Ourcoolstories.com ads: what it is and how to remove it

Ourcoolstories.com is a deceptive site that tries to trick people into clicking a button that enables it to send push notifications straight to users' screens, sometimes even when the browser is closed. The message on the page says that if they will subscribe to notifications, they will be able to "continue watching."

Facts checked October 6, 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

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Fortect finds malware, unwanted programs and the Windows damage they leave behind, and repairs it in one pass.

If notifications from ourcoolstories.com led you to download something, a free scan can check the PC for anything that came with it.

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Do it yourself · free Remove Ourcoolstories.com ads yourself 2 steps, about 6 minutes, no software needed.

Google ChromeMicrosoft EdgeMozilla Firefox

Screenshot of Ourcoolstories.com: ourcoolstories com
Ourcoolstories.com as our 2021 report showed it.

Ourcoolstories.com ads: summary

DistributionShady websites, deceptive ads, software bundling
NAMEOurcoolstories.com
TYPEPush notification spam; adware
SYMPTOMSAnnoying pop-up ads start appearing in the corner of the screen
DANGERSLinks embedded in the pop-up ads can lead to harmful websites that trick people into performing actions unfavorable to them
Detection namesNo Microsoft detection name is known
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
DamageNot recorded in the old report
NameOurcoolstories.com
TypePush-notification spam site
SymptomsNotification spam from a website
Evidence5 write-ups by security sites; details still limited
Domainsourcoolstories.com
Ads shown asDesktop notifications
BrowsersChrome, Edge and Firefox
Installed on the PCNothing; a browser notification permission only
First seen8 December 2021
Facts checked6 October 2026

Is Ourcoolstories.com ads dangerous?

From our report of Dec 2021 · not reviewed since

Ourcoolstories.com makes people think that they will be able to view content if they subscribe to push notifications

Ourcoolstories.com is a deceptive site that tries to trick people into clicking a button that enables it to send push notifications straight to users' screens, sometimes even when the browser is closed. The message on the page says that if they will subscribe to notifications, they will be able to "continue watching."

The reality is, that there is nothing to watch on the site. There is just the false message and a bogus loading bar to make it look more believable. In the past couple of years, the amount of these pages has been drastically increasing. The problem is that they are very easy to reproduce.

All the fraudsters have to do is just copy-paste the same code and content onto the site and get a different domain. Sometimes they put in so little effort that there are grammar and spelling mistakes. The most important thing is to spread awareness and educate people because you should never do something on a legitimate website to get what you want.

Another reason why there are so many of them is that they are profitable. Most ads that start showing up display sensational images and messages and they incite people to click. Every click generates revenue for the developers with the help of PPC advertising.

Screenshot of Ourcoolstories.com: ourcoolstories com
Ourcoolstories.com in our 2021 report.
Ourcoolstories.com: stop notifications on ie
Ourcoolstories.com in our 2021 report.

From our report of Dec 2021 · not reviewed since

Disable pop-ups

Because push notifications are based on a subscription model, only you can turn them off.

Follow the guide:

Google Chrome (desktop):

Google Chrome (Android):

MS Edge (Chromium):

All of the pages that you visit use cookies to track your browsing activities. Generally, this is not a bad thing as it helps websites to personalize the user experience but in some cases, it can cause a lot of issues.

If the pages you visit do not have strong security, cookies can be hacked and stolen which has happened in the past. Untrustworthy pages can also sell them to advertising networks that use them to target you with more ads.

That is why it is important to clear your browser regularly. This can be automated with a maintenance tool like . It does not only delete all cookies and cache but can also fix system damage, errors, registry issues which is especially helpful after virus infections.

  • Open Google Chrome browser and go to Menu > Settings.
  • Locate Privacy and security section and pick Site Settings > Notifications.
  • Look at the Allow section and look for a suspicious URL.
  • Click the three vertical dots next to it and pick Block. This should remove unwanted notifications from Google Chrome.
  • Open Google Chrome and tap on Settings (three vertical dots).
  • Select Notifications.
  • Locate the unwanted URL and toggle the button to the left (Off setting).
  • Open Mozilla Firefox and go to Menu > Options.
  • Click on Privacy & Security section.
  • Under Permissions, you should be able to see Notifications. Click the Settings button next to it.
  • In the Settings – Notification Permissions window, click on the drop-down menu by the URL in question.
  • Select Block and then click on Save Changes. This should remove unwanted notifications from Mozilla Firefox.
  • Click on Safari > Preferences...
  • Go to the Websites tab and, under General, select Notifications.
  • Select the web address in question, click the drop-down menu and select Deny.
  • Open Microsoft Edge, and click the Settings and more button (three horizontal dots) at the top-right of the window.
  • Select Settings and then go to Advanced.
  • Under Website permissions, pick Manage permissions and select the URL in question.
  • Toggle the switch to the left to turn notifications off on Microsoft Edge.
  • Open Microsoft Edge, and go to Settings.
  • Select Site permissions.
  • Go to Notifications on the right.
  • Under Allow, you will find the unwanted entry.
  • Click on More actions and select Block.
  • Open Internet Explorer, and click on the Gear icon at the top-right of the window.
  • Select Internet options and go to the Privacy tab.
  • In the Pop-up Blocker section, click on Settings.
  • Locate web address in question under Allowed sites and pick Remove.

From our report of Dec 2021 · not reviewed since

Use professional security tools

A system without an antivirus is just like a house without a door.

According to some security experts, pop-up ads and spam websites are one the most used gateways by viruses to infect your computer and then damage your files. If you were infected by push notification spam, there is a much higher chance that you installed something in your system without even knowing. There are many symptoms that indicate a virus infection:

Once you block the notifications, there is still a chance that there is adware hiding in your system. You might be experiencing an increased amount of commercial content like surveys, banners, pop-ups, and redirects. If you have any of these symptoms, we strongly suggest deploying professional security tools like or to scan your machine.

They can detect suspicious processes happening in your machine and eliminate all the related files. What is more, it can prevent such infections in the future by warning you about a suspicious download. Of course, you can remove programs manually, but it can be difficult to identify PUPs as they are often disguised as handy tools that you use every day.

If you want to perform manual removal, you can follow the instructions posted below for Windows and Mac systems:

To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:

  • A decrease in performance
  • Damaged or missing files
  • Reformated hard disk
  • Frequent computer crashes
  • Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
  • Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
  • From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
  • Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
  • If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
  • Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
  • Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
  • In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
  • Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
  • At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
  • In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
  • Click OK once the removal process is finished.
  • From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  • In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
  • Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
  • Select Go > Go to Folder.
  • Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
  • In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
  • Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.

From our report of Dec 2021 · not reviewed since

More from our earlier report on Ourcoolstories.com

  • Disable push notifications via browser settings

How Ourcoolstories.com ads got into your browser

From our report of Dec 2021 · not reviewed since

Ourcoolstories.com, as well as other similar pages like Hreerfdfgo.club, Newtontanrec.casa, and Paymentsweb.org can rarely be found in the search results.

Usually, they are promoted on other shady sites that are full of deceptive ads and sneaky redirects. These are often pages that engage in illegal activities because they are unregulated.

Many of them have fake "Download" and "Play" buttons that open new tabs with ads in them when you click. If a person was looking for movies or TV shows to watch illegally, it is not hard to see how the scheme works. You should always be suspicious of pages that open up randomly and unexpectedly.

Nowadays there are plenty of streaming services to choose from where you can pay a small monthly subscription fee and watch as much content as you want. It is just not worth it anymore to surf through questionable pages and put yourself at risk of providing personal information to crooks or downloading PUPs (potentially unwanted programs) and malware.

Ourcoolstories.com: ourcoolstories com ads
Ourcoolstories.com in our 2021 report.

Check your browser and PC

  • Address: ourcoolstories.com

How to remove Ourcoolstories.com ads

How to stop Ourcoolstories.com notifications

Do this in every browser you use, and in every profile inside it: each keeps its own list of sites allowed to send notifications.

Nothing has to be uninstalled for the notifications themselves.

Which browser shows the ads?

  1. Step 1: Remove ourcoolstories.com from Chrome's notification list

    Chrome keeps a list of every site you once allowed to send notifications, and ourcoolstories.com is on it. Paste chrome://settings/content/notifications into the address bar, find ourcoolstories.com under Allowed to send notifications, open the three-dot menu next to it and pick Remove.

    Then click Add next to Not allowed to send notifications and type ourcoolstories.com, so the site cannot ask a second time. Repeat it in every Chrome profile you use on Windows 11 or Windows 10, since each profile has its own list.

    Chrome Settings, Notifications page with the allowed and not allowed site lists
    Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications.

    Full procedure with screenshots: Stop website notifications and pop-ups

Then, whichever browser you use

  1. Step 2: Scan the PC if you downloaded anything from the ads

    If you only saw the notifications and clicked nothing, you can stop before this step. If a notification led you to download or run something, delete that file, then scan Windows.

    In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, run a Full scan, then choose Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and Scan now. The offline scan restarts the PC and takes about 15 minutes on Windows 11 and Windows 10.

    Windows Security Scan options with Microsoft Defender Antivirus offline scan selected
    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.

Questions about Ourcoolstories.com ads

Why do I get notifications from ourcoolstories.com when the browser is closed?

Chrome and Edge can keep a small part running in the background so that sites can deliver notifications, and Windows shows them in its notification area. That is why messages from ourcoolstories.com keep arriving with no browser window open.

The permission to send them was granted when someone clicked Allow on a prompt from that site, often disguised as a robot check or a video player. Closing the browser does not remove it; only the notification settings do.

Remove ourcoolstories.com from the allowed sites and the background messages stop. You can also stop the browser from running in the background in its system settings, but the permission is the real fix.

I clicked a notification from ourcoolstories.com. What should I do?

If you only opened the page and closed it, nothing else is needed besides removing the permission from ourcoolstories.com. If the page asked for card details, a phone number or a password and you entered them, act on that: call the bank to block the card, or change the password from another device.

If it offered a download, delete the file unopened, or uninstall it from Installed apps if you ran it, then run a full scan. If you called a number shown on the page, follow the steps for callers in this guide. Finally, remove the permission so that no more messages arrive.

Why does Ourcoolstories.com show me ads?

Because that is its whole purpose. Ourcoolstories.com is a push-notification spam site, and its operators are paid for every ad it displays and every click it gets. In this case the ads take the form of desktop notifications.

They are chosen by ad networks that accept almost any advertiser, which is why so many look like warnings or prizes. The ads are not a sign that your PC is broken or infected with something worse; they are a sign that something on it, or in the browser, has permission to advertise. Removing that permission or program stops them.

Is ourcoolstories.com safe to visit?

No. The site ourcoolstories.com exists to push visitors towards ads, and the pages it leads to include fake virus warnings, fake updates, prize scams and notification prompts. Visiting it once does not infect an up-to-date PC, but anything you click or download there is a gamble.

Do not enter personal details, do not allow notifications and do not call phone numbers it shows. If it opens by itself, close the tab and check the browser's extensions and notification permissions. Blocking the single domain helps little, because the operators register new names regularly.

Which browser is sending the ourcoolstories.com notifications?

Each notification shows the name of the browser and the site in its small print. In the cases we saw, the messages from ourcoolstories.com came through Chrome, Edge and Firefox. Permissions are stored per browser and per profile, so removing the site in one browser does not affect another.

If you use several Chrome or Edge profiles, check each one. If you sync the browser with an account, remove the permission while signed in, otherwise another computer may still hold it and keep receiving the same messages.

How do I know the ads come from Ourcoolstories.com?

Look for notifications from ourcoolstories.com. That is the trace Ourcoolstories.com leaves, and it shows up as desktop notifications. Ads that appear on every site, including ones that never carried ads before, point to something on your PC or in the browser rather than to the sites themselves.

A quick test is a private window, where extensions are off by default: if the ads disappear there, an extension is responsible. If they appear even with the browser closed, the source is a notification permission or a program in Windows.

Why didn't my antivirus catch Ourcoolstories.com?

Many security products do not block adware or notification sites by default, because users often agreed to them, even through a misleading prompt. Notification spam installs nothing at all, so there is no file to detect.

In Windows 11 you can make Microsoft Defender block potentially unwanted apps: open Windows Security > App & browser control > Reputation-based protection settings and turn on Potentially unwanted app blocking. If notifications caused the pop-ups, no scanner will report them; the fix is in the browser's site settings.

Did clicking Allow install anything on my PC?

No. Allowing notifications stores a permission in the browser and nothing else. No file is downloaded and no program is added to Windows, which is also why antivirus scans find nothing. The risk comes later, from the notifications themselves: they lead to scam pages, fake updates and phishing forms.

Remove the permission in each browser where you allowed it. If you clicked a notification and downloaded something afterwards, delete that file and run a Microsoft Defender full scan and offline scan.

I clicked on one of the ads. Am I infected?

Probably not. Clicking an ad usually only opens a page, and a page cannot install programs on an up-to-date Windows PC without your help.

You are at risk only if you then downloaded and ran a file, allowed notifications, entered card or login details, or called a phone number shown on the page. Delete any download and run a full and offline scan.

Change passwords you typed, from a clean device. Call your bank if you gave card details. If you called a number or allowed remote access, see the next question.

Will Fortect remove Ourcoolstories.com?

No program removes Ourcoolstories.com itself, because there is nothing on the PC to remove: the notifications come through a permission saved in the browser, and only the browser's settings take it away, as the steps above show.

What Fortect can do is check the rest of Windows. Its free scan looks for malware, unwanted programs and damaged system files, which is useful if you clicked the ads, downloaded something from the pages they opened, or are not sure what else changed on the PC.

If the scan finds nothing and the notifications stopped after you removed the permission, this problem is solved. Use Microsoft Defender as a second opinion whenever you have downloaded files from pages like these.

Sources

  1. Stormshield: Illegal streaming: beware of the backlash (read October 6, 2026)
  2. Kaspersky: What are Cookies? (read October 6, 2026)
  3. Google Chrome Help: Use notifications to get alerts (no longer online) (read October 6, 2026)
  4. FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)
  5. Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 6, 2026)

More removal guides

Questions and experiences: Ourcoolstories.com ads

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