Mac Avast Malware Popups in Chrome: Fix

TL;DR

Avast sometimes incorrectly flags Google Chrome as a threat on Macs. This guide shows you how to stop these annoying pop-ups by adjusting Avast’s settings and checking your browser extensions.

Stopping Avast Malware Popups in Chrome

1. Update Avast: An outdated version of Avast can cause false positives. Make sure you have the latest definitions.
   • Open Avast Security.
   • Click ‘Menu’ (usually three horizontal lines).
   • Select ‘Check for updates’.
   • Follow any on-screen instructions to install updates.
2. Adjust Avast’s Web Shield Settings: This is the most common fix.
   • Open Avast Security.
   • Go to ‘Protection’ > ‘Web Shield’.
   • Click ‘Customize web shield’.
   • Under ‘Settings’, find ‘Sensitivity’. Try lowering it from ‘High’ to ‘Medium’ or even ‘Low’. Be aware that lower sensitivity means less protection.
   • Add Chrome as an exception (see step 3).
3. Exclude Google Chrome from Scanning: Tell Avast not to scan Chrome so deeply.
   • Open Avast Security.
   • Go to ‘Protection’ > ‘General’.
   • Click ‘Exclusions’.
   • Click ‘Add exclusion’.
   • Select ‘File’, then browse to your Google Chrome application. It’s usually in /Applications/Google Chrome.app.
   • Alternatively, add the entire Chrome folder if you have issues.
4. Check Your Browser Extensions: A rogue extension can trigger Avast.
   • Open Google Chrome.
   • Type chrome://extensions in the address bar and press Enter.
   • Review your extensions carefully. Remove any you don’t recognise or trust. Look for extensions with unusual permissions.
5. Clear Chrome’s Cache and Cookies: Sometimes corrupted data causes problems.
   • Open Google Chrome.
   • Click the three dots (Menu) > ‘More tools’ > ‘Clear browsing data’.
   • Select ‘All time’ for the Time range.
   • Check ‘Cookies and other site data’ and ‘Cached images and files’.
   • Click ‘Clear data’.
6. Run a Full System Scan: Just to be sure.
   • Open Avast Security.
   • Click ‘Scan’.
   • Select ‘Full scan’ and run the scan.
7. Reset Chrome (Last Resort): This will remove all your settings, extensions, and history.
   • Open Google Chrome.
   • Click the three dots (Menu) > ‘Settings’.
   • Scroll down to ‘Advanced’ > ‘Reset and clean up’ > ‘Restore settings to their original defaults’.
   • Confirm the reset.