Mapsnow dot co Popups on Mac
Mapsnow dot co is a domain name associated with a fake search engine and a browser hijacker. Those are both types of software that are broadly classified as potentially unwanted programs.
Mapsnow dot co can swap your usual default browser search engine with its own. It can also change your favorite browser's home page with its own. Both of those things happen without informing the user and without their explicit consent. This sort of behavior is a large part of what makes Mapsnow dot co a potentially unwanted program.
Additionally, similar browser hijackers can display embedded advertising on web pages that shouldn't have them. A lot of those ads can link to potentially unsafe pages and following those links may lead to additional infections with more dangerous malware.
Browser hijackers and fake search engines like Mapsnow dot co may also harvest information about the user's browsing habits and search queries. This information is usually resold to advertisers and other third parties later. While this is not something done only by browser hijackers, when it happens without alerting the user and without informing them about the process, it is not normal behavior.
Similar potentially unwanted programs may enter your system if you click on an unsafe browser push notification request, or through fake software updates and bundle installers. Bundle installers are packages containing multiple apps, some of which may be potentially unwanted.
The most common locations where you may find bundle installers carrying potentially unwanted applications in them are free download websites. This is why if you want to keep your system clean of similar annoying apps, you should only download your software from reputable, properly curated platforms such as the App Store.
