What is Trendio?
Our old foe SuperWeb LLC is making a comeback with the release of Trendio Ads, which not only shows ads but hijacks Chrome’s new tab page as well. We recommend that you remove it from your computer as soon as you get a chance to do so because it is up to no good. Our malware researchers have classified it as a browser hijacker because it is set to replace Chrome's new tab page without your consent. It does not even inform you about its intention. This hijacker is rather deceptive because it claims to provide you with the most relevant news articles, but it does this by displaying them on the new tab page that it hijacks.
Where does Trendio Ads come from?
So, this browser hijacker is a product of SuperWeb LLC, which is rather odd considering that this developer never made browser extensions like Trendio Ads. SuperWeb has been known an adware developed that specialized in publishing dozens of clone programs that showed ads in the form of banners, coupons, pop-ups, and so on. However, with the release of this particular program, this developer has entered a new realm of web monetization. Its applications will no longer only display ads, but hijack a browser’s new tab page (perhaps the homepage as well), and feature displays its promoted content there. We think that more similar hijackers will soon follow, and our researchers will keep track of this development.
In the past, SuperWeb used to distribute its adware using software bundles that were put up for download on freeware distributing websites. However, it appears that this has changed with the release of Trendio Ads. Our researchers have discovered that this application is currently not being bundled with third-party software. They say that this application has a dedicated distribution website at Trendio.net. In addition to that, it is featured on the Chrome Web Store so many people can see this application, but fortunately, not many people seem to be interested in it, and it has very few users as a result. We want to keep it that way and urge you not to install it on your PC.
What does Trendio Ads do?
Trendio Ads is a kind of a hybrid malware because it features traits usually present in adware and browser hijackers. Currently, it is only supported by Google Chrome and is set to replace its new tab page. This hijacker changes it with its own page that contains links to promoted new articles. Thus, it gives the impression that it indeed legitimate. However that is not the case, According to the privacy policy found on its webpage, this hijacker may “include advertising, or advertising-supported search results, which will be displayed to you if you use the search box or click on trending terms.” Therefore, it is clear to see that this program’s developers do not try to hide the fact that it is an ad-supported program. Indeed, it replaces the new tab page with a window that not only hosts news articles but also features a search box.
Our researchers say that Trendio Ads uses Bing.com to process the search queries that you may enter in its search box. So it is set to display Bing’s search results, but they may be modified to include promotional links. We want to stress that SuperWeb cannot guarantee the safety of its promoted content. Hence, some links may jeopardize your computer’s security. Therefore, we do not recommend keeping this application.
How do I remove Trendio Ads?
In closing, Trendio Ads does not hide the fact that it can show you ads. It is presented as a legitimate browser extension that provides you with the most relevant news articles. Still, our researchers have deemed it a browser hijacker because it replaces the new tab page without your consent even though the news articles and its search engine are featured on that page. Therefore, we invite you to remove this browser hijacker using the guide found below. Note that in some cases you might have to delete this application’s files manually.
Removal Guide
- Launch Google Chrome
- Simultaneously press Alt+F.
- Open More tools.
- Select Extensions.
- Locate Trendio Ads
- Click the Remove button.
Delete junk files
- Simultaneously press Windows+E.
- In the Explorer window’s address bar, enter C:\Documents and Settings\user\AppData\Local\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\[user name]\Extensions
- Find a folder named gjmhigigmjohekcccmhbmdkonpodhlfh and delete it.
tested removal of Trendio*
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