Is the searching.com redirect a virus?
Unlike a traditional virus, browser redirects do only one thing. Yup, you guessed it — they redirect your browser. An example of this might be trying to go to a website like Google.com but ending up on Searching.com instead. Frustrating? Yes, but, ultimately, it’s not doing any damage to your computer.
Browser redirects act a lot more like a phishing scam. They’ll try to redirect your web searches to websites that will pay them for the number of clicks they get.
These redirects can get a bit more malicious by leaving a door open to your hard drive. It does that, so other malware and potentially dangerous viruses can install themselves without you even realizing it.
How did malware get onto my Mac?
It’s true that Macs are less susceptible to viruses. But as more people have started using macOS, more hackers and scammers have started targeting them. The most common ways for malware to end up on your Mac are:
- Other malware — As you read earlier, malware can leave your Mac vulnerable to other malicious software being installed.
- Software bundling — Malware can also be hidden in the installation package of other non-malicious but unreliable apps.
- Phishing ads — It’s common for phishing pop-ups to say your Mac has been compromised to get you to install a sketchy app — which in reality is malware.
How to fix the searching.com redirect manually
Browser redirects are typically installed as browser plug-ins or extensions. You can follow the instructions below, depending on which browsers you have installed on your Mac.
Safari
It’s relatively simple to manage extensions in Safari. When you have it opened, just follow these steps:
- Click Safari > Preferences.
- Open the Extensions tab.
- In the side window, select any plug-in you don’t recognize and click Uninstall.
If you try to uninstall an extension that’s associated with an app, then Safari will prompt you to delete it from your Applications folder first.
Firefox
In Firefox, this is all you have to do to check for and remove extensions:
- Open Firefox.
- Click the three lines > Settings > Extensions & Themes.
- Go through the list for any suspicious extensions.
- When you find one, click the ellipses (...) > Remove.
Google Chrome
Before you remove any extensions in Google Chrome, keep in mind that you can sync them across devices. So, if you remove an extension on your Mac, you’ll be removing it from those other devices, too.
Follow these steps to check your extensions and remove anything suspicious:
- Open Google Chrome.
- Click the icon that looks like a puzzle piece > Manage Extensions.
- Choose any extension you don’t recognize and click Remove.
- Then, click Remove again.
When malware sneaks onto your Mac, it will usually install as an extension for every browser on your computer. Not just the one you primarily use. That’s why it’s a good idea to remove unwanted extensions from all of your browsers.
After you’ve removed all of the suspicious browser extensions, go ahead and restart your Mac. This makes sure that all of your software, including your browsers, can quit and start back up fresh.
Automatically remove malware from your Mac
As you can see, manually checking for malware can be a bit time-consuming. If you were hoping for something a little more automatic, there is a way. You can simply download CleanMyMac X for free.
It’s an app created to optimize your Mac’s performance. But it can also scan your hard drive for malware and adware. If it finds anything, it can help you quickly remove it from your computer. Here’s how easy it is to use CleanMyMac X:
- Open CleanMyMac X.
- Click Malware > Scan.
- Then, select any malware when the scan is complete and click Remove.
Protect your Mac in real-time
What I love the most about CleanMyMac X is its real-time malware monitoring. Once it is enabled, CleanMyMac X will continuously monitor all of the applications you download and want to install on your Mac.
To turn on this helpful tool, follow these steps:
- Open CleanMyMac X Menu by clicking the CleanMyMac X icon in the toolbar.
- Go to Preferences > Protection.
- Make sure first checkbox is selected.
The Searching.com browser redirect can be a pretty big annoyance. Not only will it prevent you from getting to the websites you’re trying to navigate to, but it can also slow down your computer. Hopefully, after reading this article, you see just how easy it is to get rid of browser redirects and malware. And just how effortless it is with the help of CleanMyMac X.
