Protectyour-device.com ads: what it is and how to remove it
Protectyour-device.com is a redirect virus that may be caused by a malicious browser extension or program installed on your machine. It promotes various shady sites that advertise bogus plugins, and programs, or try to trick people into subscribing to push notifications.
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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Protectyour-device.com ads: summary
| Distribution | Shady websites, malicious ads, freeware installations |
|---|---|
| NAME | Protectyour-device.com |
| TYPE | Redirect virus; adware |
| SYMPTOMS | Users get redirected to random shady pages |
| DANGERS | Redirects to dangerous websites can lead to personal information disclosure to cybercriminals, installations of potentially unwanted programs or malware |
| Detection names | No 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
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
|---|---|
| Name | Protectyour-device.com |
| Type | Push-notification spam site |
| Symptoms | Notification spam from a website |
| Evidence | 5 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Domains | protectyour-device.com |
| Ads shown as | Desktop notifications |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| Installed on the PC | Nothing; a browser notification permission only |
| First seen | 17 October 2022 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
Is Protectyour-device.com ads dangerous?
From our report of Oct 2022 · not reviewed since
Protectyour-device.com can cause users to end up on shady sites that promote scams
Protectyour-device.com is a redirect virus that may be caused by a malicious browser extension or program installed on your machine.
It promotes various shady sites that advertise bogus plugins, and programs, or try to trick people into subscribing to push notifications.
The ads may come from rogue advertising networks that place links leading to dangerous websites. People report seeing sites that look like security alerts. People can get tricked into providing personal information, downloading PUPs (potentially unwanted programs), and even malware.
Users might end up on one of the scams promoted by Protectyour-device.com when browsing through shady websites. Do not click on random links and ads even if they seem to be promoting legitimate products and services.
From our report of Oct 2022 · not reviewed since
Check the extension list in your browser
Sometimes adware can come in the form of a browser extension.
As a plugin, it can gain certain permissions to alter your browser settings which allows it to perform unwanted tasks.
It may not be named Protectyour-device.com, sometimes malicious extensions are made to look like very popular ones to not cause any suspicion. You can follow our guide:
MS Edge (Chromium)
MS Edge (legacy)
- 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 the suspicious plugins that might be related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the window's top-right).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select the unwanted plugin and click Remove.
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
- 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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
- Click Safari > Preferences...
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
From our report of Oct 2022 · not reviewed since
Scan your system
If you have recently installed any programs from freeware distribution sites, peer-to-peer file-sharing platforms, or torrent sites, there is a big possibility you experience the symptoms because of them.
Because freeware distributors do not make any money from giving away software for free, they include additional programs in the installers that monetize user activity (collect data about browsing activities, generate ads, etc.)
The best option is to get your software only from official sources because it is always the safest but we know it can get costly. The next time you want to install freeware or shareware, we suggest you follow some security measures to avoid the installation of PUPs as much as possible:
If you have installed any programs recently, we suggest removing them to see if the unwanted symptoms disappear. If you do not know how you can follow instructions for Windows and Mac machines:
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- Always choose the "Custom" or "Advanced" installation methods
- Read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy to find out what the application will be able to do in your machine and what data will it collect
- Inspect the file list and untick the boxes next to any files that seem unrelated
- 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 the uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
- 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 Oct 2022 · not reviewed since
Clear your browsers
Adware can collect browsing-related information with cookies which are small data files stored on your device.
Normally, they provide the ability for websites and web-based applications to personalize the user experience. However, the collected data can be sold to third parties, and advertising networks, which can use them to target you with ads even more.
If the pages you visit or plugins you use do not have strong security measures in place, cookies can even be hijacked and used for malicious purposes. Those small data files can contain information like your IP address, the websites you visit, links you click on, and things you purchase online.
That is why it is so important to clean cookies and cache regularly to avoid this information landing in the wrong hands. Besides that, it can fix various system errors, registry issues, and corrupted files which is especially useful after a virus infection.
MS Edge (Chromium)
MS Edge (legacy)
- 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.
- Click Menu and pick Options.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content and press Clear.
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.
- Click Safari > Clear History...
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
From our report of Oct 2022 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Protectyour-device.com
- It is best to use professional security software to scan your machine for malicious programs
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
protectyour-device.com
How to remove Protectyour-device.com ads
How to stop Protectyour-device.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?
Step 1: Remove protectyour-device.com from Chrome's notification list
Open More (the three dots) > Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications, or paste
chrome://settings/content/notificationsinto the address bar.Under Allowed to send notifications, open the menu next to
protectyour-device.comand choose Remove or Block, and do the same for any other address you do not recognise.Next to Not allowed to send notifications, click Add and enter protectyour-device.com, so the site cannot ask again. The menus are the same in Chrome on Windows 11 and Windows 10, and each Chrome profile keeps its own list.
Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications. Full procedure with screenshots: Stop website notifications and pop-ups
Step 1: Remove protectyour-device.com from Edge's notification list
Edge stores its own permission list, separate from Chrome's, and it is often the browser behind these pop-ups on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Site permissions > All permissions > Notifications, or paste
edge://settings/content/notifications. Removeprotectyour-device.comfrom Allowed, then add it under Not allowed to send notifications. Notifications that show the Edge logo come from this list.
Edge on Windows 11: Site permissions > All permissions > Notifications. Full procedure with screenshots: Stop website notifications and pop-ups
Step 1: Remove protectyour-device.com from Firefox's notification permissions
In Firefox the permission sits in Settings > Permissions and data > Notifications (in older versions Privacy & Security > Notifications > Settings). Select
protectyour-device.comin the list, click Remove Website, and confirm with Save Changes.Firefox only shows these notifications while it is open, so if they stopped after closing Firefox, this is the browser to clean. The steps are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Firefox on Windows 11: the Notification Permissions window. Full procedure with screenshots: Stop website notifications and pop-ups
Then, whichever browser you use
Step 2: Scan the PC if you downloaded anything from the ads
Most people who only saw the notifications can skip this step. If a notification or the page it opened made you download or run a file, delete the file and run a full scan, then a Microsoft Defender Offline scan.
In Windows 11 and Windows 10 open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, select Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and click Scan now. The PC restarts and the scan takes about 15 minutes, so save your work first.
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 Protectyour-device.com ads
Why do I get notifications from protectyour-device.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 protectyour-device.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 protectyour-device.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.
Did a notification from protectyour-device.com infect my computer?
A notification cannot infect a PC. It is a short text with a link that the browser displays. Clicking it opens a page, and a page cannot install anything unless you agree to a download and run the file.
So the answer depends on what you did after clicking. Looked and closed: you are fine. Downloaded but did not open: delete the file.
Opened a downloaded file: uninstall what it added and scan the PC. Typed card or login details: contact the bank and change the password. In every case, remove protectyour-device.com from the browser's allowed notifications so the messages stop.
What is Protectyour-device.com?
Protectyour-device.com is a push-notification spam site, a kind of adware. It earns money by showing desktop notifications, and each view, click or redirect pays whoever runs it. It is not something people usually choose; it arrives through a free download, a fake button or a misleading prompt.
Protectyour-device.com does not encrypt files or take control of Windows, but its ads are sold to anyone, including scam operators, so they can lead to fake virus warnings and unwanted downloads. The steps in this guide remove it from Windows and from each browser.
Why does protectyour-device.com keep showing up?
There are two possible reasons. If it appears as desktop notifications, a browser on this PC was given permission to receive them from protectyour-device.com, usually through a misleading prompt. That permission stays until you remove it in the browser's site settings.
If it appears as tabs or redirects, an ad on a site you visit is opening it, or an extension or program on the PC is. Test a private window: if protectyour-device.com never appears there, an extension is the likely cause. The plan above covers each case.
Do I have to change settings in every browser?
Only in the browsers that allowed protectyour-device.com, but checking all of them takes a minute and is worth it. We saw the notifications in Chrome, Edge and Firefox. Chrome and Edge keep their notification lists under site settings, and Firefox under Privacy & Security > Permissions.
Remove protectyour-device.com and any other unfamiliar site from each list, then turn off new notification requests if you do not need them. Remember that every browser profile has its own list, so a second profile can keep the messages coming after you clean the first.
Are the pop-ups I see really from Protectyour-device.com?
Compare them with the details in the table above. Protectyour-device.com produces desktop notifications, and the clearest sign of it is notifications from protectyour-device.com. Other adware looks similar, so check the name of the sending site at the bottom of a notification, the address in the tab that opened, or the newest entries on the extensions page.
If those match, this guide fits. If you see a different name, the same kind of steps apply, but remove the item you actually find rather than guessing.
Is it safe to click Block or Allow on a notification prompt?
Clicking Block is safe; it only tells the browser not to show notifications from that site. Clicking Allow is not dangerous to your files either, but it gives the site a channel to your desktop that spam sites abuse at once.
The prompt itself is part of the browser, so you can trust its buttons. What you cannot trust is the text on the page around it. If a page explains why you must click Allow, choose Block or close the tab.
Can an adware pop-up infect my PC just by appearing?
No. A pop-up, a notification or a new tab is only a web page or a message. It cannot run programs on Windows by itself, provided the browser and Windows are up to date. Infection needs a step from you:
- running a downloaded file
- installing an extension
- giving a stranger remote access
That is why scam pages work so hard to make you click. Close such pages with the tab's X or by closing the browser, not with buttons inside the page, which may start a download.
I let a "support technician" from an ad connect to my PC. What should I do?
Act quickly but calmly. Disconnect the PC from the internet first, so the connection ends. Uninstall the remote access tool they asked you to install and check Installed apps for anything else added during the call.
Run a Microsoft Defender full scan and offline scan. From another device, change your e-mail and banking passwords and sign out of all sessions.
If you paid by card, bank transfer or gift card, contact your bank or the card issuer immediately, and report the scam to the police. Do not answer if they call back.
Will Fortect remove Protectyour-device.com?
No program removes Protectyour-device.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
- Wikipedia: Potentially unwanted program (read October 7, 2026)
- Malwarebytes: Adware (read October 7, 2026)
- Dataprot: What Are Cookies? The Good and the Bad of Browser Cookies (read October 7, 2026)
- Google Chrome Help: Use notifications to get alerts (no longer online) (read October 7, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 7, 2026)