Yes, Macs can get viruses, malware, and spyware. While macOS's Unix-based architecture, Gatekeeper, and app sandboxing make classic self-replicating viruses rarer on Mac than Windows, Mac-specific threats — adware, browser hijackers, fake "cleaner" scareware, spyware, and even ransomware — have risen sharply in recent years and now affect a meaningful share of Mac users every year.
If you searched "can Macs get viruses" hoping for reassurance, we'd rather give you the accurate answer: your Mac is safer than a typical Windows PC by design, but "safer" is not "immune." Apple's own security teams publish regular threat reports, and every serious independent security lab — from Malwarebytes to Jamf to Kaspersky — tracks a steadily growing catalogue of Mac-targeting malware families. This guide explains where the "Macs can't get viruses" myth came from, what actually infects Macs in 2026, exactly how to tell if yours is one of them, and the specific steps to clean it — plus when it's time to call in a professional.
Who wrote this guide
This article was written and reviewed by IT Cares certified Mac technicians based on our day-to-day remote malware removal work across Canada. We do not sell antivirus software — the recommendations here reflect what we actually use to clean infected Macs for real clients.
Why the "Macs Can't Get Viruses" Myth Exists — and Why It's Outdated
The belief that Macs are immune to malware didn't come from nowhere. It has three real roots, and all three have eroded over the past decade.
1. Apple's own marketing built the myth
Apple's famous "Get a Mac" ad campaign (2006-2009) directly and repeatedly told buyers that Macs "don't get viruses" while Windows PCs did. At the time, this was largely true in practice — not because macOS (then Mac OS X) was magically unhackable, but because almost nobody was writing malware for it. Apple eventually toned down the explicit claim on its marketing pages after regulatory and journalistic scrutiny, but the message had already stuck with an entire generation of Mac buyers.
2. Market share made Macs a low-value target
Malware authors, like any attacker, go where the return on investment is highest. For most of the 2000s and 2010s, Windows held roughly 85-90% of the desktop market, so criminal groups optimized almost exclusively for it. Writing and maintaining malware for a much smaller install base simply wasn't worth the effort for most attackers — this was a market-share effect, not evidence that macOS was architecturally immune.
3. Real technical protections did (and do) help
macOS also earned some of its reputation honestly. Its Unix-based foundation, mandatory code-signing and notarization (Gatekeeper), app sandboxing, System Integrity Protection, and the curated App Store all raise the bar for attackers compared to older, more permissive Windows defaults. These protections are real and they matter — but "raises the bar" is very different from "impossible."
Why the myth is outdated now
Mac market share has grown substantially worldwide and Macs are now common in businesses, government, and creative industries — attractive, valuable targets. Malware-as-a-service operations increasingly build and sell cross-platform toolkits with Mac-specific payloads. Infostealers targeting crypto wallets and saved browser credentials (a category where Mac users are disproportionately represented among crypto holders) have exploded in popularity with criminal groups since 2023. And adware/scareware businesses — which profit whether or not a victim runs Windows or macOS — have never cared which OS you use. The result: independent telemetry from vendors like Malwarebytes and Jamf has shown Mac-targeting threat detections climbing year over year, even as the underlying platform stays comparatively hardened.
The historical record backs this up. The Flashback trojan infected an estimated 600,000+ Macs in 2012 by exploiting a Java vulnerability — at the time, one of the largest Mac malware outbreaks ever recorded. KeRanger, discovered in 2016, was the first fully functional ransomware found in the wild specifically targeting macOS, distributed through a compromised version of the legitimate BitTorrent client Transmission. Since then, adware families like Genieo and Pirrit, the Shlayer trojan (spread via fake Flash Player updates and one of the most prevalent Mac threats of the following years), the XCSSET malware (which hijacked Xcode developer projects to steal Safari cookies and browser data), and Atomic Stealer — a Mac-focused infostealer sold as malware-as-a-service since 2023 and repeatedly updated since — have each shown up in independent security research. None of these needed a Windows-style self-replicating worm to cause real damage; they simply needed a user to click "Allow" once.
📊 IT Cares field note: A growing share of the Mac support calls we take are not hardware failures at all — they are adware, browser hijackers, or scareware that a client mistook for "the Mac is just old and slow." If your Mac feels sluggish and something also seems visually or behaviorally "off" (new pop-ups, a changed homepage), treat malware as a real possibility, not an afterthought.
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Common Mac Malware Types in 2026
"Mac malware" is not one thing — it spans a spectrum from mildly annoying to genuinely dangerous. Here's what actually infects Macs today, roughly ordered from most common (and least severe) to least common (and most severe).
Adware
By volume, adware is the most common Mac infection. It rides along with free software downloaded from third-party sites, "bundled" installers, or cracked applications, and it injects extra advertising into your browsing — pop-ups, injected banner ads on pages that shouldn't have them, new tabs that open on their own, and search results stuffed with sponsored links. Adware rarely steals data directly, but it degrades your Mac's performance and browsing experience and often opens the door to more serious follow-on infections.
Browser Hijackers
A browser hijacker changes your default search engine, homepage, and new-tab page without permission, and routes your searches through an ad-heavy intermediary before (sometimes) forwarding you to real results. On Mac, hijackers frequently install themselves via a rogue browser extension or, more insidiously, via a configuration profile added to System Settings — a Mac-specific mechanism normally used by IT departments to manage company devices, which malware authors have learned to abuse to redirect traffic system-wide.
Fake "Mac Cleaner" Scareware Apps
This category is uniquely aimed at Mac users specifically because it plays on the "Macs don't get viruses, but they DO get slow and full of junk files" narrative. A pop-up or ad claims your Mac is dangerously full of "junk" or "infected," and urges you to download a cleaner/optimizer app. Once installed, these apps typically show alarming (and largely fabricated) scan results to pressure you into paying for a "Pro" license, while doing little genuine cleaning — and in worse cases, the "cleaner" itself is the malware, installing further adware or a hijacking configuration profile.
Spyware and Infostealers
This is the most consequential category. Spyware quietly monitors activity — keystrokes, clipboard contents, screenshots, or camera/microphone access — while infostealers specifically hunt for saved browser passwords, cryptocurrency wallet files and browser extensions, and cookies that can be used to hijack logged-in sessions. Infostealer-as-a-service operations targeting Mac users, distributed through fake cracked-software sites and malicious search ads, became one of the fastest-growing Mac threat categories starting in 2023 and have continued evolving since, particularly around crypto-holding users.
Ransomware Targeting macOS
Still rare compared to Windows, but no longer theoretical. Proof-of-concept and real-world Mac ransomware families have appeared periodically since 2016, encrypting user files and demanding payment. macOS's sandboxing limits how much damage a sandboxed app can do to the wider file system, which is the main reason Mac ransomware hasn't scaled the way Windows ransomware has — but a user who is tricked into granting Full Disk Access to a malicious app during installation removes much of that protection.
What macOS Already Does to Protect You (and What It Doesn't Catch)
Before diagnosing symptoms, it helps to understand the layers of protection already running on every modern Mac — because knowing what they cover, and what they don't, explains why infections still happen.
Gatekeeper and notarization
Gatekeeper checks that any app you open has been signed with a valid Apple Developer certificate and, since macOS Catalina, that it has been "notarized" — scanned by Apple for known malicious content before distribution. By default, Gatekeeper blocks unsigned or unnotarized apps outright and requires an explicit override in System Settings to run them. This is exactly why most Mac infections require you to actively click through a warning, right-click and choose "Open," or grant a permission — Gatekeeper rarely lets malware install silently in the background the way it sometimes can on Windows.
XProtect and XProtect Remediator
XProtect is Apple's built-in, signature-based malware scanner, running quietly since Mac OS X Snow Leopard. It checks downloaded files against a list of known malware signatures that Apple updates independently of full macOS updates, so protection improves without you needing to install a new OS version. Since macOS Ventura, Apple expanded this into XProtect Remediator, which periodically runs background scans looking for a specific, growing list of known malware families already active on the system, and automatically removes them without any prompt or user interaction. This directly answers one of the most common questions Mac owners ask: yes, Apple does remove some malware automatically — but only malware it already recognizes.
App sandboxing and System Integrity Protection
Apps distributed through the App Store run in a sandbox that limits what files, hardware, and system resources they can access without your explicit permission (camera, microphone, files outside their own container, and so on). System Integrity Protection (SIP) locks down core system files and directories so that even an app running with elevated privileges generally cannot modify them. Together, these limit how much damage a piece of malware can do even after it launches.
Where these protections stop
None of these systems protect against a threat that convinces you to help it. Gatekeeper can be bypassed by a user who right-clicks "Open" on an unsigned app because a fake pop-up told them to. XProtect only catches malware Apple has already identified and signed for — brand-new or highly targeted threats slip through until Apple catches up. Configuration profiles, browser extensions, and login items are all legitimate macOS features that malware abuses through your own permission, not through a technical exploit SIP or sandboxing would block. This is exactly the gap a dedicated scanner like Malwarebytes for Mac, and the manual checks in this guide, are designed to close.
Is My Mac Hacked? 12 Signs of Mac Malware Infection
None of these signs alone is proof of infection — some overlap with normal aging hardware or a full startup disk. But two or more appearing together, especially if they started suddenly, is a strong signal something is wrong.
1. Your Safari or Chrome homepage changed without your permission
If you open your browser and land on an unfamiliar search page, a "safe search" portal you never set, or a page with an odd URL you don't recognize, a browser hijacker has likely altered your settings — often through an extension or a rogue configuration profile.
2. Unexpected pop-ups and ads appear, even outside the browser
Pop-up ads while browsing are common and usually just intrusive websites. Pop-ups that appear as system-style notifications, or ads that show up when no browser is even open, point to adware running as a background process on the Mac itself.
3. Fans running loud with no heavy task open
Mac fans ramping up during video export, gaming, or heavy compiling is completely normal. Fans spinning up to full speed while only a browser or nothing at all is visibly open is not — it usually means a hidden process (cryptomining malware, a spyware upload loop, or an aggressive ad-injection script) is consuming CPU in the background.
4. Unfamiliar icons appear in the menu bar
Legitimate apps you installed on purpose often add a menu bar icon, and that's fine. An icon you don't recognize, especially one that appeared around the same time other symptoms started, is worth investigating — click it, see what app it belongs to, and check whether you intentionally installed that app.
5. Activity Monitor shows unknown or unfamiliar processes
Open Activity Monitor (Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor) and sort by % CPU or % Energy. Processes with random-looking names, processes you can't identify with a quick search, or a specific process consistently at the top of the list with no obvious reason are red flags worth investigating further.
6. Your MacBook's battery drains far faster than normal
A malicious background process — particularly spyware that's continuously capturing data or exfiltrating it over the network — keeps the CPU and Wi-Fi radio busier than they should be, and battery life is often the first thing users notice before they notice the process itself in Activity Monitor.
7. Your browser keeps redirecting to strange sites
Typing a normal web address or clicking a normal search result but landing somewhere else — an ad-stuffed "search assistant" page, a fake tech-support warning page, or a completely unrelated site — is a hallmark sign of a browser hijacker or a malicious extension intercepting your navigation.
8. New browser extensions or toolbars you never installed
Check Safari's Settings > Extensions or chrome://extensions periodically. Extensions with generic names like "Search Helper," "PDF Converter," or "Video Downloader Plus" that you don't remember installing are one of the most common adware and hijacker delivery methods on Mac.
9. Slow performance that appeared suddenly
Gradual slowdown over a year or two is usually just an aging Mac or a fuller startup disk — see our guide on fixing a slow computer for the non-malware causes. A slowdown that appeared over days, especially alongside other symptoms on this list, points more toward malware consuming resources in the background.
10. "Your Mac is infected" scareware pop-ups
This is the most ironic entry on this list: pop-ups claiming your Mac is "infected" and urging you to call a number or download a "cleaner" tool are, themselves, overwhelmingly the malware or a step toward installing it. A legitimate security warning from macOS never appears as a full-screen browser pop-up with a countdown timer or a phone number to call.
11. Apps crash constantly or take much longer to open
Malicious background processes competing for the same limited CPU, memory, and disk I/O resources your legitimate apps need can cause otherwise stable apps to crash, freeze, or take noticeably longer to launch than they used to.
12. A configuration profile you don't recognize appears in System Settings
Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Profiles (or General > VPN & Device Management, depending on your macOS version). Most home users have zero profiles installed. Any profile you did not deliberately add — especially ones with vague names or claiming to manage "network," "DNS," or "certificate" settings — is one of the most common and most Mac-specific hijack mechanisms in use today, and should be treated as a serious red flag.
The most overlooked Mac-specific vector
Configuration profiles are unique to Apple's ecosystem and were designed for legitimate device management (schools, businesses using MDM). Because most home users have never seen one and don't know to check for them, they've become a favorite tool for adware and hijacker installers to silently redirect DNS, install a rogue root certificate, or change proxy settings — all without ever asking for your Mac password the way a normal app install would. Checking Profiles takes 30 seconds and catches an infection vector most antivirus scanners don't even look at.
How to Remove Malware From Your Mac Right Now
Work through these steps in order. Most adware, hijacker, and scareware infections are fully resolved by step 6; spyware and infostealer infections warrant finishing through step 8, including changing passwords.
Check Activity Monitor for unknown processes
Open Activity Monitor (Applications > Utilities), sort by % CPU, and look for unfamiliar process names — especially random character strings — consuming heavy CPU or Energy with nothing you're actively using open. If you find one, note its name before continuing (you may need to identify which app it belongs to in the next steps).
Remove suspicious login items in System Settings
Go to System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions. Malware frequently adds itself here so it restarts every time you log in. Remove anything you don't recognize or didn't intentionally install, particularly items added around when your symptoms started.
Remove unfamiliar browser extensions
In Safari: Settings > Extensions. In Chrome: type chrome://extensions in the address bar. Remove — don't just disable — any extension you did not deliberately and knowingly install, especially "search helper," "coupon finder," or generic PDF/video-download extensions.
Check Profiles in System Settings for unauthorized configuration profiles
Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Profiles (or General > VPN & Device Management). Delete any profile you did not install yourself. This is the Mac-specific hijack vector most people never think to check, and it's often the actual root cause behind a changed homepage or DNS-level redirects.
Run Malwarebytes for Mac or a similarly reputable scanner
Download Malwarebytes for Mac directly from malwarebytes.com (never from a link in a pop-up), run a full scan, and quarantine or remove everything it flags. Be cautious installing any additional "Mac cleaner" tool to fix this one — that's exactly how many of these infections start in the first place.
Reset your browser settings
Restore your default homepage, default search engine, and new-tab page in both Safari and Chrome settings. Hijackers frequently leave these changed even after the extension or profile causing them has been removed.
Update macOS
Go to System Settings > General > Software Update and install everything available. This refreshes Apple's built-in XProtect malware signatures and XProtect Remediator background scans, and patches the security holes malware relies on to gain a foothold in the first place.
Change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication
Once your Mac is confirmed clean, change the passwords for your Apple ID, primary email, banking, and any account you accessed while the infection was active, and turn on two-factor authentication everywhere it's offered. This step matters most if spyware or an infostealer — not just adware — was involved.
When to stop and call a professional
If you've completed all 8 steps and symptoms persist, if you suspect ransomware, if you found evidence of an infostealer accessing financial accounts or crypto wallets, or if you simply don't feel confident poking around Activity Monitor and System Settings profiles, stop and get help. IT Cares removes stubborn Mac malware remotely across Canada, and our technicians can also verify nothing was missed after a DIY cleanup attempt.
Followed every step and still seeing symptoms?
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Book Remote Session → 1 (888) 711-9428How to Prevent Mac Malware Going Forward
Cleaning an infection is only half the job — here's how to keep it from coming back.
- Only install software from the App Store or the developer's official site. Avoid "download portals" that bundle extra installers with the app you actually wanted.
- Never install a "Mac cleaner" or "optimizer" app because a pop-up or ad told you your Mac is infected. Legitimate macOS security warnings never work this way.
- Keep macOS and your browser updated. Both XProtect and Safari's anti-phishing protections improve with every update.
- Check System Settings > Profiles every few months. It takes 30 seconds and catches an entire category of Mac-specific hijacking that most people never think to look for.
- Use unique, strong passwords with a password manager, plus two-factor authentication so a single stolen credential from an infostealer can't cascade into every account you own.
- Run a manual Malwarebytes for Mac scan quarterly, especially if you regularly download software from outside the App Store.
For a broader comparison of free scanning tools that also cover Mac, see our best free antivirus 2026 guide, and if a browser hijacker specifically is your issue, our dedicated browser hijacker removal guide goes step by step through Chrome, Safari, and Edge.
Already Infected? We Can Help.
IT Cares removes malware, spyware, adware, and ransomware from Macs remotely and on-site across Canada. Certified technicians, professional-grade tools, and a guarantee of complete removal.
Comments (3)
Checked System Settings > Profiles like this article said and found a "Search Manager" profile I never installed. Deleted it and my Safari homepage went back to normal instantly. I had no idea that was even a thing on Mac — genuinely useful, thank you.
My mother-in-law got one of those "Your Mac is infected, call this number" pop-ups and almost called it before I saw this article and recognized it as scareware. Sent her the link so she knows what to watch for next time.
Went through the whole checklist myself first — found and removed two rogue extensions and an unknown login item — but a Malwarebytes scan still flagged something the removal steps didn't catch. Called IT Cares and they cleared it in about 20 minutes. Good to have both the DIY steps and a fallback option.
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