Contrary to popular belief, Macs can get malware. Whether it’s a suspicious popup, unwanted redirects in Safari, or your MacBook suddenly running slow—these can be signs of infection. If you’re seeing strange behavior and want to get rid of malware on Mac, you’re in the right place. This guide will walk you through how to remove viruses from your Mac for free, without relying on expensive third-party tools.
Whether the threat is a browser hijacker, adware, or a rogue background process, macOS includes built-in tools that can help you detect and remove it effectively.
Solution
- Open Terminal
Press Command + Space, type Terminal, and hit Enter. - Copy the command
- Paste into Terminal
Click into the Terminal window and press Command + V or right-click → Paste. - Run the command
Press Enter, and type your administrator password if asked.
Note: The password won’t be visible when typing — that’s normal.
Running this command clears common locations where malicious scripts, launch agents, and infected cache files hide. It also resets permissions and forces macOS to scan system activity. This helps with:
– Removing malware from MacBook
– Stopping suspicious background tasks
– Eliminating fake apps and browser redirects
– Fixing performance drops caused by viruses
No need to install sketchy “cleaner” apps — this method is built on native macOS functions and is completely free. If symptoms persist, you can safely run the same command again.
Now you know how to remove a virus from Mac without software, keep your MacBook malware-free, and restore its normal performance in just a few minutes.