Browsers & Accounts · Extensions: Helpful or Harmful · Lesson 3 of 5

Extensions Installed Behind Your Back

Spot extensions you never added, then remove them and reset the browser.

Spotting Extensions You Never Added

Most extensions arrive because you clicked to add them. Some arrive another way.

When you install a free program, its installer may quietly add an extension too. Bundled extras like this are often called unwanted software. They usually change your search engine or add ads. Malware can do the same thing on purpose.

Here are the signs to look for on your extensions page:

• An extension you don't remember adding.
• A note like Installed by a program or added by a third party. A third party means someone other than you.
• A Remove button that is greyed out, so you can't click it.
• A building or briefcase icon next to the extension.

The last two often go with a message in the browser menu: Managed by your organization. In Chrome it appears at the bottom of the menu. In Edge it appears in the menu and at the top of Settings.

At work or school, that message is normal. Your IT team uses policies, which are rules that control the browser for everyone. On a home computer you bought yourself, it is a red flag. Unwanted software sometimes sets these company rules so you can't remove its extension or change your search engine.

To see who is managing your browser and what they changed, type one of these into the address bar:

• chrome://management in Chrome
• edge://management in Edge
• about:policies in Firefox

On a Mac, look in System Settings for Device Management or a profile you don't recognize.

If you find rules or extensions you never set up at home, don't panic. Next we'll clean them out.

Removing Them and Resetting

Here is how to clean up, step by step.

1. Remove the extension. In Chrome or Edge, open Manage extensions and click Remove. In Firefox, open Add-ons and themes and choose Remove. In Safari, open Settings, then Extensions, select it and click Uninstall.

2. Remove the program that brought it. If you skip this, the program may add the extension back. On Windows, open Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps, and uninstall anything you don't recognize. On a Mac, Safari extensions come inside apps, so delete the app.

3. Run a malware scan. Use Windows Security on a PC. You learned this earlier.

4. Reset the browser. A reset puts the browser's settings back to how they were when it was new. It fixes a hijacked search engine or home page.

• Chrome: Settings, then Reset settings, then Restore settings to their original defaults.
• Edge: Settings, then Reset settings, then Restore settings to their default values.
• Firefox: type about:support in the address bar and click Refresh Firefox. This removes extensions.

In Chrome, a reset keeps your bookmarks and saved passwords. It turns your extensions off, resets your search engine and home page, and clears cookies, so you'll need to sign back in to sites. Then turn back on only the extensions you trust.

If the Managed by your organization message is still there, or the Remove button stays grey, ask someone you trust to help. A tech who can check the computer's policies can fix it properly.