MetroHotspot Toolbar: what it is and how to remove it
MetroHotspot is yet another toolbar that looks safe and useful. In fact, it is a useful app promoted as a tool that should provide a quick access to Craiglists and Ebay, job classifieds, local deals and services.
Facts checked October 7, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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MetroHotspot Toolbar: summary
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Name | MetroHotspot Toolbar |
| Type | System optimizer |
| Symptoms | An unknown program in Installed apps |
| 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 4 more facts
| Evidence | One write-up by a security site; details still limited |
|---|---|
| Program | MetroHotspot Toolbar |
| First seen | 12 June 2015 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
Is MetroHotspot Toolbar safe? Why it is flagged
From our report of Jun 2015 · not reviewed since
What is known about MetroHotspot Toolbar?
MetroHotspot is yet another toolbar that looks safe and useful.
In fact, it is a useful app promoted as a tool that should provide a quick access to Craiglists and Ebay, job classifieds, local deals and services. However, before downloading this application, you should better read EULA, Privacy Policy and users reports about it. In order to find out whether it's reliable or not, you should pay attention to this sentence in the EULA of MetroHotspot:
In fact, we can inform you in advance that you have to be very careful when downloading this Toolbar because it may change your start page or the default search engine to MyWay.com. Do you know what it is? MyWay is a customized version of Ask search.
Therefore, if you install this the toolbar, you automatically agree to install not only MetroHotspot Toolbar, but also allow search.myway.com to settle withing your web browser as a default start page, search provider, and a new tab. After that, you may start receiving commercial search results because the main task of this toolbar is to promote affiliate parties and make people visit websites, which rank is still very low.
From our report of Jun 2015 · not reviewed since
How can I add MetroHotspot Toolbar to my computer?
It's obvious why MetroHotspot Toolbar has been categorized as a potentially unwanted program.
Security experts have noted it's tendency to replace user's default search provider and a homepage without a permission asked. After that, it may start promoting affiliate parties and initiate other really questionable activities. Fortunately, it's not difficult to block the entrance of additional search engines when downloading MetroHotspot Toolbar.
Whenever you install it, you should: 1) Read as much information about it as possible; 2) Avoid Quick or Basic installation mode; 3) Opt for Advanced/Custom installation; 4) Analyze the entire installation wizard; 5) Find the list of 'optional downloads along the way; 6) Deselect all additional components in order to keep computer PUP-free.
These mentions fully fulfill each of the requirements of FTC.
From our report of Jun 2015 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on MetroHotspot Toolbar
- MS Products are exposed to various security issues, and should be regarded as unsecure.
- You accept all responsibility for such security risks and any damage resulting therefrom.
How to uninstall MetroHotspot Toolbar
How to remove MetroHotspot Toolbar
Uninstall it, then remove what keeps it starting with Windows.
Nothing it flagged needs fixing.
Step 1: Uninstall MetroHotspot Toolbar
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11, or Settings > Apps > Apps & features in Windows 10. Sort the list by install date and find MetroHotspot Toolbar, 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 MetroHotspot Toolbar 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
Protect your privacy - employ a VPN
There are several ways how to make your online time more private - you can access an incognito tab.
However, there is no secret that even in this mode, you are tracked for advertising purposes. There is a way to add an extra layer of protection and create a completely anonymous web browsing practice with the help of VPN. This software reroutes traffic through different servers, thus leaving your IP address and geolocation in disguise.
Besides, it is based on a strict no-log policy, meaning that no data will be recorded, leaked, and available for both first and third parties. The combination of a secure web browser and VPN will let you browse the Internet without a feeling of being spied or targeted by criminals.
No backups? No problem. Use a data recovery tool
If you wonder how data loss can occur, you should not look any further for answers - human errors, malware attacks, hardware failures, power cuts, natural disasters, or even simple negligence.
In some cases, lost files are extremely important, and many straight out panic when such an unfortunate course of events happen. Due to this, you should always ensure that you prepare proper data backups on a regular basis.
If you were caught by surprise and did not have any backups to restore your files from, not everything is lost. is one of the leading file recovery solutions you can find on the market - it is likely to restore even lost emails or data located on an external device.
From our report of Jun 2015 · not reviewed since
How to remove MetroHotspot?
MetroHotspot Toolbar removal can be performed with the help of this guide:
1. Click Start → Control Panel → Uninstall a Program. 2. When in the Add/Remove Programs/Uninstall a Program, look for MetroHotspot Toolbar and other programs that are unknown to you.
3. Click 'Uninstall' and then OK to save the changes.
Google Chrome: 1. Open Google Chrome, click on the menu icon (top right corner) and select 'Tools' -> 'Extensions'. 2. Here, select unfamiliar plugins (MetroHotspot, MyWay, MyWebSearch, etc.) and select trash icon to delete these entries.
3. In order to change your homepage, click on menu icon, choose 'Settings' -> 'On startup' section -> 'set pages'. 4. Here, eliminate myway.com by clicking on the "X" and enter your preferred website.
5. In order to change your default search engine, click on the menu icon -> 'Settings' -> 'Search' section. 6. Here, click 'Manage Search Engines...' and add your preferred domain name.
- Uninstall programs that are related to MetroHotspot Toolbar from your computer:
- Reset your web browser:
Questions about MetroHotspot Toolbar
Is MetroHotspot Toolbar a virus?
Most programs that appear the way MetroHotspot Toolbar did are not viruses in the strict sense. They are potentially unwanted programs:
- real software that arrives bundled with other downloads and then shows offers
- changes browser settings
- starts with Windows
Some are harmless, some are annoying and a few carry adware. What makes it worth removing is that you did not choose it.
Uninstall it from Installed apps and check the startup list and the browsers for anything added the same day. If it refuses to uninstall or returns after a restart, treat it as more serious and run a Microsoft Defender offline scan.
MetroHotspot Toolbar came back after I uninstalled it. Why?
Something else is reinstalling it. Common causes are a second program from the same publisher, a scheduled task that downloads it again, or a browser extension that keeps prompting for it. Sort Installed apps by install date and uninstall each entry from the same day that you did not choose.
Then open Task Scheduler and look in the Task Scheduler Library for tasks with updater-style names that you do not recognise. Check Startup apps in Task Manager too. If MetroHotspot Toolbar still returns, start Windows in Safe Mode, uninstall it there and run a Microsoft Defender offline scan, which looks for loaders that ordinary scans can miss.
The uninstaller for MetroHotspot Toolbar keeps asking me to stay. Is that normal?
It is a common tactic, not a technical requirement. Uninstallers of unwanted programs often show discounts, warnings that the PC will be at risk, or a choice between "repair" and "remove" designed to confuse. Choose the option that removes the program completely and decline everything else.
If the uninstaller closes without removing anything, end its processes in Task Manager and try again, or use Safe Mode. Check Installed apps afterwards; if MetroHotspot Toolbar is still listed, the uninstall did not finish.
Can Windows block unwanted programs automatically?
Yes, with one setting. Windows Security has Potentially unwanted app blocking under App & browser control > Reputation-based protection settings. Block apps stops flagged programs from installing, and Block downloads works in Microsoft Edge.
On some PCs this was not switched on, which is how programs like MetroHotspot Toolbar got through. It does not catch everything, so read installer screens, choose Custom setup and decline offers. Removing free tools you no longer use also helps, because their updates are a common route for new bundles.
MetroHotspot Toolbar came back after I removed it. Why?
Something reinstalls it:
- another program from the same bundle
- a scheduled task that downloads it again
- a browser extension restored by sync
Look in Installed apps for anything from the same publisher or installed on the same date, and in Task Scheduler for tasks with the program's name or random names.
Remove extensions while signed in to the browser so sync deletes them on every device. Remove everything in one session and restart. If MetroHotspot Toolbar still returns, a full scan and a Microsoft Defender offline scan usually find the part that brings it back.
Can Windows Security remove MetroHotspot Toolbar?
Often yes, if Potentially unwanted app blocking is on. Microsoft Defender detects many bundled and unwanted programs as PUA, but by default it only blocks them during download in some cases. For a program already installed, uninstall it yourself from Installed apps first, then run a full scan in Windows Security to catch leftovers.
If metroHotspot Toolbar in the list of installed apps returns after that, run the Microsoft Defender offline scan, which works before Windows starts. Switching on the PUA setting afterwards helps keep similar programs out.
Is MetroHotspot Toolbar harmful?
It is unwelcome rather than destructive, based on what has been reported: metroHotspot Toolbar in the list of installed apps. Unwanted programs like this slow Windows down, use your connection, show offers or change settings, and they make money for their publisher at your expense. The bigger concern is what arrived with them.
Bundled installers often add two or three programs at once, and some of those change the browser or install updaters that fetch more software later. Remove MetroHotspot Toolbar, then sort Installed apps by date and remove anything else from the same day. A full scan in Windows Security afterwards confirms that nothing more serious came along.
Will removing MetroHotspot Toolbar speed up Windows?
It often helps a little and sometimes a lot, depending on how many programs came in the same bundle. Every unwanted program that starts with Windows adds to boot time and uses memory. The one behind metroHotspot Toolbar in the list of installed apps is no exception.
Remove it, check the Startup list for others, restart and compare. If the PC is still slow, look at disk space, Windows updates and the processes at the top of Task Manager. A clean PC should sit almost idle when no programs are open.
Can MetroHotspot Toolbar see my passwords?
There is no report of that. Unwanted programs make money from ads, offers, data about your browsing or the use of your connection, not from stealing passwords, and the sign reported here is metroHotspot Toolbar in the list of installed apps.
That said, a bundle can contain more than one program, and you cannot be sure what else ran on the day it arrived. After removing MetroHotspot Toolbar, run a full scan in Windows Security.
If it finds a password stealer or a trojan, change your passwords from another device. If the scan is clean and you see no unknown sign-ins, there is no need to change them.
Will Fortect remove MetroHotspot Toolbar?
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 MetroHotspot Toolbar, 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
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 7, 2026)