Ecosia.org: is it a virus? Why it became your search engine and how to change it
Ecosia.org is a legitimate search engine, not a virus, but it often becomes the default without the user choosing it. The fix is to set another search engine, remove the Ecosia extension or app, and check for the bundled program that put it there.
Facts checked October 5, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation.
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Ecosia.org: summary
| Type | Legitimate search engine; often set as default without the user's choice; not malware |
|---|---|
| Risk | Low for the site; medium if it arrived in a bundle with other programs |
| Symptoms | Address-bar searches open ecosia.org; an Ecosia extension in the list; home page changed to Ecosia |
| How to get rid of it | Set another search engine in the browser, remove the Ecosia extension, uninstall the Ecosia browser or app if you have one |
| Our check (4 October 2026) | No notification request, no pop-ups, no service worker; install button and consent banner on the page |
| Running since | 4 October 2009 (domain registered through Amazon Registrar, renewed until October 2027) |
| 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 11 more facts
| First reported by us | 30 September 2019 |
|---|---|
| Installed on the PC | Nothing from the website. Only what you add yourself: the Ecosia extension, browser or app |
| Detection | Microsoft Defender: nothing is installed by the site, so there is no detection name to report |
| Damage | No harm to files or the system; the setting changes the search engine, home page and new tab |
| Distribution | Its own Add to Chrome and Switch buttons, the browsers' search lists, and software bundles |
| Evidence | Our test of the site, the registry's record, Ecosia's help centre, our 2019 report |
| Name | Ecosia.org |
| Search page | ecosia.org |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 30 September 2019 |
| Facts checked | 5 October 2026 |
Facts checked on 4 and 5 October 2026 against our own test of the site in desktop Chromium from Europe, the registry's RDAP record and Ecosia's help centre.
What Ecosia is and why it shows up uninvited
Ecosia is a real search engine, run by Ecosia GmbH, and it is not a virus. People land on this page because it became their default search without them choosing it, usually through an extension or an installer that changed the browser setting.
- What it is
- A web search engine that gives its profits to tree planting and other climate projects, according to its own site
- Where it comes from
- The website ecosia.org, registered on 4 October 2009 and renewed until October 2027
- Ways to get it
- A browser extension, a choice in the browser's own search list, a desktop browser, or a mobile app
- What it changes
- Default search engine and, with the extension, the home page, according to Ecosia's help centre
- Paid for by
- Advertising shown with search results; the page also loads Google Ad Manager
Ecosia's help centre says that if Ecosia "seems to be installed automatically", it is most probably set as the default search engine in the browser. That matches the reports we saw: nothing is hiding on the PC, the setting simply points to Ecosia. The real question is who set it, you or a program you installed with something else.
Is Ecosia.org dangerous? What it collects
Our test on 4 October 2026
We opened ecosia.org the way a visitor does: a clean desktop Chromium browser in Europe, no sign-in, no clicks beyond loading the page.
Ecosia.org · desktop Chromium · Europe · 4 October 2026
- Notification requestNone on this one visit.
- Pop-ups and new tabsNone on this one visit.
- RedirectsOne:
ecosia.orgforwards towww.ecosia.org, the same site. - Service workerNone registered, so nothing keeps running in the browser after you leave.
- Install buttonA green "Switch to Ecosia" button at the top of the page offers the browser extension. We did not install it.
- Cookie banner and adsA banner asks for consent for "5 partners" with Accept all, Reject non-essential and Manage cookies; the page loads Google Ad Manager and Google Tag Manager.
Low risk The site itself behaved like an ordinary search engine page. What we did not test is the extension, the desktop browser and the mobile apps, and we did not run searches to look at the ads in the results, so this verdict covers the website only.
What changed since our 2019 report
October 2009
The domain is registered
ecosia.org was registered on 4 October 2009 through Amazon Registrar and is renewed until October 2027: a long-running service, not a throwaway site.
2019
Our first report: a search engine that arrives with an "Add to Chrome" button
The Ecosia home page then showed a counter of trees planted and a large Add to Chrome button, which installs the extension that sets Ecosia as search engine and home page. Our report called it a potentially unwanted program because people found it set without asking.
Ecosia in the Chrome browser, as shown in our 2019 report: the home page with its Add to Chrome button and a results page. 2019
A pop-up that offers to make Ecosia the new search engine
A box on the Ecosia pages read "Make Ecosia your new search engine and plant trees with your searches" with an Add Ecosia to Chrome button. Clicking it opens Chrome's own install dialog, where the change has to be confirmed.
The pop-up from our 2019 report. The Chrome logo in the picture is part of the report's illustration. October 2026
Our new check: no tricks on the site
The site asked for no notifications, opened no pop-ups and registered no service worker. The install offer is still at the top of the page, now as "Switch to Ecosia", and Ecosia lists more ways to use it: a desktop browser and mobile apps.
What can actually go wrong
"Ecosia virus" is not accurate: nothing in our test infects the PC. These are the real concerns, from most to least serious.
- Medium
An installer that put it there also installed other things
If Ecosia arrived in a bundle, the same bundle may carry adware or other search hijackers that are not Ecosia. That, not Ecosia, is the part that needs cleaning.
- Medium
Your searches go to a service you did not choose
Whoever is the default search engine sees what you type in the address bar. Ecosia's privacy terms decide what it does with them; read them before you keep it. Our test looked at the website only.
- Low
Ads in the results
Search engines of this kind earn from ads, and Ecosia's page loads Google Ad Manager. Treat sponsored results as ads, as on any search engine.
- Low
Claims about trees you cannot check yourself
The tree counts and donations are Ecosia's own statements. We did not verify them, and the numbers in our 2019 report are out of date.
- Low
A lookalike pretending to be Ecosia
Address bar
ecosia.orgorwww.ecosia.orgis the real site. A different address that copies the logo is not.
What a search engine, genuine or not, can see
- Search words you type
- IP address
- Browser and device details
- Time of each search
- Results you click
This is true of any default search engine, which is why a setting you did not choose is worth fixing even for a legitimate site.
How Ecosia.org got into your browser
Three routes explain nearly every "I never chose Ecosia" report. Check them in this order.
| Route | What you would see | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| You or someone else clicked an install button | An Ecosia extension in the list, search and home page changed in one go | chrome://extensions, edge://extensions or about:addons |
| It was picked in the browser's search list | No extension; Ecosia is the selected search engine, which any user can change | Browser Settings > search engine |
| A bundled installer offered it | A new program or extension installed on the same day as other free software | Settings > Apps > Installed apps, sorted by install date |
| The Ecosia desktop browser or app | A separate Ecosia app, not a Chrome or Edge extension | Start menu or Applications folder |
Bundling is the route our 2019 report stressed: free programs from third-party download sites sometimes carry an extra offer, and the Quick or Recommended setup accepts it for you. The Custom or Advanced setup lists the extras and lets you untick them. Ecosia is a legitimate product, so a bundled offer is the installer's choice, not a sign that Ecosia is malicious.
How to remove Ecosia.org
How to remove Ecosia.org and get your search engine back
Remove the extension first.
The search settings only stay fixed once nothing on the PC can change them again.
Which browser shows the ads?
Set another search engine
Open Settings > Search engine, click Change next to the search engine used in the address bar and pick the one you want. Then open Manage search engines and site search and delete any entry you did not add.
Remove extensions you do not recognise
Paste
chrome://extensionsinto the address bar and click Remove on anything you did not install yourself, especially "search" or PDF helpers added recently.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Clear the site data
Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete, choose All time, tick Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files, and click Delete data.
Reset Chrome
Open Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults and confirm with Reset settings. This resets the start page, search engine and pinned tabs and turns off extensions; bookmarks and saved passwords stay.
Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Set another search engine
Open Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Address bar and search and choose the search engine used in the address bar. Check Manage search engines for entries you did not add.
Remove extensions you do not recognise
Paste
edge://extensionsinto the address bar and click Remove under anything you did not install yourself.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Clear the site data
Open Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Delete browsing data > Choose what to clear, set All time, tick Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files, and click Clear now.
Reset Edge
Open Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their default values and confirm with Reset. Extensions are turned off and the start page goes back to default; favourites, history and saved passwords stay.
Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Set another search engine
Open Settings > Search and pick another engine under Default Search Engine. Under Search Shortcuts, remove any entry you did not add.
Remove add-ons you do not recognise
Paste
about:addonsinto the address bar, open Extensions, and choose Remove from the three-dot menu of anything you did not install yourself.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Clear cookies and site data
Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data > Clear Data, tick both boxes and click Clear.
Refresh Firefox
Open the menu > Help > More troubleshooting information and click Refresh Firefox. Add-ons and custom settings are removed and the home page goes back to default; bookmarks, history and passwords stay.
Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Set another search engine
Open Safari > Settings > Search and choose a different Search engine. If you also see an Ecosia entry in Settings > Extensions, select it and click Uninstall.
Remove extensions you do not recognise
In Safari > Settings > Extensions, select anything you did not install yourself and click Uninstall. Ecosia's desktop browser, if you have it, is removed from Finder > Applications.
Clear the site data
In Safari > Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data, remove the site's data, or use History > Clear History > all history. To empty the cache as well, turn on Show features for web developers in Settings > Advanced and choose Develop > Empty Caches.
Check the Mac for apps from the ads
Ads also target Mac users with fake players and "cleaners". In Finder > Applications, move anything unknown to the Bin. In System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions, remove unknown items. Then use Go > Go to Folder to check
/Library/LaunchAgents,~/Library/LaunchAgents,/Library/LaunchDaemonsand/Library/Application Supportfor folders and files with the same unknown names, and empty the Bin.
Then, whichever browser you use
Step 1: Uninstall programs you did not mean to install
Ecosia.org 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 2: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
A scan finds the parts of Ecosia.org 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
After removal: keep your search engine and start page
If Ecosia came with something else
The browser steps above are enough if only the search engine changed. If a download or installer put it there, do these three things as well.
- 1
Uninstall what came with it
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11 (Apps & features in Windows 10), sort by install date and uninstall anything installed on the day the search engine changed. The Ecosia desktop browser, if you have it, uninstalls the same way (Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix).
- 2
Scan, then scan offline
Run a Microsoft Defender Full scan, then the Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan), which finds programs that hide while Windows runs.
- 3
Check the browser again
Open the search engine setting once more after a restart. If Ecosia returns, an extension or program is still putting it back.
Do not worry about leftover files from Ecosia itself: the extension is removed from the browser's extension list, and the search setting is a browser setting, not a file.
How to keep it from happening again
Do
- Choose Custom or Advanced setup in installers and untick extra programs, extensions and pre-ticked search settings.
- Download programs from their makers' sites or the Microsoft Store, not from download portals.
- Install browser extensions only from the browser's official store, from publishers you recognise.
- After installing free software, open the browser's search engine and home page settings and check them once.
- Keep Microsoft Defender SmartScreen on, or Chrome's Enhanced protection: both warn before known malicious pages and downloads.
- Keep a current backup of your files (File History or OneDrive), so an infection or a failed disk does not cost you your documents.
- On public networks, a VPN hides your IP address from the sites and ad networks you visit; it does not block ads or malware.
Don't
- Click through Quick or Recommended setup without reading it.
- Accept "make this your default search engine" prompts from programs you did not go to install.
- Install an extension because a page says it is needed to see search results or watch a video.
- Use Ecosia as a reason to ignore a bundled installer: the bundle may include other programs.
Where to change the search engine in each browser
Removing an extension and changing the search setting are two different jobs. Do both.
| Browser | Search engine setting | Extensions page |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome | Settings > Search engine > Change next to the address bar entry | chrome://extensions |
| Edge | Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Address bar and search | edge://extensions |
| Firefox | Settings > Search > Default Search Engine | about:addons |
| Safari on Mac | Safari > Settings > Search > Search engine | Safari > Settings > Extensions |
If you like Ecosia but did not choose it, you can keep it. Switching to it yourself takes under a minute, and that is a choice rather than a hijack.
Questions about Ecosia.org
How do I remove Ecosia from Safari?
On a Mac, open Safari > Settings > Search and pick another search engine in the Search engine list, then open Settings > Extensions and uninstall any Ecosia extension you find. Ecosia's help centre describes the extension as removable in a few clicks. If you also installed the Ecosia desktop browser or app, move it to the Bin from Finder > Applications.
On an iPhone or iPad the search engine is chosen in the Settings app under Safari. Check the home page setting as well, because the Ecosia extension can set both. Restart Safari and run a search from the address bar to confirm the change.
How do I get rid of Ecosia on Safari when it keeps coming back?
Something is setting it again. First check Safari > Settings > Extensions for an extension you did not choose, and remove it. Then open System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions and delete unknown items.
If you installed free software around the day Ecosia appeared, look in Finder > Applications for anything unfamiliar and move it to the Bin. Finally set the search engine again in Safari > Settings > Search.
If it still returns after a restart, a program on the Mac, not Safari itself, is changing the setting, and you should remove programs installed the same day.
Is Ecosia a virus?
No. Ecosia is a real search engine with a public website that has existed since October 2009. In our check on 4 October 2026 the site asked for no notification permission, opened no pop-ups and registered no service worker.
The word virus comes from people who found it set as their search engine without choosing it. That can happen through an extension, a bundled installer or a browser search list. It is a setting you can change, not an infection, although the program that changed it for you deserves a look.
Why did Ecosia become my default search engine?
One of four things set it:
- you clicked an Ecosia install button
- someone chose it in the browser's search list
- a free program's installer included it
- you installed the Ecosia browser or app
Ecosia's help centre says the extension sets both the default search engine and the home page, and that automatic appearance usually means the search setting was changed. Check the extensions page and the installed apps list for something added on the day it happened, then set the search engine you want in the browser settings.
Is Ecosia safe to use?
The website was safe in our test:
- no tricks
- no notification request
- only a consent banner
- standard advertising scripts
Safe for you also depends on what you accept: any search engine sees what you type, and Ecosia shows ads with its results and passes some data to partners according to its own banner.
Read its privacy policy before you keep it. If you did not choose it, change it back and look for whatever installed it, because a bundled installer can bring other, less trustworthy programs.
Does Ecosia plant trees as it says?
We did not verify it, and we cannot confirm it from our test, which only covered the website. The tree counts, profit shares and donations on its pages are Ecosia's own statements. The figures in our 2019 report are outdated and we removed them.
Whether you trust the claim is separate from the question this guide answers, which is how to change the search engine back if you did not choose it. If tree planting matters to you, read Ecosia's own financial reports and compare them with other organisations.
How do I remove the Ecosia extension in Chrome, Edge or Firefox?
Paste chrome://extensions into Chrome, edge://extensions into Edge or about:addons into Firefox, find Ecosia and choose Remove. This takes the extension out but may leave the search engine setting as it was, so open the browser's search settings afterwards and pick the engine you want.
In Chrome that is Settings > Search engine, in Edge Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Address bar and search, in Firefox Settings > Search. Do the same in each browser and profile you use, and restart the browser afterwards.
If the Remove button is missing or greyed out, the browser may show a Managed by your organization message, and a policy then holds the extension in place.
How do I uninstall the Ecosia browser or app from Windows?
The Ecosia desktop browser uninstalls like any other app. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11, find Ecosia, click the three dots and choose Uninstall. In Windows 10 use Apps & features.
This is a separate product from the extension, so uninstalling it does not change the search engine of Chrome or Edge, and removing the extension does not remove the browser. After uninstalling, run a Microsoft Defender full scan if it came with a bundle, and check the installed apps list for other programs added the same day.
Does Ecosia track you?
Like any search engine it receives what you type, your IP address and browser details when you search. In our test the page showed a consent banner for five partners with an option to reject non-essential data processing, and it loaded Google Ad Manager and Google Tag Manager.
Our old guide said the data was stored for about a week; we could not confirm that, so we dropped it. Read Ecosia's privacy policy for current terms, and choose Reject non-essential if you want to limit cookies.
Will Fortect remove Ecosia.org?
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 Ecosia.org, 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
- Public Interest Registry RDAP: ecosia.org registration record (read October 4, 2026)
- Ecosia Help Center: How do I uninstall Ecosia? (read October 5, 2026)
- Ecosia Help Center: Make Ecosia your default on your browser (read October 5, 2026)
- Google Chrome Help: Change your default search engine (no longer online) (read October 5, 2026)
- Mozilla Support: Change your default search settings in Firefox (read October 5, 2026)
- Apple Support: Change your search settings in Safari on Mac (read October 5, 2026)
- Microsoft Support: Change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge (read October 5, 2026)