What is Apollo Tab?
The experienced security professionals have determined that Apollo Tab is a potentially unwanted program (PUP) from the family of Browser hijackers. It affects your computer and changes browser settings. Apollo Tab can take over your web browser and force you to use the apollotab.com website as your default search provider, startpage or new tab page. When Apollo Tab in the computer, it can gather user info such as search queries as well as browsing history.
Most often, browser hijackers promote fake search providers by setting their address as the default search engine. In this case, the hijacker installs search.apollotab.com as a search engine. This means that users whose web-browser is affected with the hijacker are forced to visit search.apollotab.com each time they search in the World Wide Web, open a new window or tab. And since search.apollotab.com is not a real search provider and does not have the ability to find the information users need, this webpage redirects the user’s web-browser to the Google search engine.
And finally, the Apollo Tab hijacker is able to collect a wide variety of confidential information about you like what web sites you’re opening, what you’re looking for the Internet and so on. This information, in the future, can be sold to third party companies.
Browser hijackers are usually written in ways common to malicious software, spyware and adware. In order to remove browser hijacker and get rid of Apollo Tab, you will need follow the steps below or use free removal utility listed below.
How can a browser hijacker get on your computer
Browser hijackers and PUPs usually are bundled with free applications that downloaded from the World Wide Web. Which means that you need to be proactive and carefully read the Terms of use and the License agreement properly. For the most part, a browser hijacker will be clearly described, so take the time to carefully read all the information about the software that you downloaded and want to install on your PC. In the Setup wizard, you should choose the Advanced, Custom or Manual install method to control what components and additional programs to be installed, otherwise you run the risk of infecting your device with an unwanted program such as the Apollo Tab browser hijacker.
Threat Summary
Name | Apollo Tab |
Type | PUP, startpage hijacker, redirect virus, search engine hijacker, browser hijacker |
Affected Browser Settings | startpage, newtab page URL, search provider |
Distribution | dubious pop up advertisements, free software setup files, fake update tools |
Symptoms | Ads appear in places they shouldn’t be. When you go to a web-site, you’re automatically redirected to another website that you do not intend to visit. There is an unexpected application in the ‘App & Features’ section of Microsoft Windows settings. Unwanted internet browser toolbar(s) Your device settings are being modified without your request. |
Removal | Apollo Tab removal guide |
How to remove Apollo Tab hijacker
Fortunately, we’ve an effective method that will assist you manually or/and automatically get rid of Apollo Tab from your PC and bring your internet browser settings, including newtab page, search engine by default and home page, back to normal. Below you’ll find a removal guidance with all the steps you can need to successfully get rid of this browser hijacker and its traces. Some of the steps below will require you to exit this web-site. So, please read the step-by-step instructions carefully, after that bookmark it or open it on your smartphone for later reference.
To remove Apollo Tab, use the steps below:
- How to manually remove Apollo Tab
- Automatic Removal of browser hijacker
- How to stop Apollo Tab redirect
How to manually remove Apollo Tab
If you perform exactly the step-by-step guide below you should be able to remove the Apollo Tab hijacker from the Internet Explorer, Edge, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome web-browsers.
Uninstall Apollo Tab associated software by using Microsoft Windows Control Panel
Some of potentially unwanted apps, adware software and hijacker can be removed using the Add/Remove programs utility which may be found in the MS Windows Control Panel. So, if you’re running any version of Windows and you have noticed an unwanted application, then first try to delete it through Add/Remove programs.
Windows 8, 8.1, 10
First, press Windows button , then press Search . Type ‘Control panel’and press Enter as shown on the image below.
When the ‘Control Panel’ opens, click the ‘Uninstall a program’ link under Programs category as on the image below.
You will see the ‘Uninstall a program’ panel as shown in the figure below.
Very carefully look around the entire list of applications installed on your PC system. Most likely, one of them is the Apollo Tab browser hijacker. If you’ve many applications installed, you can help simplify the search of harmful apps by sort the list by date of installation. Once you’ve found a suspicious, unwanted or unused program, right click to it, after that click ‘Uninstall’.
Windows XP, Vista, 7
First, click ‘Start’ button and select ‘Control Panel’ at right panel as shown in the following example.
Once the Windows ‘Control Panel’ opens, you need to click ‘Uninstall a program’ under ‘Programs’ as shown in the figure below.
You will see a list of programs installed on your PC. We recommend to sort the list by date of installation to quickly find the programs that were installed last. Most probably, it’s the Apollo Tab browser hijacker. If you are in doubt, you can always check the program by doing a search for her name in Google, Yahoo or Bing. When the program which you need to delete is found, simply click on its name, and then press ‘Uninstall’ as displayed in the figure below.
Remove Apollo Tab hijacker from IE
First, open the Internet Explorer, click ) button. Next, click “Internet Options” as shown on the screen below.
In the “Internet Options” screen select the Advanced tab. Next, click Reset button. The Internet Explorer will show the Reset Internet Explorer settings dialog box. Select the “Delete personal settings” check box and press Reset button.
You will now need to restart your PC for the changes to take effect. It will delete Apollo Tab browser hijacker, disable malicious and ad-supported browser’s extensions and restore the Internet Explorer’s settings such as new tab, start page and search provider to default state.
Remove Apollo Tab from Google Chrome
Reset Google Chrome settings to get rid of browser hijackers. If you are still experiencing issues with Apollo Tab, you need to reset Chrome browser to its default values. This step needs to be performed only if browser hijacker has not been removed by the previous steps.
- First, run the Chrome and click the Menu icon (icon in the form of three dots).
- It will open the Google Chrome main menu. Select More Tools, then press Extensions.
- You will see the list of installed plugins. If the list has the addon labeled with “Installed by enterprise policy” or “Installed by your administrator”, then complete the following tutorial: Remove Chrome extensions installed by enterprise policy.
- Now open the Chrome menu once again, press the “Settings” menu.
- Next, click “Advanced” link, that located at the bottom of the Settings page.
- On the bottom of the “Advanced settings” page, click the “Reset settings to their original defaults” button.
- The Google Chrome will show the reset settings dialog box as shown on the screen above.
- Confirm the web browser’s reset by clicking on the “Reset” button.
- To learn more, read the post How to reset Chrome settings to default.
Get rid of Apollo Tab hijacker from Firefox
If your Firefox browser startpage has modified to Apollo Tab without your permission or an unknown search engine shows results for your search, then it may be time to perform the web browser reset. Essential information like bookmarks, browsing history, passwords, cookies, auto-fill data and personal dictionaries will not be removed.
First, open the Firefox and click button. It will display the drop-down menu on the right-part of the web browser. Further, click the Help button () as displayed on the screen below.
In the Help menu, select the “Troubleshooting Information” option. Another way to open the “Troubleshooting Information” screen – type “about:support” in the web-browser adress bar and press Enter. It will show the “Troubleshooting Information” page as shown on the image below. In the upper-right corner of this screen, press the “Refresh Firefox” button.
It will open the confirmation prompt. Further, click the “Refresh Firefox” button. The Mozilla Firefox will begin a procedure to fix your problems that caused by the Apollo Tab browser hijacker. When, it’s finished, click the “Finish” button.
Automatic Removal of browser hijacker
Run malware removal tools to remove the browser hijacker automatically. The free removal tools specially created for browser hijacker, adware software and other potentially unwanted software removal. These utilities can remove most of browser hijacker from Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. Moreover, it can remove all components of browser hijackers from Windows registry and system drives.
Zemana Anti-Malware is a free utility that performs a scan of your device and displays if there are existing adware, browser hijackers, viruses, worms, spyware, trojans and other malware residing on your computer. If malicious software is detected, Zemana can automatically remove it. Zemana Anti-Malware does not conflict with other anti-malware and antivirus apps installed on your PC system.
Now you can install and run Zemana Anti-Malware to get rid of browser hijacker from your internet browser by following the steps below:
Please go to the link below to download Zemana Anti-Malware setup package named Zemana.AntiMalware.Setup on your computer. Save it on your Microsoft Windows desktop.
164113 downloads
Author: Zemana Ltd
Category: Security tools
Update: July 16, 2019
Start the installer after it has been downloaded successfully and then follow the prompts to install this utility on your PC system.
During setup you can change certain settings, but we recommend you do not make any changes to default settings.
When installation is done, this malicious software removal tool will automatically start and update itself. You will see its main window as displayed on the image below.
Now press the “Scan” button . Zemana Anti-Malware program will scan through the whole device for the browser hijacker. This process may take quite a while, so please be patient. When a malware, adware or PUPs are detected, the count of the security threats will change accordingly.
When finished, Zemana will display a list of found threats. You may remove threats (move to Quarantine) by simply click “Next” button.
The Zemana AntiMalware will delete the browser hijacker and move the selected items to the Quarantine. When finished, you may be prompted to restart your computer to make the change take effect.
If you are still having problems with the Apollo Tab browser hijacker — or just wish to scan your computer occasionally for hijacker and other malicious software — download MalwareBytes Anti-Malware. It is free for home use, and searches for and deletes various unwanted apps that attacks your device or degrades device performance. MalwareBytes AntiMalware can remove adware, PUPs as well as malicious software, including ransomware and trojans.
MalwareBytes AntiMalware can be downloaded from the following link. Save it to your Desktop so that you can access the file easily.
326464 downloads
Author: Malwarebytes
Category: Security tools
Update: April 15, 2020
When the downloading process is complete, close all windows on your PC. Further, run the file named MBSetup. If the “User Account Control” dialog box pops up as on the image below, press the “Yes” button.
It will open the Setup wizard which will assist you install MalwareBytes AntiMalware on the device. Follow the prompts and do not make any changes to default settings.
Once installation is complete successfully, click “Get Started” button. Then MalwareBytes AntiMalware will automatically run and you may see its main window as shown below.
Next, click the “Scan” button . MalwareBytes AntiMalware program will scan through the whole PC system for the browser hijacker. Depending on your device, the scan may take anywhere from a few minutes to close to an hour. During the scan MalwareBytes AntiMalware will look for threats exist on your computer.
After the system scan is complete, you may check all items detected on your PC system. When you’re ready, click “Quarantine” button.
The MalwareBytes will remove the browser hijacker. Once the cleaning procedure is complete, you can be prompted to reboot your personal computer. We suggest you look at the following video, which completely explains the procedure of using the MalwareBytes AntiMalware to remove hijackers, adware and other malware.
How to stop Apollo Tab redirect
It is also critical to protect your web-browsers from harmful webpages and ads by using an ad blocking application such as AdGuard. Security experts says that it will greatly reduce the risk of malware, and potentially save lots of money. Additionally, the AdGuard can also protect your privacy by blocking almost all trackers.
AdGuard can be downloaded from the following link. Save it to your Desktop so that you can access the file easily.
26659 downloads
Version: 6.4
Author: © Adguard
Category: Security tools
Update: November 15, 2018
Once downloading is finished, start the downloaded file. You will see the “Setup Wizard” screen as displayed on the screen below.
Follow the prompts. After the setup is complete, you will see a window like below.
You can press “Skip” to close the installation application and use the default settings, or click “Get Started” button to see an quick tutorial which will assist you get to know AdGuard better.
In most cases, the default settings are enough and you don’t need to change anything. Each time, when you launch your PC system, AdGuard will run automatically and stop unwanted advertisements, block Apollo Tab redirects, as well as other harmful or misleading web sites. For an overview of all the features of the application, or to change its settings you can simply double-click on the AdGuard icon, which is located on your desktop.
Finish words
We suggest that you keep Zemana (to periodically scan your computer for new browser hijackers and other malicious software) and AdGuard (to help you stop intrusive pop ups and harmful websites). Moreover, to prevent any browser hijacker, please stay clear of unknown and third party apps, make sure that your antivirus program, turn on the option to search for potentially unwanted programs.
If you need more help with Apollo Tab related issues, go to here.