What is SpeedJoy? – A Complete Guide on How to Remove it from Your Mac

Are you a Mac user? Have you been experiencing frequent pop-up ads, irrelevant ads, or unexpected changes to your web browser settings? Then, there’s a high chance you’ve been infected with SpeedJoy adware. But what is SpeedJoy, and how can you remove it from your Mac? This complete guide on SpeedJoy will answer all your questions and provide guidelines on its removal.

What Is SpeedJoy?

SpeedJoy is an advertising malware that infects Mac devices. Its main objective is to inject its own ads into websites visited by the victim. This intrusive behavior can be annoying and frustrating to the user. Moreover, the adware can acquire the victim’s private information such as browsing history, search phrases, and surfing patterns. This can pose a significant security risk, which needs to be addressed.

Apart from invasion of privacy, SpeedJoy can also interfere with the performance of your Mac device. It can cause your device to slow down and can also interfere with your antivirus program. Moreover, the malware allows advertisers to track users’ web browsing patterns, which can make your Mac device even more vulnerable by allowing the installation of unwanted apps or other harmful software.

How to Remove SpeedJoy Adware?

If you suspect that your Mac device has been infected with SpeedJoy adware and want to get rid of it, follow the instructions below.

Step 1: Remove SpeedJoy and Associated Files

Removing the adware application is the first step to take in getting rid of SpeedJoy. The malware takes the form of an application and can be removed easily with a few clicks. Ensure that you delete leftovers and files related to the adware, as well.

Here are the steps to follow:

  1. Open the Finder application from the Dock.
  2. On the left sidebar, select Application.
  3. Find SpeedJoy, and then right-click its icon. Choose Move to trash.
  4. Click “Go” from the Finder toolbar and select “Go to folder” from the expanded menu.
  5. Search for the following paths for files associated with the SpeedJoy app, and delete them:

~/Library/LaunchAgents

~/Library/Application

/Library/LaunchAgents

/Library/LaunchDaemons

  1. From the Dock, right-click the Trash application and select Empty Trash to delete the files permanently.

Step 2: Remove Profiles Created by SpeedJoy

SpeedJoy can prevent users from reverting to their default browser settings. Therefore, removing the profiles added by SpeedJoy is required to ensure that configurations are not altered again once they have been reverted.

Here are the steps to follow:

  1. Click the Apple logo in the top left corner of the screen and select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.
  2. On the System Preferences window, find and click Profiles. If you cannot find Profiles, you do not have profiles on your Mac, and you can skip this step.
  3. Find and remove profiles that may be associated with the adware. Click the minus button on the lower left part of the window to remove the profile.

Step 3: Reset the Infected Browser

Your browsing program is most likely affected by SpeedJoy. Resetting it will undo any changes done by the adware.

Here’s how to reset the browser:

For Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome and click the three dots in the upper right corner of your screen to access the Google Chrome menu.
  2. Click the Settings button, then click the Advanced menu on the left side of the screen from the settings menu.
  3. On the drop-down menu, select Reset settings and click on the Restore settings to their original defaults.
  4. A small window will appear. Click the Reset Settings button.

For Safari:

  1. Open Finder and navigate to the Applications/Utilities folder.
  2. Copy and paste each of these code lines separately in Terminal. Some of the first codes will have a confirmation line. Type “y” to confirm.
rm -Rf ~/Library/Cookies/*;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Cache/*;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Safari/*;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Caches/Apple\ -\ Safari\ -\ Safari\ Extensions\ Gallery;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.WebKit.PluginProcess;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Cookies/Cookies.binarycookies;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/Apple\ -\ Safari\ -\ Safari\ Extensions\ Gallery;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.LSSharedFileList.plist;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.RSS.plist;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.plist;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.WebFoundation.plist;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.WebKit.PluginHost.plist;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.WebKit.PluginProcess.plist;
rm -Rf ~/Library/PubSub/Database;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State/com.apple.Safari.savedState;
  1. After running all the codes to the Terminal application, the Safari browser should look as good as new.

For Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Launch Mozilla Firefox browser, then open the menu by clicking the three horizontal lines located in the upper right corner.
  2. Navigate down and click Help, then select More Troubleshooting Information from the options given.
  3. Select the Refresh Firefox button.
  4. A confirmation window will appear asking you to click Refresh Firefox.

Step 4: Scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a powerful program that helps to detect and remove malware from your Mac device. It also has advanced threat detection tools that ensure that any harmful virus on your computer is eliminated completely. Here are the steps to follow:

  1. Download Malwarebytes from the official anti-malware website.
  2. After the file has finished downloading, click on the installation package and run the file to start installing the application.
  3. Follow the installation process, and when required, enter your password and click Install Software.
  4. Wait for Malwarebytes Anti-malware to finish installing on the Mac system.
  5. Once the process is complete, the application will open, click on the Get started button, and follow the procedure to start using Malwarebytes.
  6. After the initial start-up, scan your Mac device. The scanning process may take a while, depending on how many files you have on your system.
  7. Malwarebytes will show all the malware identified on the machine after the scan. You can remove the detected threats by pressing the quarantine button.
  8. Once you’re done, turn on Malwarebytes Real-Time Protection to secure your computer and detect threats as soon as they appear.

Tips to Be Safe Online

Here are tips to ensure that you remain safe online:

  • Avoid websites with unique domain extensions other than .com, .org, .net, and .edu to avoid infected websites.
  • Never download software or programs from unknown sources as it is one of the most common ways for adware and other types of malware to attack your computer.
  • Use a firewall as it serves as a first line of defense against dangerous websites and protects the user’s network and device from intruders.
  • Keep anti-virus software up-to-date on your computer to counter new threats and safeguard your machine.
  • Only visit websites with a secured connection as entering personal.