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Spyware News
  • Active
  • Severity: Medium
  • Adware
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Aug 2019

How to remove polo4.me

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

Olivia Morelli · Ransomware analyst

polo4.me – a dubious website that supports the Marco Polo app

polo4.me PUP

polo4.me is a questionable website that offers users the installation of Marco Polo application created by Joya Communications Inc. Unfortunately, the app is known to disturb users' web browsing sessions on Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and other browsers by injecting them with pop-ups, banners, deals, offers, in-text links, auto-play ads, and similar unwanted content. While PC and macOS users can be victims of this adware,[1] the unwanted program is most prominent in Androids and iPhones. Users also complained about receiving strange text messages from the app, asking to click on a suspicious link.[2] polo4.me should not be trusted, as the questionable activity can lead to malware[3] infections, data leak or money loss.

Summary
Name polo4.me
Type Adware
Infiltration Google Play, App Store, bogus networks, and third-party software packages
Compatible with Windows, Android, macOS, iOS
Affected browsers Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Opera, and others
Symptoms Intrusive ads disturbing internet browsing, unauthorized text messages sent to users in the contact list
Elimination Use security software or our guide below. After removal, scan your device with FortectIntego to make sure it is in a fully working state

Initially, polo4.me adware might not cause any harm, as it is a legitimate application offered on official stores. However, not all apps that come from official sources are entirely safe, and polo4.me is one of them. Rogue programs often prompt users to interact with the commercial content, or click on certain links to achieve its goals. 

The primary purpose of the suspicious application is displaying sponsored links and ads, in order to increase the revenue to its developers. However, polo4.me links are not always safe, and users who are not attentive enough can get themselves in trouble. The app might force the user to land on an unsecured website that has malware strains in it.

Therefore, we advise users not to interact with suspicious links and other content the app shows and remove polo4.me from iPhone, Android, Windows OS or iOS devices immediately. This adware program might even try to lure you into scams that aim to swindle money or personal information from the user. Be aware of such scamming messages as they can force you to face big monetary losses or reveal private data to complete strangers.

Despite being available on the official stores, polo4.me adware can enter machines with the help of software bundling. The optional install is included within the download manager and often hidden under Advanced installation mode. Thus, users often miss the step by picking Recommended settings. This is one of the reasons why this ad-supported application is also recognized by the term polo4.me virus.

polo4.me virus

Another concern when it comes to polo4.me is information gathering. The app is known to collect personal data using third-party services. The information is harvested with the help of such technologies as cookies and beacons.

We use a third-party Service Provider (defined below) to automatically log information about you and your computer or mobile device, and how you use and interact with the Service.

Such information might refer to the user's name, surname, email address, residence address, browser type used, OS used, and various browsing activity-related data such as links clicked, pages entered, offers search for, bookmarks saved, and similar. Later on, these details are very likely to be used to provide attractive-looking offers to you.

In general, the app acts similarly to malware, as it sends out text messages from the host phone without the owner's consent. Therefore, such operation of the adware is suspicious, to say the least. Furthermore, as long as it is a PUP, PUPs such as adware apps are capable of modifying browsers' homepage and new tab URL zones. polo4.me might also make such changes to your browser apps (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Explorer, Safari).

If you have lately been bothered by this adware and its activities, you should opt for the polo4.me removal process. This type of task can be carried out in two different techniques. The first one is known as the automatical version which involves antivirus software such as FortectIntego while the other one requires cleaning both the operating system and web browsers on your own. Find detailed instructions at the end of this article.

polo4.me adware

Adware is hidden as an optional component in software bundles

Software bundling is the most common distribution technique used by freeware developers and PUP authors. While many question the integrity of the practice, it is widely used, but most end users are not aware of it. Therefore, it is vital to find out how to bypass unwanted applications during the installation of free software downloaded from the internet.

Experts[4] recommend following these simple tips:

  • Choose legitimate sources for your downloads. Avoid third-party file sharing sites;
  • When installing a new program, make sure you read ToS and Privacy Policy (never install applications that do not provide such documents);
  • When prompted, pick Custom or Advanced installation settings (avoid Recommended/Quick ones at all costs);
  • Remove all the pre-checked marks next to add-ons, media players, system optimizers, and similar useless software;
  • Make sure you run anti-malware software[5] at all times.

Uninstall polo4.me virus from Android, iPhone, PC, and Mac

To remove polo4.me ads from your device, several steps must be executed. Down below, you will find detailed instructions on how to eliminate potentially unwanted applications from the system, as well as how to clean your browsers afterward. As soon as polo4.me removal is complete, make sure you run PC repair software like FortectIntego for best results.

To get rid of polo4.me virus from Android, follow these steps:

  • Power off your phone
  • Press the Power button and immediately press and hold both the Volume Up and Volume Down
  • Once the device boots, you will be in the Safe Mode
  • Go to Apps and uninstall Marco Polo and any other suspicious entries from your phone
  • Reboot to exit Safe mode

To eliminate polo4.me from iPhone or iPad, follow these instructions:

  • Power off your phone
  • Turn it back on, and, as soon as the device light up, hold down Volume down button until you see Apple logo
  • Once the device boots, you will be in the Safe Mode
  • Now, select Settings > Storage
  • Select the app you want to delete and select Delete app
  • Repeat the above to eliminate all the suspicious entries on your iOS

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
  2. Pick Manage Add-ons.
  3. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

  1. Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
  2. Select Reset.
  3. In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.Reset Internet Explorer

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.

Reset Google Chrome:

If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari

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