Zoom Player ads: what it is and how to remove it

Zoom Player (by Inmatrix) is an application you might have you been talked into downloading and installing. Even though the developers of this ad-supported software describe it as "the most powerful, flexible and customizable media player," it is, in fact, a worthless program.

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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Screenshot of Zoom Player: adware
Zoom Player as our 2021 report showed it.

Zoom Player ads: summary

Detection namesNo Microsoft detection name is known
DistributionNot recorded in the old report
DamageNot recorded in the old report
NameZoom Player
TypeAdware extension
SymptomsAn unknown program in Installed apps
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 4 more facts
EvidenceOne write-up by a security site; details still limited
ProgramZoom Player
First seen11 March 2021
Facts checked6 October 2026

Is Zoom Player ads dangerous?

From our report of Mar 2021 · not reviewed since

Zoom Player is a potentially unwanted program you should not trust for your video sessions

Zoom Player (by Inmatrix) is an application you might have you been talked into downloading and installing.

Even though the developers of this ad-supported software describe it as "the most powerful, flexible and customizable media player," it is, in fact, a worthless program.

Computer security experts have analyzed the functionality of it and assigned it to potentially unwanted programs' (PUPs) category, because instead of providing useful features, it concentrates on tracking computer user's activities and delivering targeted ads.

Zoom Player adware displays obtrusive online advertisements in various forms, including:

What is more, these ads by Zoom Player can lead you to possibly dangerous Internet sites, so it is advisable not to click on them.

We have investigated how this software works and discovered that it collects information about the computer user. Although the information Zoom Player PUP is interested in is not considered personally identifiable, it can still include some details that can reveal the user's identity.

The information it gathers includes the user's browsing history, time spent on particular websites, web search queries, IP address, and computer geolocation. All this information is used to create and serve catchy-looking ads. Take a look at these statements from Zoom Player's legal documents:

Let us explain why you should not click on ads by Zoom Player. Most of them carry hyperlinks that lead to various third-party websites, which have their own terms and privacy policies. Adware is not responsible for the content these websites provide.

You might be forced to visit adult-oriented Internet sites or web pages that promote various questionable (and possibly malicious) computer programs and other websites you might not want to visit. On top of that, the daily dose of ads this ad-supported program serves makes the computer lag or simply run slow.

We have no doubts that you would like to avoid such inconveniences. Remember, you need to properly clean web browsers to avoid reinfection - you can do that quickly with .

  • in-text links;
  • banners;
  • pop-ups;
  • auto-play video;
  • interstitial, and other ads.
Screenshot of Zoom Player: adware
Zoom Player in our 2021 report.

From our report of Mar 2021 · not reviewed since

Adware is hiding within software bundles on third-party sites

If you cannot remember installing Zoom Player, you should try to recall what free programs you have recently installed.

Usually, potentially unwanted applications spread in software bundles along with well-known free programs, such as games, media players, download managers, and similar software.

So if you have lately installed some free apps, there is a good chance that ZPDownload was attached to one of them. To avoid downloading and installing PUPs, you need to be picky when choosing what software you download to your computer.

Make sure you choose only trustworthy download sources and install your downloads in a proper way. Many free programs suggest installing one or a few "recommended downloads." Still, such suggestions are often hidden under Default/Standard installation options, and so computer users do not even notice them. Therefore, you have to switch installation settings to Custom or Advanced ones and opt-out all unwanted applications added to your desired software.

From our report of Mar 2021 · not reviewed since

More from our earlier report on Zoom Player

  • As part of the Software, Services or Site third parties' content, such as software, creative material, applications, services, websites and advertising material (promoted by links or otherwise) may be made available to the User.
  • User acknowledges that he or she is aware that the Software, Services or Site, also incorporate features and/or monetization tools through which Software Provider, or other third parties, provide the User with information and/or content (including third parties' content).

How to remove Zoom Player ads

How to remove the Zoom Player extension

Do the browser steps in every browser and profile on the PC, then check Windows for the program that installed the extension.

  1. Step 1: Remove extensions you did not add

    In Chrome open chrome://extensions, in Edge edge://extensions, and in Firefox the menu > Extensions and themes.

    Remove every extension you do not remember adding, especially search, new tab, coupon, PDF, weather or video downloader add-ons. Check every browser and every profile, because each keeps its own list.

    If an extension has no Remove button or comes back, a browser policy holds it (see "Managed by your organization" in the procedure below). The pages are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.

    Chrome menu with Extensions and Manage extensions highlighted
    Chrome on Windows 11: More > Extensions > Manage extensions.

    Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension

  2. Step 2: Uninstall Zoom Player

    Zoom Player is removed like any other program, from the list of installed apps. In Windows 11 that is Settings > Apps > Installed apps, in Windows 10 Settings > Apps > Apps & features, and in both you can also use Control Panel > Programs and Features.

    Select Zoom Player, click Uninstall and follow the uninstaller to the end. Then look at the entries just above and below it when the list is sorted by date: bundled programs install at the same minute.

    Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix

  3. Step 3: Reset the browser

    A reset removes what the steps above could miss:

    • changed start pages
    • site permissions
    • hidden settings

    In Chrome open Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults; in Edge Settings > Reset settings; in Firefox Help > More troubleshooting information > Refresh Firefox.

    Tip: Bookmarks and saved passwords stay, while extensions are turned off and the search engine and start page return to the defaults.

    Reset every browser on the PC, including Edge, which Windows 11 and Windows 10 always have.

    Chrome Settings page with the Reset settings section open
    Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Reset settings.

    Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine

  4. Step 4: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan

    A scan finds the parts of Zoom Player that the manual steps cannot see. In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, start a Full scan and quarantine what it reports.

    Follow it with Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) > Scan now, which restarts the PC and checks the disk while Windows and the malware are not running.

    It takes about 15 minutes and works the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10. If either scan finds something, run the full scan again after removal until it comes back clean.

    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

Instructions for each browser and system

The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.

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
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
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
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
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.

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.

From our report of Mar 2021 · not reviewed since

Uninstall Zoom Player adware and other questionable programs from your computer

If you are tired of ads and other unwanted browser behavior, you should know that the only way to stop them once and for all is to remove Zoom Player virus from your computer. If you would like to protect your computer from other adware programs and also more severe viruses, we suggest you secure your computer by installing trustworthy anti-spyware software.

If you do not want to obtain computer security software, please follow the Zoom Player removal instructions that our research team has provided. Please follow each step carefully and get rid of all programs that raise your suspicion, and you will never see Zoom Player ads again.

Questions about Zoom Player ads

Can I safely uninstall Zoom Player?

If you did not install Zoom Player 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.

How do I stop programs like Zoom Player from being installed again?

Most unwanted programs arrive through installers, so the fix is in how you install software. Download programs from their official sites or the Microsoft Store, not from download portals or ads above search results. During setup, choose Custom or Advanced installation and untick every extra offer, including browsers, toolbars and optimizers.

Decline update prompts that appear inside other programs unless you know them. In Windows Security, turn on reputation-based protection and potentially unwanted app blocking. These steps would most likely have stopped Zoom Player before it reached the app list.

Does adware steal passwords?

Ordinary adware is built to show ads, not to steal logins, and most of it never touches saved passwords. The line is blurry, though. Extensions that can read every page could capture what you type, and adware ads sometimes lead to phishing pages that ask for passwords directly.

If you entered credentials on a page reached through an ad, change that password from a clean device and turn on two-step verification. Otherwise, removing adware extension and clearing cookies is usually enough.

An ad showed a phone number and I called it. What now?

The number belongs to scammers, not to Microsoft or an antivirus company. If you only talked, hang up and do not call back. If you let them connect to the PC, disconnect it from the internet, uninstall the remote access program they used, such as AnyDesk, TeamViewer, ScreenConnect or UltraViewer, and run a full and offline scan.

If you paid or gave bank details, call your bank at once on the number printed on your card. Change any passwords you typed while they were connected, and report the call.

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.

Why didn't my antivirus catch Zoom Player?

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.

Can adware slow down my PC?

Yes. Adware runs in the background, loads ad scripts, opens extra tabs and contacts its servers, all of which use processor time, memory and bandwidth. Ad-heavy extensions also slow down every page, because they inspect and change it before you see it.

The effect is strongest on older PCs and when several adware programs arrived together. After removal, restart the PC and check Task Manager for anything still using a lot of resources that you do not recognise. Speed usually returns to normal once the ads stop.

What is Zoom Player?

Zoom Player (by Inmatrix) is an application you might have you been talked into downloading and installing. Even though the developers of this ad-supported software describe it as "the most powerful, flexible and customizable media player," it is, in fact, a worthless program.

The summary table at the top of this guide lists the type, the detection names, the symptoms and the damage of Zoom Player. Reading it first helps you decide whether your computer shows the same signs. The removal plan below it works in order, from the safest step to the more thorough ones.

Will Fortect remove Zoom Player?

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 Zoom Player, 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

  1. Google Chrome Help: Use notifications to get alerts (no longer online) (read October 6, 2026)
  2. FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)
  3. Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 6, 2026)
  4. Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 6, 2026)

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