Watch it adware (Free Guide)
Watch it adware Removal Guide
What is Watch it adware?
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.
| Name | Watch it browser extension |
|---|---|
| Type | Adware, potentially unwanted program |
| Alleged functionality | Allows access to movies and other media online |
| Distribution | Software bundles, third-party websites, deceptive ads |
| 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 |
| Elimination | Check the manual guide below to get rid of the unwanted extension manually. You can also choose the automatic method by using SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner anti-malware instead |
| Other tips | After you eliminate all PUPs and malware, you should clean your browsers from cookies and other data to protect your privacy – you can use FortectIntego for that |
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. Thus, we recommend staying away from these types of ads entirely.
We recommend you remove Watch it adware and instead trust reliable sources that would actually help you find multimedia content – there are plenty of platforms such as YouTube, which have millions of hours worth of free content, for example.
Removal of potentially unwanted and malicious programs
Before you proceed with Watch it removal, we recommend you perform a full system scan with powerful anti-malware software, such as SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes. 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.
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 the suspicious plugins that might be related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
Mozilla Firefox
- 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.
MS Edge
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
Safari
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Clean your browsers for better privacy
Adware is known for its data tracking capabilities, as it helps it to employ targeted advertising[1] 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.
Therefore, we recommend taking care of trackers that are placed on your machine by adware. The easiest way to do this is by scanning your device with FortectIntego PC maintenance and repair solution. Alternatively, proceed with the following manual steps:
Google 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.
Mozilla Firefox
- Click Menu and pick Options.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data…
- Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content and press Clear.
MS Edge
- 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.
Safari
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
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[2] downloaded from third-party sources or by being tricked by deceptive ads.
Software bundling[3] 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.
To avoid being a victim of this unfair practice, we recommend paying close attention to the installation process of new software – always choose the Advanced/Custom method instead of Recommended/Quick method, watch out for fine print text, misplaced buttons, and similar tricks used by PUP distributors.
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.
How to prevent from getting adware
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 Private Internet Access 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, or 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, Data Recovery Pro can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
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- ^ Targeted advertising. Wikipedia. The free encyclopedia.
- ^ Tim Fisher. What Is Freeware?. Lifewire. Tech News, Reviews, Help & How-Tos.
- ^ Bundled Software. Techopedia. Professional IT insight.