.com. We did not read what any of them do. - The PC clientNot installed and not tested, so what it puts on a PC and runs today is unknown to us.
- Where you areWe tested from Lithuania only, on desktop. We did not test from China, on a phone, after a click or on a second visit.
Low risk for the website itself Nothing unusual appeared on this one visit, from one country, in one browser. Sites can change what they show by country, device, time or a second visit, so "nothing on this one visit" clears nothing. The rating is low only for iqiyi.com opened by yourself. It does not cover the PC client, a bundle that carried it, or a link or redirect that sent you there.
A short history of iQIYI and our report
6 January 2010
Baidu founds the company
English Wikipedia says Qiyi was founded by Baidu with support from Providence Equity Partners. It changed its name to iQIYI in November 2011.
11 July 2010
The domain is registered
The registry record (RDAP) for iqiyi.com shows registration on 11 July 2010, through Alibaba Cloud Computing (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
2012 to 2013
Baidu takes full ownership and buys PPStream's video business
English Wikipedia says Baidu bought Providence's stake on 2 November 2012 and the online video business of PPStream Inc. on 7 May 2013 for $370 million; that business later became part of iQIYI.
September 2015
The first reports of the PC client
Our old report said the first reports of the "Iqiyi virus" reached back to September 2015. We have not found those reports ourselves, so this is the old report's date.
28 September 2016
A reader reports odd behaviour
A reader wrote that Iqiyi ads were making their PC behave strangely, starting browser redirects and sometimes unexpected downloads, and that they feared ransomware. We could not check which program caused it.
17 July 2017
Our first report
Our old guide called iQIYI an adware infection with links to Hao123 and said the number of infected users had spiked again that year; it gave no count. Its first picture is an illustration, not a capture of an infected PC.
Our 2017 illustration: a blurred video-site page with the word Iqiyi laid over it. It is an illustration, not a capture of an infected PC. 17 July 2017
The second picture of the old guide
It shows a video-listing page with a prompt to enable Adobe Flash Player, rows of thumbnails under headings such as Travel, Documentary and Military, and a page-curl effect. Like the first, it shows a video site, not a pop-up or an installer.
The second picture of our 2017 guide: a video-listing page with a Flash Player prompt and the word Iqiyi repeated across it. 29 March 2018
iQIYI is listed in the United States
English Wikipedia says the company issued its initial public offering in the United States on 29 March 2018 and raised $2.25 billion.
October 2026
What we saw today
iqiyi.com is a working streaming page with ads marked 广告. On one visit it asked for nothing, opened no pop-ups and redirected only to
www.iqiyi.com.
The ads, offers and redirects
There are two different things called iQIYI ads. One is the ads the site shows inside its own pages, which we saw and which are marked as ads. The other is ads that an unwanted program pushes into your browser, which the old report described and we could not reproduce.
| What the old report said | What we can show today |
|---|---|
| Chinese users looking for videos may be redirected to the iQIYI domain | Opening iqiyi.com in our test moved us once, to www.iqiyi.com. We did not test what redirects people into it |
| The adware floods Internet Explorer, Chrome or Mozilla with video commercials and survey offers | Not seen. We did not install the client. Internet Explorer was retired in June 2022, so only Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari matter now. On its own site iQIYI shows ads marked 广告, and its Microsoft Store page says a paid VIP membership skips ads |
| The offers are built to look appealing even when they hide what is promoted | Ads of any kind are written that way. We did not follow any ad, so we cannot say where one leads |
| Shady websites and products can be shown in the best light | Same: we followed no ad. A click on an ad you did not ask for is the step to avoid |
| The redirects expose you to malware disguised on such pages | Possible for any ad network, not shown for iQIYI. If you clicked something and a file was downloaded, run the scan in the steps below |
What can go wrong
iQIYI is not malware, and the old report's own list of harms rested on an installed client we did not test. The risks below come from what a bundled program can do, not from the site. From most to least serious:
- Medium
Whatever came in the same bundle
If iQIYI arrived with another installer, the same offer screen may have added other programs or a browser extension. That, more than iQIYI itself, is what needs cleaning. Check Installed apps by install date.
- Medium
A program running in the background that you do not use
The old report said four processes raised processor use to 100%. If you never watch iQIYI, that is power and speed spent for nothing, and a program you forgot about is one you do not update.
- Medium
Ads that lead to other sites
The old report said the ads and redirects led to promoted pages. We followed none, so we cannot rate where they go. Treat a click on an ad that is not on iQIYI's own page as a click on any ad.
- Low
Your viewing and searches are counted
The old report said the program records searches and the sites you visit. A streaming service counts what you watch and search by design, and we did not read iQIYI's privacy policy or measure what the client stores. Treat it as possible, not shown.
- Low
Slow start-up
The old report said it loads at every start. We did not test that. Settings > Apps > Startup shows whether it does on your PC.
What a video service and its sites can see
- Your IP address and the city it points to
- Your browser and device details
- Your language setting
- The videos you open and search for
- Time of each visit
- Your account details if you sign in
True of most streaming services and of the ad networks on their pages. The old report said "what you search for, what websites you visit"; we did not measure what the client stores.
How iQIYI got on your PC
The four files and the 100% processor use
The old report blamed four files for processor use of up to 100%. High use is a real, checkable symptom, and the check takes a minute: find the file in Task Manager and see which folder it runs from.
| File named in the old report | What we can say today | How to check it |
|---|---|---|
| QyClient.exe | The name matches the company's. Not confirmed by us, because we did not install the client | Task Manager > Details, right-click the file > Open file location |
| QyKernel.exe | Same: matches the company's name, role not confirmed | Same check |
| QyBrowser.exe | Same: matches the company's name, role not confirmed | Same check |
| QiyiService.exe | "Service" in a name can mean a Windows service. We did not look at one | Press Windows + R, type services.msc, look for an iQIYI or Qiyi entry |
- 1
Open Task Manager
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, open Processes and sort by CPU. Look for names starting with
QyorQiyi. - 2
See where the file lives
Switch to Details, right-click the file and choose Open file location. A folder named for iQIYI is the client. A file with the same name in
Temp,Downloadsor another odd folder is a reason for a full scan; we did not see such a case. - 3
Decide what you want
If you watch iQIYI on this PC, keep it and turn off its start-up (see the steps further down). If you did not choose it, uninstall it. Ending the process in Task Manager only stops it until the next start.
How iQIYI gets on a PC
The old report said "bundling", and that route is real for unwanted programs in general. For iQIYI the other routes matter too: the company offers its client itself. Check them in this order.
| Route | What you would see | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| You installed it yourself | iQIYI's download page offers a PC client for Windows and macOS, and the Microsoft Store lists an iQIYI app | Settings > Apps > Installed apps, search iqiyi, qiyi and 爱奇艺 |
| Bundled with another program | iQIYI appeared on the day you installed something unrelated. The old report named bundling; iQIYI's site has a "Preinstall Cooperation" link that we did not open, so we cannot say how it is used | Installed apps, sorted by install date |
| A pre-ticked extra in an installer | A screen offering "recommended" extra programs that you click through with Next | The installer's Custom or Advanced screen |
| A link or search result | You land on iqiyi.com. In our test the page installed nothing and started no download, though we allowed none | Do not accept a download you did not ask for |
- 1
Two or more programs share one installer
That is a bundle: the program you wanted, plus an extra from a partner. Bundling is widely used for unwanted programs because it needs no trick on the computer, only a click.
- 2
The extra is offered on a screen most people skip
Clicking Next counts as agreeing. So it did not arrive without permission, and it was probably not chosen knowingly either.
- 3
It runs once it is installed
The old report said it then ran in the background and showed ads. That is the part to check on your own PC with the Task Manager steps above.
How to remove iQIYI
Uninstall first, then remove what stays behind, so the ads do not come back after a restart.
Which browser shows the ads?
Remove extensions you do not recognise
Paste
chrome://extensionsinto the address bar and click Remove on anything you did not install yourself, especially anything added around the day iQIYI appeared.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Block pop-ups and redirects
Open Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Pop-ups and redirects and choose Don't allow sites to send pop-ups or use redirects.
Remove notification permissions you did not give on purpose
Open Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications and remove the sites you do not know from the Allowed to send notifications list.
Clear the site data
Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete, choose All time, tick Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files, and click Delete data.
Reset Chrome
Open Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults and confirm with Reset settings. This resets the start page, search engine and pinned tabs and turns off extensions; bookmarks and saved passwords stay.
Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Remove extensions you do not recognise
Paste
edge://extensionsinto the address bar and click Remove under anything you did not install yourself.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Block pop-ups and redirects
Open Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Pop-ups and redirects and turn on Block.
Remove notification permissions you did not give on purpose
Open Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Notifications and remove the sites you do not know from the Allow list.
Clear the site data
Open Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Delete browsing data > Choose what to clear, set All time, tick Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files, and click Clear now.
Reset Edge
Open Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their default values and confirm with Reset. Extensions are turned off and the start page goes back to default; favourites, history and saved passwords stay.
Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Remove add-ons you do not recognise
Paste
about:addonsinto the address bar, open Extensions, and choose Remove from the three-dot menu of anything you did not install yourself.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Block pop-ups
Open Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll to Permissions and tick Block pop-up windows.
Remove notification permissions you did not give on purpose
In the same Permissions list, next to Notifications click Settings and remove the sites you do not know.
Clear cookies and site data
Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data > Clear Data, tick both boxes and click Clear.
Refresh Firefox
Open the menu > Help > More troubleshooting information and click Refresh Firefox. Add-ons and custom settings are removed; bookmarks, history and passwords stay.
Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Block pop-ups
Open Safari > Settings > Websites > Pop-up Windows and set the sites you do not trust to Block, or Block and Notify for the rest.
Remove extensions you do not recognise
In Safari > Settings > Extensions, select anything you did not install yourself and click Uninstall.
Clear the site data
In Safari > Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data, remove the site's data, or use History > Clear History > all history.
Remove the iQIYI app from the Mac
iQIYI's download page offers a macOS client. If you did not choose it, open Finder > Applications, move the iQIYI app to the Bin, and remove unknown items from System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions. We did not test the Mac client, so which files it leaves in the Library folders is not confirmed.
Then, whichever browser you use
Step 1: Uninstall iQIYI
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11, or Settings > Apps > Apps & features in Windows 10. Sort the list by install date and find iQIYI, then choose Uninstall from the three-dot menu next to it (in Windows 10, click the entry and then Uninstall).
Remove anything else installed on the same day that you do not recognise, because such programs usually arrive together in one installer. If the uninstaller opens a browser page with an offer or a survey, close it: the program is removed either way.
Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix
Step 2: Remove it from startup
Whatever iQIYI installed usually starts with Windows. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, go to Startup apps in Windows 11 or the Startup tab in Windows 10, and disable what you do not know, starting with entries that have an empty Publisher column.
Open file location on the right-click menu shows the file, which helps you decide and tells you what to delete later. Disabling is safe: if something you need stops working, switch it back on.
Full procedure with screenshots: Stop apps from opening at startup On uGetFix
Step 3: Delete the folders left behind
What the uninstaller leaves behind is usually in the user folders. Open File Explorer, switch on View > Show > Hidden items (in Windows 10 View > Hidden items), and go through
%LocalAppData%,%AppData%, %ProgramData% and the two Program Files folders.Sort by Date modified and delete folders that appeared together with the problem and belong to no program you use. Folders with random names that hold
.exe,.dll, .js or .ps1 files are the strongest sign.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove what malware leaves behind in Windows
Step 4: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, run a Full scan and remove everything it finds. Then select Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and click Scan now: the PC restarts and scans before Windows loads, which finds files that hide while Windows runs.
Save your work first, because the offline scan takes about 15 minutes. Both scans are built into Windows 11 and Windows 10, and a second scanner from another vendor is a useful extra opinion.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
After removal: keep the ads from coming back
Keep it or remove it, and what to check afterwards
The plan above removes the client in five steps. This part is for the decisions around it: whether to remove it at all, what name to search for, and what to check once it is gone. The old report said that deleting the program or ending its processes was not enough, and that is partly true: ending a process lasts only until the next start.
- 1
Decide whether you use it
Removing the client breaks nothing: the website still works in a browser. If you watch iQIYI on this PC, you can keep the client and only turn off its start-up item, or use the site in a browser. If you did not choose it, remove it.
- 2
Search under all three names
In Settings > Apps > Installed apps (Apps & features in Windows 10), search for
iqiyi,qiyiand爱奇艺, the name the Microsoft Store uses for another iQIYI app. Then sort by install date and look at what was added the same day: a bundle puts several programs on the PC together. - 3
If you keep it, turn off start-up
Open Settings > Apps > Startup, or Task Manager > Startup apps, and set the iQIYI or Qiyi item to Off. The program then runs only when you open it.
- 4
After the uninstall, restart and look again
Open Task Manager and check that no
QyorQiyiprocess is running. If one is, Open file location shows its folder. Search File Explorer for folders named iQIYI or Qiyi inC:\Program Files,C:\Program Files (x86),C:\ProgramDataand yourAppDatafolder, and delete only a folder that carries the iQIYI name, and only after the uninstall. We did not install the client, so which folder it uses is not confirmed. - 5
Check the browser separately
Ads in the browser can come from an extension or from permissions you gave a site, not from the iQIYI client. Use the steps for your browser in the removal chapter: extensions, pop-ups, notifications and site data.
- 6
Scan once more if a file you did not choose was downloaded
If you clicked an ad and something was downloaded, run a Microsoft Defender Full scan and then the offline scan from the plan, before you open the file.
How to keep it from happening again
Do
- Choose Custom or Advanced setup in installers. It shows every box and lets you untick extra programs, pre-ticked home pages and search settings. Some installers call it something else, but the screen that lists the extras is the one to look for.
- Read each installer screen before you click Next; the offer is often on the screen you skip.
- Untick every add-on and extra that has nothing to do with the program you went to install.
- Get programs from the maker's own site or from the Microsoft Store, not from a download site that wraps them in its own installer.
- After installing free software, open Installed apps and sort by install date once, to see what came with it.
- Remove browser extensions you do not recognise as soon as you see them.
- Keep Microsoft Defender running and your browser up to date.
- Keep a current backup of your files (File History or OneDrive), so a failed disk or an infection does not cost you your documents.
- A VPN hides your IP address from the sites you visit; it does not remove a program or an extension.
Don't
- Click through Quick, Basic or Recommended setup without reading it. It is usually two or three Next clicks, and it quietly accepts the extra programs.
- Accept ads, surveys or "offers" that open without you asking.
- Keep a program running that you never use. The old report's four processes would have run for nothing.
- Assume that a well-known name is harmless in a bundle: the old report named a legal streaming service, and bundling is a way to put even good software on PCs that did not choose it.
Questions about iQIYI
Is iQIYI a virus?
No, iQIYI is a real Chinese video streaming service, not a virus. English Wikipedia says Baidu founded it in January 2010 and that it is listed on Nasdaq. In our test on 6 October 2026 the iqiyi.com page asked for no notifications, opened no pop-ups and registered no service worker, though that was one visit and clears nothing.
Our 2017 report called it adware because its Windows PC client was said to arrive in bundles, use the processor heavily and show ads. We did not install the client, so that part is unconfirmed. If you did not choose it, uninstall it; if you watch iQIYI, you can keep it.
Is iQIYI the same as Hao123 or Baidu?
No, but they share a parent. Hao123 is a Chinese listings portal run by Baidu, and English Wikipedia says Baidu founded iQIYI in 2010, took full ownership in November 2012 and bought the online video business of PPStream in 2013.
The old report said iQIYI had links with Hao123, and that is the connection. iQIYI is a video service, Hao123 is a start page. Wikipedia says Hao123 has been accused of acting as a browser hijacker; it does not say that about iQIYI, and we did not test Hao123 pages or any program that sets one.
What are QyClient.exe, QyKernel.exe, QyBrowser.exe and QiyiService.exe?
They are the four files our 2017 report blamed for the problem. The "Qy" and "Qiyi" match the company's own name, and iQIYI's download page offers a PC client for Windows and macOS, so they probably belong to that client. We did not install it, so we have not confirmed this.
To check on your PC, open Task Manager, go to the Details tab, right-click the file and choose Open file location. A folder named for iQIYI is the client. The same file name in a folder like Temp or Downloads is a reason to run a full Microsoft Defender scan.
Why is iQIYI using 100% of my processor?
The old report said the four iQIYI files could raise processor use to 100%, and we did not run the client, so we cannot measure it. Playing video uses processor time on any PC; the old report's worry was that the client kept working when no video was playing, which we did not test.
To see what it does on your PC, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, sort the Processes list by CPU and watch the Qy and Qiyi entries. If they are busy while you watch nothing, uninstall the client or turn off its start-up.
How did iQIYI get on my computer?
Most likely in one of three ways. You may have installed the client yourself from iQIYI's download page or the Microsoft Store, which both offer it. It may have come in a bundle: our old report named bundling, and iQIYI's site has a link called "Preinstall Cooperation" that we did not open, so we cannot say how it is used.
Or an installer offered it as a pre-ticked extra and you clicked Next. To find out which, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, sort by install date and look at what was added the same day as iQIYI.
How do I remove iQIYI from Windows?
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11 (Apps & features in Windows 10), search for iqiyi, qiyi and 爱奇艺, and choose Uninstall. Then open Settings > Apps > Startup and check that no iQIYI item is left. Restart, open Task Manager and confirm that no Qy or Qiyi process is running.
Finally, run a Microsoft Defender Full scan, and the offline scan if anything was found. Sort Installed apps by install date and remove other unknown programs added the same day. The website still works in a browser afterwards, and you lose nothing by removing the client.
Does ending the processes in Task Manager remove iQIYI?
No. Ending a process stops it only until the next start, and the program, its start-up entry and its files stay. The old report was right that this is not enough. Uninstall the client first, then check Settings > Apps > Startup and Task Manager's Startup apps list for what is left, then restart and look again at the Processes list.
If a Qy or Qiyi process comes back after an uninstall, use Open file location to see where it runs from, and run a full scan. We did not install the client, so we cannot say which folders it leaves behind.
Why do I see iQIYI ads in my browser, and how do I stop them?
There are two kinds. The iqiyi.com site shows its own ads, and in our test they were marked 广告 ("advertisement") and showed online games and an iQIYI creator tool. You cannot remove those while you use the site, though the Microsoft Store page says a paid VIP membership skips ads.
Ads and pop-ups on other sites come from those sites, an extension or a permission you gave. Remove extensions you do not know, block pop-ups and clear notification permissions. The steps for Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari are in the removal chapter.
Does iQIYI spy on me or sell my data?
We cannot say, because we did not read iQIYI's privacy policy and did not run its client. The old report said the program records your searches and the sites you visit, and the data might be sold.
A streaming service counts what you watch and search by design, and any ad network on a page can see your IP address, browser and the time of your visit.
Nothing in our test showed passwords or files being taken, but one visit proves little. If you do not use iQIYI, remove the client; if you do, read the privacy policy on its own site and do not reuse a password from other accounts.
Will Fortect remove iQIYI?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For iQIYI, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- Our own test of iqiyi.com: desktop Chromium from Europe, redirects, pop-ups, notifications and hosts contacted (read October 6, 2026)
- Registry record (RDAP) for iqiyi.com: registered 11 July 2010 (read October 6, 2026)
- English Wikipedia: iQIYI (founded 6 January 2010 by Baidu, Baidu full ownership 2012, PPStream video business 2013, Nasdaq listing 29 March 2018, countries served) (read October 6, 2026)
- English Wikipedia: Hao123 (Baidu portal, accused of browser hijacking and bundling) (read October 6, 2026)
- iQIYI: apps download page (PC client for Windows and macOS, Preinstall Cooperation link) (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Store: iQIYI (free to watch, VIP membership skips ads) (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Support: Uninstall or remove apps and programs in Windows (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Support: Configure startup applications in Windows (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline scan in Windows (read October 6, 2026)
- Google Chrome Help: Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups and malware (no longer online) (read October 6, 2026)
- Google Chrome Help: Block or allow pop-ups in Chrome (no longer online) (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Support: Block pop-ups in Microsoft Edge (read October 6, 2026)
- Mozilla Support: Pop-up blocker settings, exceptions and troubleshooting (read October 6, 2026)
- Apple Support: Block pop-up ads in Safari on Mac (read October 6, 2026)