Watch it browser extension ads: what it is and how to remove it
Watch it browser extension might seem like your typical app that can help you find movies and other relevant videos. Its true purpose is quite a bit different, as it focuses on delivering pop-ups, banners, in-text links, deals, offers, and other annoying commercial content while users browse the web - this is one of the main reasons it is classified as adware.
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.
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Watch it browser extension ads: summary
| Distribution | Software bundles, third-party websites, deceptive ads |
|---|---|
| Name | Watch it browser extension |
| Type | Adware, potentially unwanted program |
| Alleged functionality | Allows access to movies and other media online |
| Symptoms | Installed unknown browser extension or application; intrusive advertisements while browsing the web; possible homepage and new tab address changes |
| Dangers | Redirects to malicious websites can result in unwanted site notifications, personal information disclosure to unknown parties, financial losses, installation of other potentially unwanted programs/malware |
| 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 6 more facts
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Program | Watch it browser extension |
| First seen | 3 May 2022 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Is Watch it browser extension ads dangerous?
From our report of May 2022 · not reviewed since
Watch it is an adware-type browser extension that inserts ads into websites you visit
Watch it browser extension might seem like your typical app that can help you find movies and other relevant videos.
Its true purpose is quite a bit different, as it focuses on delivering pop-ups, banners, in-text links, deals, offers, and other annoying commercial content while users browse the web - this is one of the main reasons it is classified as adware.
Watch it adware could be installed intentionally when trying to look for an easy way to access the latest movies, TV shows, and other media. However, many people noticed the app running on their browsers without seemingly never installing it. This happens due to software bundling - a popular but deceptive distribution technique for potentially unwanted programs. Alternatively, deceptive and malicious ads might also be used to deliver unwanted software.
From our report of May 2022 · not reviewed since
The fake functionality
Access to the latest movies and other multimedia might seem like a great addition to your browsing.
However, most adware and browser-hijacking apps fail to provide advertised functions and instead focus on monetization through advertisements. In other words, Watch it offered functions are fake.
It is not uncommon for adware or other PUPs to be named using words that are meant to reflect their purpose. In this case, it is implied that users can watch various videos for free, although this is not the case at all. The app's main purpose is to expose users to various advertisements whenever they browse the web on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, MS Edge, or another web browser.
Since developers of PUPs are commonly associated with insecure advertising networks, the produced ads may also not always be riskless. You might encounter links to websites that would ask to enable push notifications so even more ads would come your way or would tell you that you need to update software that isn't even installed on your device.
From our report of May 2022 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Watch it browser extension
- You can also choose the automatic method by using anti-malware instead
- After you eliminate all PUPs and malware, you should clean your browsers from cookies and other data to protect your privacy - you can use for that
How to remove Watch it browser extension ads
How to remove the Watch it browser extension extension
Do the browser steps in every browser and profile on the PC, then check Windows for the program that installed the extension.
Step 1: Remove extensions you did not add
Watch it browser extension 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 2: Uninstall Watch it browser extension
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11, or Settings > Apps > Apps & features in Windows 10.
Sort the list by install date and find Watch it browser extension, 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 3: 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 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
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 May 2022 · not reviewed since
Removal of potentially unwanted and malicious programs
This is especially important if you have found the app on your system without installing it intentionally, as malware could be installed on your system.
- 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 top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select unwanted plugin and click Remove.
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
- Click Safari > Preferences...
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
From our report of May 2022 · not reviewed since
Clean your browsers for better privacy
Adware is known for its data tracking capabilities, as it helps it to employ targeted advertising easier.
Besides, the data might be sold or shared with other third parties for even more profits. This, however, does not benefit users in any way, as, whenever the information is shared, it is in danger of being misused.
The easiest way to do this is by scanning your device with PC maintenance and repair solution. Alternatively, proceed with the following manual steps:
- 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 Safari > Clear History...
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
From our report of May 2022 · not reviewed since
Distribution and avoidance
As mentioned, some users might be tempted to install potentially unwanted programs when they are promised an advantageous feature or function, e.g., ad-blocking or "faster searches."
To avoid this, never install applications without researching more about them - read some reviews online and check out user comments on various boards.
However, users very commonly come across Watch it adware accidentally. They either install it along with freeware downloaded from third-party sources or by being tricked by deceptive ads.
Software bundling is a well-known distribution method in the cybersecurity world, as it is very commonly used by adware and other potentially unwanted application developers. Distributors receive a commission for every additional installation made, hence it makes sense for them to try making users install additional software.
When dealing with suspicious ads, never install software from random pages that claim your system has been infected or that it is missing something (such as Chrome or Flash update) - these requests are always fake and are likely to infect your computer with nasty malware.
Questions about Watch it browser extension ads
Can I safely uninstall Watch it browser extension?
If you did not install Watch it browser extension yourself and it is not part of your hardware or a program you rely on, yes. Uninstalling an unwanted program does not harm Windows.
Before you do, search the exact name and publisher to be sure it is not a driver tool, a printer utility or a game launcher with an odd name. Then remove it from Settings, Apps, Installed apps.
Ignore any offers or warnings in its uninstaller about losing protection or performance. Afterwards check Startup apps and your browsers for leftovers, and restart once to confirm that it does not reinstall itself.
Watch it browser extension will not uninstall. What can I do?
First restart the PC and try again, because the program may have been running and locked its own files. If the uninstaller is missing or fails, start Windows in Safe Mode, where most third-party programs do not start, and remove Watch it browser extension from Installed apps there.
If it still refuses, delete its startup entry and its scheduled task, restart, and try once more. A program that actively prevents removal is behaving like malware, so finish with a Microsoft Defender offline scan. Avoid third-party uninstallers offered on search ads; several of them are unwanted programs themselves.
Why is my browser so slow since the ads started?
Each page now does extra work. An adware extension reads the page, decides where to put ads, loads them from ad servers and reports your visit, and that happens on every tab. Ad-supported programs add their own background activity.
Removing the extension or program usually makes the browser fast again at once. If it stays slow, open the browser's own task manager with Shift+Esc in Chrome or Edge and look for extensions using a lot of memory or processor time.
My scan found nothing, but the ads continue. Why?
Because the source may not be a file a scanner looks for. Browser notifications are a permission stored in the browser, and many adware extensions are not flagged because they come from an official store.
Some ad-supported programs are only reported if you enable detection of potentially unwanted apps. So a clean scan does not mean the job is done. Check each browser's notification permissions and extension list by hand, and turn on Potentially unwanted app blocking in Windows Security before scanning again.
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.
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.
Did Watch it browser extension collect my data?
Adware typically collects what it needs to choose ads:
- the sites you visit
- search terms
- approximate location
- browser and system details
Extensions with permission to read and change data on all websites can technically see everything on those pages, including forms. That is a privacy problem rather than proof of theft.
If you typed card details or passwords while it was active, changing the most important passwords is a reasonable precaution. Clearing cookies after removal ends the tracking sessions it may have started.
Do I need to reset my browser after removing Watch it browser extension?
A reset is a good last step, because it undoes settings that the program changed. A reset restores the home page, new tab page and default search engine, and turns off extensions.
It does not delete your bookmarks or saved passwords in the main browsers. Add back only the extensions you trust, one at a time.
Will Fortect remove Watch it browser extension?
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 Watch it browser extension, 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: Targeted advertising (read October 6, 2026)
- Google Chrome Help: Use notifications to get alerts (no longer online) (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 6, 2026)