Skip to content
Spyware news
  • Active
  • Severity: Medium
  • Browser Hijackers
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Aug 2019

How to remove SearchAlgo.com

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Ugnius Kiguolis · The mastermind

SearchAlgo.com is the fake search engine with many similar versions that push other extensions and tools on promotional ads

Searchalgo.com

SearchAlgo.com is the browser hijacker that appears whenever you open the window of your browser and the infection starts its questionable processes that run in the background and affects the performance significantly. All the pop-ups, banners, advertising content and redirects are the consequences of this potentially unwanted program infiltration. 

The browser hijacker that Search Algo is, typically has many features that create frustration for the user. The main purpose of these unwanted programs is to create online traffic redirects and generate views on certain sites. Ad-supported sites sponsor the distribution of such PUPs and all in-browser searches go to the particular domain or website, for that reason. Unfortunately, this hijacker has many versions and different domain names, but all of those intruders does the same thing – affects your time online.

Name SearchAlgo.com
Type of the threat Browser hijacker
Category Potentially unwanted program
Developer SmartCyberTechnology
Symptoms Changes settings on the web browser, redirects all searches to suspicious pages, delivers commercial content
Versions

Movixhub.searchalgo.com, Movix.searchalgo.com, Sports.searchalgo.com, Games.searchalgo.com, Govomix.searchalgo.com, match.searchalgo.com, Apps.searchalgo.com, Zooms.searchalgo.com, Musixhub.searchalgo.com, Muzixmuze.searchalgo.com
Distribution Software bundling, deceptive promotional content, advertisements, shady distributors, insecure freeware installations
Danger Collects data about users' browsing habits, can share those details with third-party companies
Elimination Clean the machine and remove SearchAlgo.com using FortectIntego

SearchAlgo is a search engine that may seem legitimate and useful, in the first place, but there is nothing about the website that can improve the performance of your computer or provide better search results. The main issue with the browser hijacker is all the changes and alterations that affect browsing online significantly. 

This SearchAlgo.com search engine is a questionable service which should not be trusted. No matter that it looks like a trustworthy search provider, you should try to avoid it and stick to the most popular search engines, such as Google, Bing or Yahoo.

Beware that Search Algo can easily trick you into thinking that this website is legitimate, so you install additional programs and rely on the search engine. However, once you start using it, you may notice that it displays sponsored search results that can redirect you to third-party websites.

Experts[1] note that search results given by this search site may lead you to harmful sites, and result in the infiltration of other cyber infections. Also, you may find that it infiltrated your computer without a clear permission asked. In this case, you should remove SearchAlgo.com from the system because you may be accidentally redirected to an infected website seeking to reveal your email address and similar information.

Also, once this PUP assigns itself to the Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox web browsers, it alters such settings as the default search provider, the homepage and the new tab page. After that, the so-called “helper objects” or the third party apps/browser add-ons are installed on the web browser.Search Algo 

The aim of such PUPs[2] is to obstruct the user from reversing the changes in these settings. If the user tries to change the homepage to Google or similar search engine, these apps or add-ons initiate SearchAlgo.com redirect issue once again. This is how the vicious circle of continuous useless content delivery starts.

That's why you may be convinced that it is impossible to avoid its this browser hijacker and its unwanted activities, which can negatively affect the browsing quality of each of web browsers. Also, as we have already mentioned, SearchAlgo.com virus and all the related programs may collect non-personal data, such as IP addresses, search history and other information related to your internet browsing.

It is important to know that this collected data can be accessed by the third parties and may be used for the financial gain or lead to privacy issues. Such misuse of the users’ personal data can also result in identity theft. To prevent this, you should think about SearchAlgo.com removal. For that, we recommend anti-malware tools like FortectIntego.

 Searchalgo.com browser intruder

Versions of SearchAlgo browser hijackers 

Movixhub.searchalgo.com

Movixhub.searchalgo.com is only one of many browser hijackers related to the main Search Algo engine. This website offers various features and can be found promoted as an online searching tool that improves your time on the internet. Unfortunately, claims are not true and your browsing online experience diminishes significantly because all the commercial content makes it difficult to access any useful information. Don't trust such search engines when the screen fills up with pop-up ads and banners.

Movix.searchalgo.com

Movix.searchalgo.com is the browser hijacker that causes redirects to shady pages, commercial content-filled websites and shows you tons of advertisements promoting other in-browser tools, potentially unwanted programs. This intruder changes the default homepage, search engine, and new tab settings to ensure that all the user gets redirected to the needed sponsored sites. This pay-per-click revenue-generating is the main purpose of such PUPs.[3]

Sports.searchalgo.com

Sports.searchalgo.com is the site that appears out of nowhere and, in most cases, alongside the promotional content that pushes other extensions and tools like iSportTv Search Plus add-on. This extension can even get installed without your permission or knowledge. Like any other browser hijacker, this one also redirects all the searches to SearchAlgo.com domain and fills the screen with unwanted and useless commercial material.

Games.searchalgo.com

Games.searchalgo.com is another cyber threat that can be detected as PUP.Optional.SearchAlgo due to the relation with a particular search engine. This heuristic name differs depending on the AV tool, but versions belonging to this PUP mainly gets detected with the same result. When your antivirus program shows this result after a general scan, you should note that there is a PUP you need to delete ASAP.

Govomix.searchalgo.com

Yet another hijacker from the same family of PUPs – Gomovix.searchalgo.com. This program gets offered through advertisements and deceptive content, so people can get tricked into installing the fake search engine instead of the reliable one. Unfortunately, when the program is used, in the first place, it looks like a normal search engine and online browsing tool, especially when the person installs the application on purpose. Nevertheless, further actions and disturbed performance of the machine indicates that there is a cyber threat working in the background.

Searchalgo.com hijack

Match.searchalgo.com

Match.searchalgo.com is one of many SmartCyberTechnology products. This company is the main distributor of the Search Algo hijacker that is the main browser modifier that these developers make. The company employs a deceptive software marketing method called bundling to spread products around the internet. This technique allows packing freeware with useless applications and when the victim uses shady sources or skips through installation steps, all the programs included in the bundle gets launched on the targeted machine.

Apps.searchalgo.com

Apps.searchalgo.com – one of the more common Search Algo versions found in the wild. This is probably more frustrating hijacker because it comes with other extensions and toolbars when infiltrates the system. eSpeedDownload is one of the applications that get to be installed alongside this search engine. The browser hijacker redirects all the searches and shows material regarding other promotions to push related programs, in-browser material. In most cases, one click on such pop-ups initiates the automatic download of the unwanted application.

Zooms.searchalgo.com

Zooms.searchalgo.com is a version of Search Alg browser hijacker family that gets installed by users whether willingly or not. When it comes bundled the user is puzzled and frustrated since there is no particular reason why all those redirects appear. However, even when the PUP is installed on purpose, users cannot link the search engine to all the intrusive symptoms. The best way to determine what is the cause of disturbed performance is the anti-malware tool and a full virus check on the system. When you see the common PUP.Optional.SearchAlgo detection result it should be clear that your device is infected. Such tools also can clean the machine from PUPs.

Musixhub.searchalgo.com

Musixhub.searchalgo.com – the fake search engine that shows up on the screen and offers allegedly improved search results. It looks legitimate and useful, you can personalize the background and add other features if you want to this in-browser search engine. However, none of those claims give the value for the machine, speed or general performance since intrusive behavior and continuous redirect only causes a decrease in speed. These are the more noticeable features of the browser hijacker, but there are more reasons to worry about. Data about your online preferences gets collected from the minute SearchAlgo.com is set as your default search engine.

Muzixmuze.searchalgo.com

There are tons of different search engines that have the same appearance and domain since the developer is the same,  Muzixmuze.searchalgo.com is one of those. There is nothing unique about this particular search engine besides all the SearchAlgo features: image, video and news searching functions, background options. All the in-browser search attempts go to the same domain, regardless the main name of the website that appears on the screen or tools this PUP installs additionally. The main reason to focus on SearchAlgo.com removal is the possibility to encounter all these versions and possible apps that get installed without your permission. Install FortectIntego to see what intruders affect the performance.

Ways PUP developers spread their products around

As we have mentioned, PUP distribution mainly relies on third-party software. Browser hijackers like this can easily attach itself to various programs, such as freeware and shareware. To avoid that, you should select Custom or Advanced installation of the freeware and then uncheck pre-checked check marks that claim that you want to install additional components on your computer.

If this hijacker gets inside the system, it may try to alter various system settings without your consent. Usually, such hijacking programs get noticed once placed instead of the home page, default search engine, and new tab page. Please, stay away from it because it is a potentially dangerous application, which notifies in its Privacy Policy & Terms of Use:

SearchAlgo.com may automatically receive and record certain non-personally identifiable information on its server logs from your browser, including your IP address, browser type, internet service provider (ISP), cookie information, and the webpage that a user visits.

SearchAlgo.com collects non-personally identifiable information for general purposes, including but not limited to analyzing trends, administering the site, tracking user movements, conducting research, and providing anonymous reporting to internal and external clients.

SearchAlgo.com removal gives the best results when the professional anti-malware is employed

There is a long list of websites similar to Searchalgo.com virus. They all share the same feature of posing as legitimate, helpful websites, when in reality they are far from that. They all are created merely for the financial profit of their developers and provide the users with more inconveniences than benefit.

You can download the PUP to your computer bundled with different other software, so you need to remove Searchalgo.com alongside other packed programs. Since the developers of this program are aware of the users’ tendency to skim through the installation process, they conceal the unwanted software in the Advanced/Custom settings of the installation.

To avoid getting your computer infected again, we recommend installing anti-malware tools and using these particular programs perform the automatic SearchAlgo.com removal. You can eliminate intrusive programs, corrupted files and other threats from the system automatically. You should scan your PC with updated anti-spyware more often, so there is no PUPs in the future.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
  2. Pick Manage Add-ons.
  3. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

  1. Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
  2. Select Reset.
  3. In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.Reset Internet Explorer

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.

Reset Google Chrome:

If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari

4 comments

Log in to post your comment
Log in to comment
Editor's pick · tested 2026

Fortect Intego

9.4 / 10 9.6 / 10 Best overall pick
  • Real-time ransomware shield
  • Free 14-day trial, no card
  • Cleans the threats listed above

Ad — we may earn a commission if you buy via this link.

Get protected →Get protected → Read our full review Read our full review

Read in your language

Still worried? Run a free check.

Scan a URL or domain in seconds — no install, no signup. Powered by 60+ engines.

Trusted by 2.4M+ readers this year.

Spyware news
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy preferences

We use cookies to improve your experience and analyze traffic. Some cookies enable embedded content like videos and social posts. Choose what you allow — you can change this anytime.