Do you know what Maps Assist is?
Virtual maps can be very useful when planning trips, but not all tools that claim to offer access to such maps can be trusted. Maps Assist is an extension designed for Google Chrome browsers that appears to provide users with a beneficial service. However, our team has analyzed this allegedly useful tool, and we have found a few things that are disconcerting. In fact, we identify the extension as a potentially unwanted program (PUP) because of those things. If you want to remove Maps Assist as soon as possible, the last section of our report reviews your options. If you want to learn more about this PUP before you delete it, keep reading, and do not forget to use the comments section if you want to continue the discussion and ask questions.
According to our research team, Maps Assist can be downloaded from mapsassist.com and the Chrome Web Store (chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/maps-assist/kipfldnapokfooacjfpgdhkojgkcbocj). Of course, when an extension has an official website and is also represented via a trusted app store, users tend to trust it automatically. That is a mistake, and every unfamiliar extension, program, and file must be analyzed thoroughly every time. We have found that Innover Group is responsible for Maps Assist, and this company has been linked to many other potentially unwanted programs, including Manuals Aid, Track Net Speed, Converter Suite, and Ezy Photo Tab. While some Chrome users might find these extensions to be useful, our team is worried that they were created not to assist Chrome users but to expose them to an unreliable search tool.
If you have installed Maps Assist already, you know that it changes the New Tab page on the browser. It changes it to mapsassist.com/newtab/v1/v52bmw.html, and the interface of this page displays buttons that provide information regarding Maps, Directions, and Gas Stations. It also displays easy-access links to youtube.com, facebook.com, quickformsearch.com/forms/linkout/tax.html, and quicklivenews.com/quicklivenewswebsite/index_v2.html. The last link is meant to offer COVID-19 related information, and if you are looking for such information, you have to make sure that you find a trustworthy source because there is a lot of misinformation and propaganda going around. All in all, we are most concerned about the search dialog box that Maps Assist represents. If you enter keywords into it, you are automatically redirected to Yahoo Search, but the results are not normal. They are modified, and so we do not recommend trusting them.
Overall, Maps Assist does not seem like an extremely useful tool. Yes, it can show you a few easy-access links to websites that you can visit without additional extensions. Other than that, we are concerned that it can track information, share it with unknown parties, and then show modified results to promote sponsored content via Yahoo Search. These are the reasons why this extension is identified as a PUP and why we recommend deleting it. Can you delete Maps Assist manually? We believe that you can, and if you have no idea what steps need to be taken, we suggest following the steps below. Alternatively, you can employ the help of anti-malware software, which is the best option if other threats/PUPs exist, and if you need assistance protecting your operating system in the future.
Remove Maps Assist from Google Chrome
- Open the browser and then tap keys Alt+F on the keyboard.
- In the Chrome menu that pops up, click More tools and then Extensions.
- Remove the potentially unwanted program.
- Tap keys Alt+F, click More tools again, and then click Clear browsing data.
- Open the Advanced tab and choose the right time range.
- Choose the boxes you want and then click the Clear data button.
In non-techie terms:
Maps Assist sounds and looks like a program you can use in a beneficial way. Unfortunately, it has been found to act like a potentially unwanted program (PUP), and our team of researchers recommends deleting it. If you can follow the steps shown in the guide above, you should have no trouble deleting Maps Assist manually. If you do not know what you are doing, or if other PUPs and even malicious threats have invaded your operating system, it might be a good time to implement anti-malware software. This is the kind of software that can automatically remove all existing threats and, at the same time, strengthen the security of your operating system and browsers. We strongly recommend taking this route of removal, but if you are still not sure what you want to do, note that we can continue discussing the PUP in the comments section.