Wave Browser is considered as potentially unwanted program or PUP which is levels lower to becoming a malware. The reason as to why it hasn’t been classified as a malware is due to it not being able to meet the definition of a malware. So what is wave browser and what does it do to your device? In this article, we shall discuss these and provide you useful information about it.
What is Wave Browser?
A Wave Browser seem to look like a web browser. However, in reality, it is a web browser that contains potentially malicious software which has been released in 2015 by Wavesor Software.
The software would keep on installing itself on your device which could make anyone anxious. In fact, it has scheduled tasks to reinstall itself after basic uninstallation. Moreover, what is more disturbing about this software is that it does not need any administrative rights for it to be able make changes on your device. Though this is the case, the good news is that as of 2021, there are some antivirus software would flag this software as a threat due to its malicious behavior.
Is Wave Browser safe?
As mentioned earlier, though Wave Browser is not considered as a malware nor a virus, its behavior is considered as unwanted and malicious which makes it not safe. Moreover, though it could still be used to browse the net, it is very invasive and has unwanted behavior, it is highly discouraged for you not to use it.
Why Should I Remove Wave Browser?
Here are some reasons as to why you should uninstall wave browser and why we recommend for you to use a better browser which comes with stronger privacy features.
Comes with a lot of advertising
Just like any other free sites, the wave browser would show a lot of advertisements and discount offers wherein some of which would come with links. Upon clicking on any of these links, you would be in a huge risk of encountering a malware, phishing, identity theft and worse a remote taking over your device.
It is considered as a browser hijacker
Many would see the Wave Browser as a search hijacker and a browser hijacker which means it has the ability to take control of your default homepage, search queries and many more. Unfortunately, it also has been claimed that there are some extensions such as Search Encrypt, Hide My Searches and Encrypted Search which would work similarly as the Wave Browser.
Your personal data could be at risk
As mentioned earlier, there is a possibility of your information could be in huge risk and could be collected by third parties. Here are some of the data which Wave Browser could collect according to its privacy policy.
- Cookies stored on your device
- Third party tracking information
- Demographics which includes gender, age, household income, political affiliation, religion and race
- What type of device you are using
- IP address
Yes, this is a bit more than the usual data that one could collect. In fact, your IP address should not be shared as it shows your location which means it could provide a way for anyone to track you. Furthermore, what is disturbing is that it does not specify the length of data retention.
Wave Browser can make system level changes to your computer
One of the permissions of Wave Browser, as mentioned earlier is making changes system level on your computer. This means, it could make changes on your browser homepage, settings and many more without having the need of your permission.
Here are some of permissions that Wave Browser would want upon installation.
- Any task that would launch internet browser would automatically launch Wave Browser instead of your internet browser.
- Wave Browser would be able to get browsing history and other stored data from you normal browser.
- Run at startup
How to Uninstall Wave Browser
Windows 10
Uninstall Wave Browser
- Click Start button
- Search Apps and Features on the control panel
- Search for Wave Browser
- Click on the uninstall option which could be found beside Wave
Close lingering Wave Browser tasks
- Press Ctrl +Shift+ ESC
- On the task manager click on the process tab
- Search for anything that has wave browser on its name or anything similar
- Click on it and click end task
- If you are unsure, right click on the task and click open file location. If wave is mentioned you could delete the file location completely.
Disable Wave Browse startup tasks
- Go to Task Manager
- Click on Startup tab
- Click on processes related to wave
- Click disable
Delete Wave Browser from Registry
- Go to your Windows search bar
- Search Registry Editor
- Launch Registry Editor
- Click Edit
- Select Find from the drop down list
- Search Wave Browser
- Click find next
- If you find wave browser, delete it
How to Remove Wave Browser on Mac
Move Wave to Trash
- Click Finder application
- Click Go
- Click Applications
- Look for Wave Browser program or any suspicious application, move to trash
Remove Browser Plugins and Extensions
- Open Safari
- Go to Preferences
- Go to Extensions
- Click on any suspicious extensions
- Click uninstall
How to Protect Yourself Against Wave Browser
- Be careful what you click – pop-ups, advertisements, spam emails and links sometimes come with malicious content/software.
- Avoid suspicious and unofficial software downloads – if possible avoid downloading software which you do not where it came from. Use verified marketplaces such as Google PlayStore and Apple App Store)
- Use cybersecurity software – one of the ways you could protect yourself is by using a cybersecurity software and tools such as Virtual Private Network or VPN. Through a VPN, your IP address could be concealed. Your online activities would also be kept private and secured. For reliable and secured VPN service provider, we highly recommend NordVPN.
- Use an antivirus scanner – Though not all antivirus could recognize Wave Browser as a potential unwanted program. Hence, ensure that the anti-virus that you would use has the ability to recognize Wave Browser. We highly recommend BitDefender which conducts regular scans of your device.
- Surf the web with a private browser – Use a trusted browser. We recommend TOR Browser for remote and for everyday use, we recommend Mozilla Firefox or Brave.
What are the Best Browsers for Privacy?
- Tor Browser – could mask your identity through its three levels of encryption. It has the ability to delete cookies after every session. It is considered as one of the most secured browsers.
- Brave – could automatically block some of the malicious and undesirable tools. It could block advertising pop-ups.
- Mozilla Firefox – comes with security features and could protect you against phishing attacks and malware.
- Safari – a product of Apple. It could automatically block malicious websites and pop-up ads.
- Chromium – Could verify legitimacy of installed extensions.
FAQs
Is Wave Browser a virus?
As mentioned earlier, Wave Browser is not a virus. However, it has behaviors that are undesirable.
What is Wave Browser used for?
It is an internet browser which could be used as how you use Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, etc.
How do I get rid of Wave Browser?
Uninstall the program and remove it permanently from your computer.
Is it safe to install Wave Browser?
We discourage you from using and installing Wave Browser due to its undesirable behaviors.
Is Wave Browser a browser hijacker?
Unfortunately, Wave Browser has all the criteria to be described as a browser hijacker which includes the ability to change browser’s settings.
Conclusion
We hope that through this article, you were able to find and learn useful information about Wave Browser and how to uninstall it.
