Aiboo.cc: what it is and how to remove it
Aiboo.cc is the search engine and a questionable domain, in general, that appears on Android devices and causes frustration for users when it starts affecting every online search and browsing session.
This intruder is designed to create redirects and inject browsers with advertising material, so the site itself shows only sponsored content, and even though it resembles a legitimate search engine, all searches online get affected by the potentially unwanted program significantly.
Facts checked October 7, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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Aiboo.cc: summary
| Distribution | Insecure freeware installations give the PUP developers and opportunity to pack shady applications with free programs and distribute them online without full disclosure. When users skip through steps software bundling method is successfully working, and victims get their apps alongside PUPs |
|---|---|
| Damage | PUPs and advertisers use ad-tracking methods and collect users' data regarding time online, browsing history. This behavior leads to privacy issues and identity theft. Also, online material often includes malicious downloads and malware |
| Name | Aiboo.cc |
| Type | Browser hijacker |
| Category | Potentially unwanted program |
| Symptoms | It appears on the web browser every time you launch the tool and try to access the internet and commonly visited pages. However, the intruder significantly affects your time on the browser because it injects advertisements on every page and triggers redirects to shady sites, fills search results with sponsored content and relies on other techniques that help to reroute the online traffic to affiliated sites |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 6 more facts
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Search page | aiboo.cc |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 13 February 2020 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
Is Aiboo.cc dangerous? What it collects
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
Aiboo.cc is the fake search engine that shows only sponsored content and controls online traffic by redirecting to shady advertising services
Aiboo.cc is the search engine and a questionable domain, in general, that appears on Android devices and causes frustration for users when it starts affecting every online search and browsing session.
This intruder is designed to create redirects and inject browsers with advertising material, so the site itself shows only sponsored content, and even though it resembles a legitimate search engine, all searches online get affected by the potentially unwanted program significantly.
Intruder affects time on the machine or the mobile device that it infects because the hijacker takes over the web browsing programs and changes default preferences, settings and sets itself as a homepage, new tab, search engine to control every attempt to search on the internet. These unwanted changes and intrusive behavior are the reasons why this domain falls into the category of potentially unwanted programs.
Aiboo.cc virus is considered to be intrusive and persistent because it causes various problems and makes alterations to your preferences regarding online activities and web browsers. You may experience various symptoms related to this hijacker and don't even notice the program itself that triggers all the unwanted behavior.
This browser hijacker gets downloaded in a bundle with other PUPs, in most cases, and the domain Aiboo.cc get set as your search engine and loads on the web browser each time you launch Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Safari.
It even hijacks the shortcut of your commonly used browser, so when you want to start the application it automatically goes to this site and all browsing sessions, online searching attempts get redirected through shady sites.
Aiboo.cc ins considered potentially dangerous because it changes other settings and injects files, programs, entries to places that control rebooting and other crucial functions regarding the performance. Browser hijacker tries to keep the PUP more persistent, so people cannot remove it that quickly.
However, you may not even notice the Aiboo.cc infiltration until the following symptoms occur:
You should remove Aiboo.cc as soon as you notice any of these because the potentially unwanted program can run in the background affecting the particular settings and activities before it shows anything on the screen. The sooner you terminate this intruder the better, so you can avoid additional installations of different PUPs or stay away from malicious sites that hijacker redirects to.
Using this domain as a search provider is not safe, especially on mobile devices where pop-ups or pop-unders fill up the screen and keep the person from controlling the traffic. Aiboo.cc can expose the user to possibly malicious material and advertising services, so you need to avoid interacting with any redirects or pop-ups as much as possible.
Aiboo.cc removal may be difficult, in general, and when the PUP had more time to affect the machine it makes all the alterations to keep hiding the crucial files and programs around. Get a proper anti-malware program or mobile application compatible with your operating system and run the full scan on the device to find all the PUP-related programs and files.
Aiboo.cc hijacks various browsers, in most cases, all of them regardless if you use the web browsing tool or not. This is how intruder ensures the persistence and keeps affecting the performance, speed, and security of the infected computer or phone. You should go through settings and preferences manually to get the unwanted program completely off of the machine.
However, when it comes to alterations that Aiboo.cc PUP makes on the system folders, and more crucial parts, experts don't recommend going for the manual interference because lack of knowledge can lead to additional damage and other issues.
Get a proper system tool for the PC repair process or a cleaner like and search for affected files, registry entries. These tools should fix the parts that need repair and don't affect any other functions.
- homepage, default search engine, and new tab gets set to Aiboo.cc;
- search provider, built-in search box redirects to the same domain;
- toolbars, bookmarks, extensions, and add-ons get installed without additional permissions;
- speed of the machine suffers significantly due to additional pop-ups and redirects.
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
Pay attention to processes happening on the machine
The internet is filled with insecure content, so you should consider that any suspicious site and program, advertisement, the redirect can possibly be dangerous.
Pay close attention to the material you visit and sites you rely on for software distribution, for example. Such downloads and installation processes, sharing services, and similar domains are mostly used to spread PUPs like hijackers, adware, and shady tools around.
When you go for the internet source for the program or browser extension, pay attention to Privacy Policy, Terms, and EULA of the site itself. The best option would be to trust only official creators and freeware providers for these processes, but users tend to look for easier options.
However, the most important thing to note is the installation options because by choosing Advanced or Custom installations you ensure that every part of the installation setup is shown to you, and you can control what programs to get. Skipping through steps during recommended installations means that you agree to get all included applications and files, that includes PUPs and even more severe cyber threats.
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
Clean the device from traces of the suspicious Aiboo.cc PUP
Aiboo.cc removal process depends on the particular device this potentially unwanted program infiltrates because it cam comes on computers, laptops, and even mobile devices.
These redirects most often occur due to PUP infiltration that happens either when you browse on malicious sites or during the freeware installations.
When you encounter Aiboo.cc virus on the Android system, you may need to reset the device fully to get rid of the damage and possibly installed malware.
When you rely on professional anti-malware tools and remove Aiboo.cc fully from the system, make sure to double-check and be certain that PUP symptoms ended. Then, rely on system tools, optimizing software, and try to repair affected system parts, settings.
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Aiboo.cc
- Aiboo.cc removal can be quick and successful with anti-malware tools designed to terminate PUPs and other shady programs.
- Get a tool compatible with your device
- Additional processes and programs get loaded on the system when adware, hijackers or PUP get to infiltrate the machine, so changes in the system folders affect the persistence.
- To repair affected files and settings get a tool like or another system optimizer and get rid of any virus damage
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
aiboo.cc
How to remove Aiboo.cc
Remove the extension first.
The search settings only stay fixed once nothing on the PC can change them again.
Step 1: Remove extensions you did not add
In Chrome open
chrome://extensions, in Edgeedge://extensions, and in Firefox the menu > Extensions and themes.Remove every extension you do not remember adding, especially search, new tab, coupon, PDF, weather or video downloader add-ons. Check every browser and every profile, because each keeps its own list.
If an extension has no Remove button or comes back, a browser policy holds it (see "Managed by your organization" in the procedure below). The pages are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Chrome on Windows 11: More > Extensions > Manage extensions. Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Step 2: Put the search engine back and delete aiboo.cc
In Chrome open Settings > Search engine > Manage search engines and site search, make an engine you trust the default, and delete
aiboo.ccfrom the list.In Edge type
search engineinto the search box at the top of Settings and open Manage search engines; in Firefox use Settings > Search. Then check the homepage and the new tab page in the same settings, because hijackers change all three.If aiboo.cc is back after a restart, an extension, a program or a policy still sets it, so finish the other steps and check again. The settings are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Chrome on Windows 11: check Search engine and On startup. Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 3: Uninstall programs you did not mean to install
Aiboo.cc rarely comes alone: it is usually installed by, or together with, a free program. In Windows 11 open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, in Windows 10 Settings > Apps > Apps & features, and sort by install date.
Uninstall every entry from the day the trouble began that you did not install on purpose, for example a download manager, a converter or a browser you never chose.
Keep drivers and entries from Microsoft, Intel, AMD, NVIDIA or your PC's maker unless you are sure.
Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix
Step 4: Reset the browser
A reset removes what the steps above could miss:
- changed start pages
- site permissions
- hidden settings
In Chrome open Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults; in Edge Settings > Reset settings; in Firefox Help > More troubleshooting information > Refresh Firefox.
Tip: Bookmarks and saved passwords stay, while extensions are turned off and the search engine and start page return to the defaults.
Reset every browser on the PC, including Edge, which Windows 11 and Windows 10 always have.
Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Reset settings. Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 5: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
A scan finds the parts of Aiboo.cc that the manual steps cannot see. In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, start a Full scan and quarantine what it reports.
Follow it with Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) > Scan now, which restarts the PC and checks the disk while Windows and the malware are not running.
It takes about 15 minutes and works the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10. If either scan finds something, run the full scan again after removal until it comes back clean.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
Uninstall from Windows
Make sure to clean the machine from any traces of the suspicious Aiboo.cc PUP
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.
Remove from Google Chrome
You may need to reset the Chrome to default, so all the issues regarding the intruder are fixed
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.
Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- 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:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.
Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click Remove.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- 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.
Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- 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.
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.
Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.
Delete from Safari
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.
Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.
Delete from macOS
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).
Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.
- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Reset Internet Explorer
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.
Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.
Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete...
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.
Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.
Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool
Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online.
One of the basic means to add a layer of security - choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features.
However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful VPN - it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.
Lost your files? Use data recovery software
While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable.
Family photos, work documents, school projects - these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur:
- power cuts
- Blue Screen of Death errors
- hardware failures
- crypto-malware attack
- even accidental deletion
To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
Questions about Aiboo.cc
Why does my search engine keep changing to aiboo.cc?
Because something keeps setting it. An extension can change the search engine every time the browser starts, and an ad-supported program in Windows can do it for every browser and re-add the extension after you remove it. Some hijackers also add a policy that locks the setting.
Changing the search engine back only works once the source is gone. Remove extensions you do not recognise, uninstall programs installed around the time aiboo.cc first appeared, and then set the search engine again. If it still returns, check the browser for the Managed by your organization message and follow the policy steps in this guide.
Is aiboo.cc a virus?
It is a browser hijacker, not a virus in the classic sense. aiboo.cc is a search page that an extension or program set as your default without a clear choice from you.
It does not destroy files or spread to other PCs, but it takes control of your searches, collects them and shows ads, and the software behind it is often bundled with other unwanted programs.
Many antivirus products flag such software as potentially unwanted. Removing the extension or program and resetting the search engine is enough in most cases. A full scan afterwards checks for anything else that came with it.
What is aiboo.cc?
It is the search page used by the browser hijacker Aiboo.cc. It has no search index of its own: it forwards your queries to another search engine and adds ads and tracking along the way.
People rarely choose it on purpose; it becomes the default search engine, home page or new tab after an extension, program or policy changes the browser settings. The page itself is not malware, but it should not be in your browser if you did not set it. The steps above remove the source and restore your settings.
Is aiboo.cc dangerous?
It is not designed to infect the PC, but it is not neutral either. It logs searches, adds sponsored results that are hard to tell apart from real ones, and its ad partners are not checked as strictly as those of major search engines.
Some hijacker pages have shown ads for fake updates, tech support scams and unwanted software. The main harm is to privacy. Remove Aiboo.cc, and if you entered personal data on sites reached through its results, check those sites carefully.
Do I have to fix every browser?
Yes, every one where the search engine or start page changed. In the cases we checked, Aiboo.cc affected Chrome, Edge and Firefox.
Each browser stores its own search settings and extensions, so fixing one does not fix the others, and Windows-level changes such as shortcuts can affect each browser differently. Work through them one at a time:
- remove the extension
- check the policies
- restore the search engine
- start page
If you sync a browser, stay signed in so the fix spreads to your other computers.
Did aiboo.cc record my searches?
Almost certainly. Logging is the point of a hijacker search page: each query, with your IP address, browser details and the result you clicked, is valuable to advertisers.
The operators of aiboo.cc can store and share that data under their own privacy policy, which you never agreed to knowingly. There is no way to delete it from their side. What you can do is stop the flow:
- remove Aiboo.cc
- clear cookies and site data for aiboo.cc
- treat sensitive searches made in the meantime as known to a third party
Can I just block aiboo.cc?
You can, but it treats the symptom. Blocking the domain in a firewall or the hosts file makes searches fail instead of redirecting, while the extension or program that set it keeps running and collecting data.
Hijacker operators also switch to new domains in updates, so a block may stop working within weeks. Remove the source instead, then set your own search engine. If you want extra protection afterwards, turn on Potentially unwanted app blocking in Windows Security, which stops many hijacker installers before they run.
What do I lose if I reset Chrome or Edge?
Less than you might think. A reset turns off all extensions, which you can turn back on one by one, restores the default search engine, home page, new tab and pinned tabs, and clears cookies, so you are signed out of most sites.
Bookmarks, history, saved passwords and autofill data stay. Firefox's equivalent, Refresh Firefox, keeps the same essentials but removes add-ons completely. Before you reset, make sure you know your main passwords or have them saved, since you will need to sign in again.
Why can't I change my search engine back?
Because something keeps setting it. If an extension controls the search engine, Chrome and Edge show a note that an extension is controlling this setting, and your change is reverted. If a policy controls it, the field is greyed out and the browser shows Managed by your organization.
Remove the extension first, then the policies, and only then change the search engine; the change will stay. If it still reverts, look for a program in Installed apps or a scheduled task that reinstalls the extension.
Will Fortect remove Aiboo.cc?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For Aiboo.cc, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- Google: Android Chrome Redirecting to aiboo.cc (no longer online) (read October 7, 2026)
- Wikipedia: Browser hijacker (read October 7, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 7, 2026)