If you’ve noticed that the browser you use on your Mac has suddenly started redirecting to Bing whenever you try to use Google or Yahoo to search the web, your Mac has fallen prey to the Bing redirect virus. Luckily, it’s not difficult to get rid of, and in this article, we’ll show you how to remove Bing from Mac manually and automatically.

What is Bing redirect virus

Bing redirect isn’t a virus per se because it doesn’t replicate itself and copy itself from computer to computer over the network or using shared storage. Instead, it is a browser hijacker and adware since it changes the main browser settings (homepage and default search engine) as well as displays intrusive adverts. And it does so for all the browsers installed on your Mac. It also collects data, such as your IP address, web searches, and websites visited.

How did Bing get automatically onto your Mac?

Bing redirect virus gets on your Mac automatically. Here are the main ways of infecting your Mac with Bing:

  • Software bundling: you may have downloaded freeware via torrents or apps that come with their own installers, and they had Bing attached.
  • Deceptive links or pop-ups: you may have clicked a pop-up on a malicious website or a fake link in an email, on a website, or in iMessage, and it contained malware.

Now that you know how it got on your Mac, read on, and we’ll explain how to delete Bing from Chrome and other browsers.

Get rid of Bing redirect on MacBook

How to get rid of Bing on Mac?

Luckily, many apps recognize the Bing virus. A Mac cleaner and optimization app, CleanMyMac, does that well. This app is notarized by Apple and detects many PUPs and keyloggers, adware extensions, Trojans, worms, etc.

If all you are looking for is to delete the Bing redirect virus, you may go with a free trial version of CleanMyMac. Here’s how to remove the Bing redirect virus with CleanMyMac:

  1. Download the app — a link to a free download — and open it from your Applications folder.
  2. Select Protection from the sidebar.
  3. Now, click Scan. If CleanMyMac finds the Bing redirect virus, you’ll see the Remove button and the list of all threats detected.
  4. Finally, click Remove, and your Mac will be safe again.
Removing threats

As you can see, getting rid of the Bing redirect virus with CleanMyMac is simple. Use its handy Malware Removal tool regularly to make sure that no nasty malware, such as spyware, worms, or other viruses, goes unnoticed on your Mac.

How to get rid of Bing manually

There are several steps to manual Bing redirect virus removal.

Stop Bing from running

  1. Open Activity Monitor from Applications > Utilities. Alternatively, search for it using Spotlight or ask Siri to open it. 
  2. Look for any processes that look like they may be malware. If you’re not sure, google the name of suspicious processes.
  3. If you find one, select it and click the Quit Process button (X) in the toolbar.

Get rid of suspicious applications

  1. Go to your Applications folder.
  2. Look for any applications you don’t remember installing.
  3. If you find one, uninstall it.

How to see your hidden folders? 

There is a shortcut combination to reveal the unseen folders on your Mac. It may help you get hold of the virus that infiltrated many parts of your macOS. To see hidden items in the Documents or Applications folder, use Shift + Command + Period key.

The next step is to reset the homepage in browsers. As mentioned, Bing can affect all of the browsers installed on your Mac, so you will have to make your way through all of them even if you do not use them. We’ve prepared steps for the most popular browsers among Mac users — Safari, Chrome, and Firefox.

How to remove Bing from Safari

  1. Go to the Safari menu > Settings > General. You can use the Command + , shortcut to open Safari Settings.
  2. Find the Homepage box and change what’s written there to your preferred one. You can leave it empty.
  3. Now, go to Search and select your preferred search engine. Just click the menu next to Search engine and choose what you like.
  4. Next, navigate to Advanced and select Show features for web developers. 
  5. Now, click Develop in the menu bar and choose Empty Caches.

  6. Finally, click History in the menu bar > Clear History. Choose All History from the menu next to Clear and click Clear History.

How to remove Bing from Chrome

  1. Type chrome://settings into the address bar.
  2. Click On startup. If the setting has been changed, change it back to your preferred homepage.
  3. Now, navigate to the Search engine tab and select the search engine of your preference.
  4. Finally, click Privacy and Security > Clear Browsing Data. Choose All time from the menu next to Time range and select all options below. Now, click Clear data.

How to remove Bing from Firefox 

  1. Click the three horizontal lines.
  2. Choose Settings > Home.
  3. Set Homepage and new windows to your preferred homepage. You can click Custom URLs to enter a specific website and set it as a homepage.
  4. Now, click Search and set your preferred search engine. 
  5. Finally, click History > Clear Recent History from the menu bar. Select Everything from the menu next to Time range to clear and all options under History and Data. Click Clear Now. 

Check your Login Items

Sometimes, malware puts itself in your Login Items, so it starts up when your Mac boots.

  1. From the main Apple menu, go to System Settings > General > Login Items.
  2. Look for any suspicious login items.
  3. If you find any, check the box next to them and click the “-” button. 

Remove Bing redirect from browser extensions

Many users are asking how to stop redirects caused by Bing. Once you’ve made your way through the steps outlined above, the last one is to cut down on your browser extensions. Even seemingly helpful extensions, like parcel trackers, could be covert vehicles for Bing. The process is also different for different browsers.

How to remove Bing redirect from Safari

  1. Open Safari, then click the Safari menu and select Settings.
  2. Click the Extensions tab.
  3. Look for an extension that you haven’t installed or that seems suspicious.
  4. Select it and click Uninstall.

How to remove Bing redirect from Chrome extensions

  1. Open Chrome.
  2. Type chrome://extensions into the address bar.
  3. Look for an extension that you haven’t installed or that seems suspicious.
  4. Click Remove next to the extension.

How to remove Bing redirect from Firefox

  1. Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines on the right of the toolbar.
  2. Choose Add-ons and themes.
  3. Select Extensions and look for an extension that you haven’t installed and that seems suspicious.
  4. Click the ellipsis next to it and select Remove.

How to stay safe from Bing redirection

Now that you know how to get rid of Bing on Mac, you may wonder how to avoid another infection in the future. It’s all about common sense, and the tips we provide below will as well keep you safe from any other malicious app:

  1. Never click a link in a message or email unless you are absolutely confident where it will lead you. 
  2. Close any pop-ups telling you that your Mac is infected or you need to update Flash Player. Especially if it tells you that you must download an app to continue. Of course, do not ignore messages from trusted antivirus apps. 
  3. Never ignore system messages asking you whether you are sure that you want to install the app downloaded from a source other than App Store. Double-check the app online before overriding Gatekeeper.
  4. Download apps from trusted developers and App Store. 
  5. Invest in a trusted antivirus app and run regular scans.
  6. Keep your macOS and apps up to date to make sure that you have all of the latest security patches installed.
  7. From time to time, check your Applications folder to make sure that no app you weren’t going to install ended up on your Mac. 
Tip

If you see an app that should not be on your Mac, you may want to delete it completely. To do it, it’s worth trying a dedicated app uninstaller like the one in CleanMyMac. It removes every single file and folder associated with the app you want to get rid of, making sure that it does not compromise your privacy.



So, what is Bing redirect essentially? For some, it might be just a nuisance, but what if it steals your credit card details? That is why you should remove it as soon as you become aware of it. 

Fortunately, you now know how to get rid of Bing redirect and learned that removing it isn’t very difficult if you follow the steps above carefully. Once you’ve removed it, it’s worth scanning your Mac with an antivirus app or CleanMyMac’s Malware Removal tool.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my search engine keep changing to Bing?

Most likely, your browser has been hijacked by Bing redirect virus. To remove it, either use a dedicated Mac cleaner or follow the steps for manual Bing removal we outlined in this article.

How to stop Bing from opening on startup?

Go to System Settings > General > Login Items and disable all non-essential items, especially those that seem unfamiliar to you. As a nuclear option, fully delete and reinstall all of the browsers you have on your Mac.

Why is Bing showing up in Chrome?

Like with the change of the search engine, you may have installed Bing redirect virus on your Mac. So, take your time to remove it either manually by resetting browsers or automatically with the help of a trusted antimalware tool.

How do I get rid of Bing permanently?

To get rid of Bing permanently, it’s better to use a dedicated virus cleaning tool like the Malware Removal module that comes with CleanMyMac. Alternatively, reset all your browsers, delete unknown applications, and get rid of suspicious login items for manual removal, but be aware that it may leave some traces of the virus if you miss any of the steps.