The general opinion is that Android, OS X, and iOS have less dangerous viruses and the damage they provoke is minimal. This happens to be true, but the frequency of attacks is growing considerably, especially on Android. An adware is a software specifically developed to promote certain websites or products. Most of the time, the people behind the adware are compensated by the product/website they promote. It was only recently that FindForFun gained the attention of security experts and was finally labeled as a legitimate online threat. You have to understand that adware is considerable harder to tackle than trojans or other types of viruses. Over 70% of all adware infections from Android occurs via an additional software. Most of the time, the adware is bundled with a legitimate software and infects your device when you install the app. Technically, adware is not illegal – it resides in a grey legal area that is yet to be regulated. Do you usually read the EULA before you install an app? Neither do I. As it turns out, all they have to do to make it legal is to include something like “by downloading this app, the user agrees to receive 3rd party advertisements”- that makes it completely legal. The FindForFun virus is bundled with a lot of apps, most of them are still present on Google Play Store. But what makes this virus so successful is its ability to hijack your browser. A browser hijacker has the ability to alter your search results and point you to the websites it wants you to visit. FindForFun is both an adware and a browser redirect. In addition to displaying adware, it will also alter the search results from your browser.
If you have this adware on your device, you will notice it right away. Anything you search for will return the same websites that the adware is promoting. On top of that, you’ll notice that additional tabs will open as you surf the internet. Even more, your homepage and the default search engine will be altered. If you got tired of the same redirects and want to get rid of the FindForFun virus, follow the steps down below. Depending on which browser you use, the exact procedure might be different. We also made a collection of apps that are known to be bundled with the FinForFun adware. Note: Make sure you start with the very first step. FindForFun has the ability to re-infect the browser if it’s not deleted from your device completely.
Step 1: Identifying and uninstalling culprit apps
This step is critical in removing the FindForFun virus for good. Sadly, Google Play Store doesn’t do a good job of containing adware spreading, so it’s entirely possible to get it from there. See if you can recall what apps you installed right before the symptoms of the FindForFun virus appeared. You should start with ram boosters, mp3 downloaders, youtube downloaders, clones of popular games or apps with nude content. Here’s a list of apps that are suspected to be bundled with FindForFun:
MP3 DownloaderSimple MP3Music Paradise ProWolfram AlphaGallery Vault-Hide
If you’re not sure which app provides a safe haven for the FindForFun virus, download Lookout Security. After you install, scan your device and see which apps will get labeled as RiskWare. Uninstall them immediately and move to Step 2.
Step 2: Clearing the cache from your browser
By removing the culprit app, you have successfully got rid of the adware part of FindForFun. Now let’s eliminate the treat from your browser. There is a possibility that your browser isn’t hijacked. Especially if you’re on the latest version of Android. But if you’re seeing rigged search results and frequent redirects do NOT skip this step.
Step 3: Doing a Factory Reset (Optional)
There’s an off chance that the methods above will fail, although that’s extremely rare. But in the event that you didn’t manage to get rid of the FindForFun virus, refactoring is your only option. But keep in mind that a factory reset will erase all your personal data that isn’t present on the SD card. This includes music, videos, photos, app data and anything else that doesn’t come preloaded. If you decide to go through with it, here’s what you need to do:
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