Optavut Virus

Optavut

iPhone users may easily be annoyed by the never-ending stream of pop-ups and page-redirects that an app called Optavut showers them with. Security professionals don’t see it as a major threat but Optavut shouldn’t be left to spam you either. In the next lines, we will tell you what to expect from such an app and how to easily remove it.

Optavut

The Optavut Virus will display fake messages.

This app is a common source of browsing disturbance and is one of the latest browser hijackers that target iOS devices. The most common way in which Optavut may trigger problems with your android smartphone or tablet is by constantly inviting you to visit different sponsored links while you surf the web. In addition, as most browser hijackers, this one may fill your screen with different annoying pop-up messages, banner ads, and notifications that prompt you to click on them. This ad-generating and page-redirecting activity may often slow down your browser and other apps on the infected device.

Programs like Optavut normally trigger modifications in the settings of Chrome, Firefox, and Safari that are unwanted by most users. For example, they may change the default search with another one you don’t want to use and substituted the address of the homepage with a URL that you don’t trust. Different new buttons, shortcuts to sponsored pages, and toolbars may also be introduced to the hijacked web browser by Optavut without any approval from your side.

And if it doesn’t sound like a sufficient justification to uninstall Optavut right away, the fact that such software may expose your android device to random web materials with questionable origins is definitely not to be ignored. Threats like ransomware, Trojans, and other viruses may lurk anywhere and one careless click on a misleading pop-up or a redirect link may easily cost you a nasty infection.

SUMMARY:

Name Optavut
Type  Browser Hijacker

Optavut iPhone Removal

If you have an iPhone virus, continue with the guide below.

If you have an Android virus, please use our Android Malware Removal guide.

If you have a Mac virus, please use our How to remove Ads on Mac guide.

If you have a Windows virus, please use our Windows Virus Removal guide.

Step1

First you need to close all pop-ups that are currently open.

  • If the pop-up has a checkbox named “Don’t show more alerts from this webpage” click on the checkbox before closing the Ad.
  • If a Block Alerts button happens to appear after you shut down a pop-up on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch tab that button to stop receiving alerts from the same page.

In case that a pop-up fails to close after performing the above operations:

  • On your Mac you should make your Safari browser close forcibly by pressing Command-Option-Esc. Select Safari from the list of Apps and force close it. After you force close it you need to restart Safari, but please hold the shift button while it starts. This will prevent any pesky Ads from opening automatically.
  • On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch you can do the same by pressing the home button twice in a quick succession. You’ll then see a preview of all apps that have been recently used. Swipe left to find Safari and then swipe up on the app’s preview to close it forcibly In order to prevent Safari from opening unwanted windows on startup go to Settings->Safari and Clear History, as well as Website Data. This will also clear your browser history and cookies so keep that in mind and export them if you want to keep them.

Step2

Choose Preferences from the Safari menu. Then do the following:

  1. Select the Security icon and then click on “Block pop-up windows“. This should stop many types of pop-ups from appearing.
  1. Next check on your homepage and the settings for the search engines. Adware likes messing with those. We can not provide more specific instructions for this, as you may be using many different browsers.
    • Select the General icon and look at the Homepage field. It should either be empty or filled with the address of the Homepage you want.
    • Follow up on the Search icon. Again it should be either the default search engine or any that you have set for yourself. Note that in some versions of Safari these settings are found in the General panel/

Step3

Open Safari and click on the Extensions button. Note that Adware use extensions almost exclusively to inject the pop-up Ads into your browser. Any extension on this list that you do not remember installing yourself is likely planted there by the Adware. Remove ALL extensions you are unfamiliar with. 

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About the author

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Lidia Howler

Lidia is a web content creator with years of experience in the cyber-security sector. She helps readers with articles on malware removal and online security. Her strive for simplicity and well-researched information provides users with easy-to-follow It-related tips and step-by-step tutorials.

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