Motious.com virus: what it is and how to remove it
Motious.com virus is a browser hijacker that might mess up with each of your web browsers. This cyber parasite may alter your browser's settings, replace your current homepage, and start causing continuous redirects to sponsored websites.
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.
Automatic
Get a free scan and check if your PC is infected.
Fortect finds malware, unwanted programs and the Windows damage they leave behind, and repairs it in one pass.
A quick scan confirms nothing else was installed alongside the motious.com search hijacker.
Do it yourself · free Remove Motious.com virus yourself 5 steps, about 15 minutes, no software needed.
Start the steps
Motious.com virus: summary
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Name | Motious.com virus |
| Type | Fake search engine |
| Symptoms | A changed search engine |
| 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 5 more facts
| Evidence | 7 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
|---|---|
| Search page | motious.com |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 9 March 2017 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
What Motious.com virus changes in your browser
By using this website you accept the use of cookies for marketing purposes.
Is Motious.com virus dangerous? What it collects
From our report of Mar 2017 · not reviewed since
How dangerous is Motious.com virus?
Motious.com virus is a browser hijacker that might mess up with each of your web browsers.
This cyber parasite may alter your browser's settings, replace your current homepage, and start causing continuous redirects to sponsored websites. It won't let you surf the Web pleasantly because it keeps redirecting you to sponsored domains that are trying to make themselves famous with the help of such strategy.
Besides, you can also notice various pop-ups , banners, and other online ads that you may find annoying if you are not a fan of motorcycles. However, even if you are a person who like riding motorcycles, Motious.com can get on your nerves by piling your search with its ads.
As you may have already understood, this page provides the search bar which claims to deliver search results from Google Custom search . Sadly, this feature is not as useful as you may think. Keep in mind that this browser hijacker is a commercial tool which delivers sponsored links in your search results.
With their help, developers have been collecting pay-per-click income which is generated via users' clicks on third-party links or ads. If you don't want to be brought to malicious websites seeking to infect you with malware, you need to stay away from such pseudo-search engines. Also, make sure you remove Motious.com virus once it shows up on your web browser.
The most important fact related to the activity of this hijacker is that it includes third-party links and ads to the potentially dangerous websites. You must have already heard about malvertising which has been used by the developers of the ransomware or Trojans as one of the main distribution strategies.
Therefore, hijackers have been relying on sponsored content. When browser hijacker sneaks into your computer, it changes the main browser's settings (the start page), the default search engine, a new tab URL) and starts tricking its victims into clicking specific links.
For that, it tracks its victims for some time to accumulate information about their searches and interests. If you do not want to end up on phishing site or malware infected website, you should initiate Motious.com removal immediately. Some of its victims had to reinstall their Windows, so make sure you don't postpone its removal.
Tracking my Motious.com virus hasn't been considered suspicious by the most of its users. However, you should know that such claims as the one that is given below illustrates the fact that you let this site spy on you:
A term "marketing purposes" means that you let this site accumulate information related to your searches, such as your search terms, email address, details that you search on the Internet, etc. No matter that this information is considered non-personally identifiable, you can unwillingly run into serious problems.
For example, if this information gets into scammers' hands, they can reach you thru your email address and trick you by providing a personalized message. Also, you can run into a misleading pop-up ad on your favorite website and take the claims that are presented in it serious. Beware that such reports saying that you won an iPhone or similar prizes are usually fake.
How Motious.com virus got into your browser
From our report of Mar 2017 · not reviewed since
If you noticed Motious.com redirect problem on your computer, you should think about checking your computer for this browser hijacker .
Beware that its developers have been relying on bundling technique which allows adding the program as an extra component in the software package. Therefore, you may notice Motious.com hijack after installing a free program downloaded from the Internet. When installing new programs, you should always opt for Advanced or Custom settings, which allows monitoring and adjusting the process.
During the installation, you may see the list of additional downloads or statements agreeing to make a particular website as your homepage. Here your task is to deselect everything. Keep in mind that Quick or Standard installation modes do not allow this function. When installing programs under these settings, you may not only be infected with Motious.com virus but let in other potentially unwanted applications too.
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
motious.com
How to remove Motious.com virus
How to stop Motious.com virus from opening
The search page is only the end point.
These steps remove what sends the browser there, then put the search engine back.
Step 1: Put the search engine back and delete motious.com
Searches that pass through
motious.commean the browser's default search engine was replaced. Chrome: Settings > Search engine > Manage search engines and site search, then Make default on Google, Bing or another engine you chose, and Delete on motious.com.Edge has the same list under Manage search engines (search the Settings page for it), and Firefox under Settings > Search.
Look at On startup and the homepage settings too and remove the hijacker's address there. Nothing in this step differs between Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Chrome on Windows 11: check Search engine and On startup. Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 2: Remove extensions you did not add
Motious.com virus often works through an extension, so go through the extension list of each browser:
chrome://extensionsedge://extensions- Extensions and themes in Firefox
Switch suspicious extensions off one at a time and reload the page where the problem shows, then remove the one that stops it, and any other you did not add.
Remember the other browsers and profiles on the PC. If Remove is missing or greyed out, a policy forces the extension, which the policy step deals with. Windows 11 and Windows 10 show the same pages.
Chrome on Windows 11: More > Extensions > Manage extensions. Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Step 3: Uninstall programs you did not mean to install
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11, or Settings > Apps > Apps & features in Windows 10, and sort the list by install date. Look at what appeared around the day the problem started and uninstall every program you do not recognise or did not choose.
Free converters, PDF and video tools, "system optimizers" and unknown browsers are the usual carriers of Motious.com virus. If a name is unclear, search for it before you remove it, so you do not uninstall a driver or a Windows component.
Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix
Step 4: Reset the browser
Finish the browser part with a reset, which puts the search engine, start page, new tab page and site permissions back to their defaults and switches extensions off. Chrome: Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults.
Edge: Settings > Reset settings. Firefox: Help > More troubleshooting information > Refresh Firefox, which also removes its extensions. Your bookmarks and saved passwords are kept, and the menus are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Reset settings. Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 5: 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
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
Uninstall from Windows
You need to delete Motious and similar components of this browser hijacker from your computer. Make sure you double check programs that showed up on your computer on the same day and remove the suspicious ones as well.
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.
Remove from Google Chrome
You need to get rid of Motious add-on on Google Chrome web browser. We also recommend removing all shady extensions from it and reseting its settings as shown below.
Delete malicious extensions from 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 suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and web data from 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.
Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- 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:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.
Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click Remove.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- 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.
Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- 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.
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Check the list of extensions and find Motious. Make sure you remove it. You should also get rid of every unknown extension, plugin, etc. appearing on Mozilla Firefox against your will. They might be related to the browser hijacker, and be responsible for unwanted ads.
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.
Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.
Delete from Safari
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.
Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.
Delete from macOS
To remove Motious.com browser hijacker from your system, you need to remove each of its components. You can do that by following instructions given below.
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).
Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.
- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Reset Internet Explorer
These instructions will help you remove suspicious add-ons (Motious and others) and fix Internet Explorer after the hijack. Then, you can also reset your browser.
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- 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.
Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.
Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete...
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.
Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.
Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool
Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online.
One of the basic means to add a layer of security - choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features.
However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful VPN - it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.
Lost your files? Use data recovery software
While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable.
Family photos, work documents, school projects - these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur:
- power cuts
- Blue Screen of Death errors
- hardware failures
- crypto-malware attack
- even accidental deletion
To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
From our report of Mar 2017 · not reviewed since
Motious.com virus removal procedure
Manual Motious.com removal requires looking through computer's system and deleting all browser hijacker-related components from the PC and all of web browsers.
Our team has prepared a step-by-step guide on how to perform this task easily. However, no matter how experienced you feel, you must be careful because you may experience another hijack right after rebooting your computer if you leave remaining components of this potentially unwanted program.
Though, if you want to be 100% sure that virus elimination from your computer was successful, opt for automatic removal option. In order to remove Motious.com automatically, you have to install anti-malware program and run a full system scan with its help.
Questions about Motious.com virus
Is it safe to keep motious.com as my search engine?
It is not recommended. Searches through motious.com usually still return results, but the operator sees every query, often stores it with an identifier for your browser and shows extra ads or paid links. Some hijacked results lead to fake downloads or scam pages.
You also did not choose it, which means something changed your settings without asking and may still be installed. Set your own search engine back, remove the extension or program that set motious.com, and check the browser's other settings, such as the start page and notification permissions, for further changes made at the same time.
Did motious.com come with a program I installed?
Most likely, yes. Search hijackers such as motious.com usually arrive with free software, where an extra offer is pre-ticked in the installer, or as an extension that promises something useful, such as file conversion, maps, recipes or streaming.
Look at Settings, Apps, Installed apps sorted by install date: whatever was installed just before the search engine changed is the main suspect. Uninstall it, then remove any extension you do not recognise. In future, choose the custom or advanced option in installers and untick extra offers, and install extensions only from the official store pages of publishers you know.
Why do my searches go to motious.com?
Because the browser's default search engine was changed to it. Motious.com virus did that through an extension, a program or a browser policy, and as long as that source remains, the setting points to motious.com.
The page then passes your query to a real search provider, so the results look almost normal, with extra sponsored links on top. Changing the search engine back on its own does not last, because the source resets it. Remove the extension or program first, then the policies if any, then set your own search engine.
Is it safe to keep searching with motious.com?
We would not. Every query you type is logged by its operators and shared with their advertising partners, and the sponsored links at the top are chosen for payment, not relevance. Results that look like a download page or a support site may lead to scams.
The page will not damage Windows by itself, but there is no benefit in keeping it: the results come from another search engine anyway. Remove Motious.com virus and use that search engine directly, by typing its address or choosing it in the browser settings.
Which browsers does Motious.com virus affect?
We saw it in Chrome, Edge and Firefox. That does not mean the other browsers on your PC are safe: hijacker installers usually change every browser they find, and browser sync can carry an extension to other computers signed in to the same account.
Check the search engine, home page, new tab, extensions and policies in each browser you have, including ones you rarely open. Chrome and Edge profiles count separately, so switch to each profile and check it as well before you call the job done.
What does motious.com know about me?
It knows what you searched for while it was your search engine, when, from which IP address and with which browser, and usually which results you opened. Tracking cookies let it connect those searches into a profile. It does not see your saved passwords or files.
After removing Motious.com virus, delete the cookies and site data for motious.com so the profile cannot be continued, and remove it from the browser's list of saved search engines. Signing out of important sites and back in also replaces session cookies.
Will resetting the browser remove Motious.com virus?
A reset disables extensions, restores the default search engine, start page and new tab, and clears temporary data and cookies. It keeps bookmarks, history and saved passwords. For many hijackers that is enough.
It does not remove a program installed in Windows, policies in the registry, changes to the hosts file or DNS, or edited shortcuts, so Motious.com virus can come back after a reset if one of those remains. Do the reset after removing the program and policies, not instead of it.
The results look like Google or Bing. Is that real?
Partly. Many hijacker search pages pass your query to a real search engine and show its results, so the list looks familiar. What changes is the frame around it:
- extra sponsored links at the top
- the hijacker's own tracking
- sometimes a design that copies a known search engine
You can tell by the address bar. If it shows motious.com or another unfamiliar domain instead of the search engine you know, the results come through a middleman. Remove Motious.com virus and search directly.
Would an ad blocker stop Motious.com virus?
Not really. An ad blocker can hide some of the sponsored results on motious.com, but it does not change your search engine back or remove the extension that set it. Your searches would still pass through the hijacker's servers and be logged.
Some ad blockers include tracking filters that block parts of the redirect chain, which can break searches altogether. Remove Motious.com virus with the plan above; an ad blocker is a reasonable extra afterwards, from the official store only and from a developer with a long track record.
Will Fortect remove Motious.com virus?
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 Motious.com virus, 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
- Wikipedia: Pop-up ad (read October 7, 2026)
- Lenny Zelster: Malvertising: Some Examples of Malicious Ad Campaigns (read October 7, 2026)
- TrendMicro: Ransomware definition (read October 7, 2026)
- 2spyware: What is browser hijacker and how to remove it? (read October 7, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 7, 2026)