Remove ActiveFormat

ActiveFormat is a Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUP) for Mac. You may notice it on your system even though you do not recall installing it. This is because this PUP often arrives through the help of disruptive tricks and techniques. Often, users end up installing ActiveFormat unknowingly, usually after interacting with a software bundle. Software bundles are relatively common and you have probably seen them without knowing. When you download a free app and try to install it, it might provide you with offers to install 3rd-party tools too. Sometimes these offers are for legitimate apps, but in other cases they may push low-quality apps like ActiveFormat.

How does ActiveFormat work?

When a user installs this program on their Mac, it will show up in the Applications folder. However, trying to uninstall it from there will not yield any results. On top of this, restarting the Mac will not work either. This is because ActiveFormat creates a new 'Launch Agent,' ensuring that it starts automatically whenever the system boots up.

While ActiveFormat is active, it will monitor the settings of popular Web browsers like Google Chrome, Safari, and Mozilla Firefox. It will modify its configuration to send the user to alternative search engines and ad-ridden websites. Typically, these redirects occur when a user loads a new tab, opens their search engine, or accesses the homepage. If you are experiencing such changes on your Mac, then you might want to check for the presence of PUPs on the system. The best way to resolve this issue permanently is to run an up-to-date Mac security tool. It will scan your system for intruders like ActiveFormat, and remove any trace of them.