Hide My History virus: what it is and how to remove it
Hide My History virus is the potentially unwanted program that controls where the user is searching and browsing, so needed pages can get views and visits. This is the application that alters particular settings and preferences of the Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer and other web browsing tools.
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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Hide My History virus: summary
| Distribution | Insecure sites that deliver freeware and promote other programs can distribute software within bundles[2] that include PUPs too. Also, other threats can install hijackers or adware without any permissions or users knowledge in the first place |
|---|---|
| Damage | Potentially unwanted programs and the advertisers whose content hijacker promotes and delivers can access, track, and collect data regarding your browsing history, habits while browsing online, details on most viewed pages, and searched items. Also, since you get redirected to various online pages, you get exposed to possibly harmful material that can deliver malware directly on your system |
| Name | Hide My History virus |
| Type | Browser hijacker[1] |
| Developers | Eightpoint Technologies – company related to other hijackers, adware, and PUPs, and involved with questionable software creators Polarities Technologies Ltd. |
| Domain | hidemyhistory.co |
| 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 7 more facts
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Symptoms | A changed search engine |
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Search page | hidemyhistory.co |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 2 January 2021 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
What Hide My History virus changes in your browser
In some circumstances, we may append an affiliate code to certain sites linked to our Hide My History product, either directly or through search results delivered to you. In doing so, we may collect a small commission in connection with your activity, but do not pass any of your personally identifiable information to any such third party sites. We do not utilize any third party to assist us with appending such affiliate code and we do not work with any third party site that collects personally identifiable information in connection with our participation in such affiliate programs.
Is Hide My History virus dangerous? What it collects
From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since
Hide My History virus is the browser hijacker that manipulates browser settings to inject search results with ads
Hide My History virus is the potentially unwanted program that controls where the user is searching and browsing, so needed pages can get views and visits.
This is the application that alters particular settings and preferences of the Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer and other web browsing tools. Once these changes get made, time online is significantly diminished, and it becomes barely possible to access wanted pages and content online.
People who develop these potentially unwanted programs, in most cases, focus on creating applications that can affect the machine and change preferences. Features like homepage, default search engine, new tab, and other settings get changed because the aim of browser hijacker is controlling what you see the most often.
Hide My History search is the hijacker that makes hidemyhistory.co domain the default search engine, so when you attempt to search for anything online, you get redirected straight through this site or a related engine Hide My Searches that is developed by the same company - Eightpoint Technologies Ltd.
This relation may indicate that other programs can get possibly installed alongside the hijacker that affects your browsing sessions already. PUPs, in general, are known for installing additional intruders, so you should be aware and make sure to fully clean the system.
This potentially unwanted program that is designed to affect the speed and performance of the machine significantly, even though the tool is promoted as the search engine with a particular privacy feature that encrypting search terms between your computer and the search domain. Besides those shady claims, developers also note that the search engine is sponsored by advertisers, so the commercial content is not surprising for users.
However, users are not fully informed what those third-party advertisements mean regarding the privacy and security of the computer that is affected by the PUP itself. Each pop-up, banner, blinking box, and in-text link can trigger redirects or even direct downloads of different programs, browser-based tools.
You should remember about those additional installations when you decide to perform Hide My History virus removal. Since this is not a program that can be easily found on the machine and removed manually from your device, you need proper anti-malware tools that can do the cleaning for you.
By choosing the automatic program for this process of deleting the hijacker, you get all the benefits of this full system check because antivirus software checks various parts where malware and parts of the PUP can get hidden. When the program suggests to remove any programs - do so.
Then, you should manually go through browsers that got affected by the intruder and search for any unwanted program content, reset settings to default, and remove extensions, toolbars added without permission. You can find more in-depth instructions for this below. Also, more options for security tools and utilities needed for system repair like .
A browser extension is an additional method allowing the PUP to control your most visited sites and online traffic in general, so don't get surprised when you find browser extension, plugins, applications or add-ons installed without agreeing to any of this yourself. These programs as the browser hijacker itself are not requiring your permission or knowledge.
The app is developed by the company based in California, so their privacy and security preferences and terms listed in the Site Privacy section on the site are all based on state laws. However, this is a potentially unwanted program, so there are many issues that may not be fully disclosed there or in general. Nevertheless, this is what hijacker developers claim about collected data:
These affiliated programs and third-party involvement should raise some questions and encourage you to remove Hide My History virus as soon as possible because there are no guarantees that your personally identifiable data is not accessed by malicious actors. If that happens, you may end up as a victim of targeted scams or more direct malvertising campaigns.
This data tracking that potentially unwanted programs, associated advertisers, and the hijacker itself are involved can lead to issues with your privacy, identity theft problems. You need to consider these possibilities when you encounter any of the potentially unwanted applications, so you can take care of the intruder and avoid permanent damage or additional issues.
From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since
Clean the system and change browser settings back to normal after the proper Hide My History termination
When the hijacker takes over your browser and controls every search attempt, you should go straight to the virus removal because the sooner you terminate the intruder the better, and your machine can get cleaned without much effort this way. Potentially unwanted programs can affect more crucial parts of the system before they deliver intrusive symptoms on your browsing tools.
You might not be able to remove Hide My History virus manually, because the site that appears on the screen and extensions that get installed are not the initial intruders that control all the symptoms and affects the performance of your computer. You need to find all PUP-related files to get rid of the infection fully.
From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Hide My History virus
- Remove the virus with the help of a professional anti-malware tool that can find all associated programs and get rid of any potential risks
How Hide My History virus got into your browser
From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since
When offers that suggest installing or update various software come to your screen, you should pay close attention to sources or ignore these alerts in the first place.
Any automatic downloads can trigger the installation of pre-bundled programs, so many rogue applications at once. You cannot control such processes yourself, so anything can get added.
However, it is possible to avoid these PUP infections if you choose proper installation options. Automatic downloads happen when you select recommended or quick options and allow all included programs to get installed this way. Bundling is a common issue, so you need to choose Advanced or Custom installations every time you download anything.
By doing so, you unpack the bundle and can see all included applications, files, tools, and so on. Also, this feature allows you to deselect unwanted programs and add only those apps that you truly need. If you go for official providers and reliable sources, you can forget about such risk entirely.
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
hidemyhistory.co
How to remove Hide My History virus
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
Hide My History virus often works through an extension, so go through the extension list of each browser:
chrome://extensionsedge://extensions- Extensions and themes in Firefox
Switch suspicious extensions off one at a time and reload the page where the problem shows, then remove the one that stops it, and any other you did not add.
Remember the other browsers and profiles on the PC. If Remove is missing or greyed out, a policy forces the extension, which the policy step deals with. Windows 11 and Windows 10 show the same pages.
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 hidemyhistory.co
Searches that pass through
hidemyhistory.comean the browser's default search engine was replaced. Chrome: Settings > Search engine > Manage search engines and site search, then Make default on Google, Bing or another engine you chose, and Delete on hidemyhistory.co.Edge has the same list under Manage search engines (search the Settings page for it), and Firefox under Settings > Search.
Look at On startup and the homepage settings too and remove the hijacker's address there. Nothing in this step differs between 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
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11, or Settings > Apps > Apps & features in Windows 10, and sort the list by install date. Look at what appeared around the day the problem started and uninstall every program you do not recognise or did not choose.
Free converters, PDF and video tools, "system optimizers" and unknown browsers are the usual carriers of Hide My History virus. If a name is unclear, search for it before you remove it, so you do not uninstall a driver or a Windows component.
Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix
Step 4: Reset the browser
Finish the browser part with a reset, which puts the search engine, start page, new tab page and site permissions back to their defaults and switches extensions off. Chrome: Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults.
Edge: Settings > Reset settings. Firefox: Help > More troubleshooting information > Refresh Firefox, which also removes its extensions. Your bookmarks and saved passwords are kept, and the menus are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
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
Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, run a Full scan and remove everything it finds. Then select Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and click Scan now: the PC restarts and scans before Windows loads, which finds files that hide while Windows runs.
Save your work first, because the offline scan takes about 15 minutes. Both scans are built into Windows 11 and Windows 10, and a second scanner from another vendor is a useful extra opinion.
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
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 should set Chrome to default, so there are no traces of the shady search engine left
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)
To reverse all the changes that PUP has made, you should reset the browser to default fully
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.
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 Hide My History virus
How do I change my search engine back from hidemyhistory.co?
Open the browser's search engine settings, choose the search engine you want and set it as default, then remove hidemyhistory.co from the list.
If the option is greyed out or a note says it is controlled by an extension, remove that extension first and try again. If the browser says it is managed by your organization, a policy holds the setting, and the policy steps in this guide apply.
When the change will not stick, reset the browser: it restores the default search engine and start page and turns off extensions, but keeps bookmarks and saved passwords. Then check Installed apps for a program that may put hidemyhistory.co back.
Can hidemyhistory.co see my searches?
Yes. Every search typed into the address bar goes to hidemyhistory.co first, which is how it earns money. It can log the query, the time and an identifier for your browser, and some hijackers also collect the pages you visit through their extension.
The privacy policy of such sites usually allows sharing that data with partners. Once the hijacker is removed and your own search engine is set again, new searches no longer reach it. Searches already sent cannot be taken back, so avoid entering sensitive information until the clean-up is finished, and clear cookies afterwards.
Why do my searches go to hidemyhistory.co?
Because the browser's default search engine was changed to it. Hide My History virus did that through an extension, a program or a browser policy, and as long as that source remains, the setting points to hidemyhistory.co.
The page then passes your query to a real search provider, so the results look almost normal, with extra sponsored links on top. Changing the search engine back on its own does not last, because the source resets it. Remove the extension or program first, then the policies if any, then set your own search engine.
Is it safe to keep searching with hidemyhistory.co?
We would not. Every query you type is logged by its operators and shared with their advertising partners, and the sponsored links at the top are chosen for payment, not relevance. Results that look like a download page or a support site may lead to scams.
The page will not damage Windows by itself, but there is no benefit in keeping it: the results come from another search engine anyway. Remove Hide My History virus and use that search engine directly, by typing its address or choosing it in the browser settings.
Which browsers does Hide My History virus affect?
We saw it in Chrome, Edge and Firefox. That does not mean the other browsers on your PC are safe: hijacker installers usually change every browser they find, and browser sync can carry an extension to other computers signed in to the same account.
Check the search engine, home page, new tab, extensions and policies in each browser you have, including ones you rarely open. Chrome and Edge profiles count separately, so switch to each profile and check it as well before you call the job done.
What does hidemyhistory.co know about me?
It knows what you searched for while it was your search engine, when, from which IP address and with which browser, and usually which results you opened. Tracking cookies let it connect those searches into a profile. It does not see your saved passwords or files.
After removing Hide My History virus, delete the cookies and site data for hidemyhistory.co so the profile cannot be continued, and remove it from the browser's list of saved search engines. Signing out of important sites and back in also replaces session cookies.
I changed the search engine, but it switched back. Why?
The hijacker is still installed, and it rewrites the setting whenever the browser starts or the extension updates. Changing the setting is the last step, not the first. Find what controls it: the search settings page usually names the extension, and a greyed-out field means a policy.
Remove that source, restart the browser, then pick your search engine and delete the hijacker's entry from the list of saved search engines so it cannot be chosen by accident. Check again after a day, when extensions have had a chance to update.
Will resetting the browser remove Hide My History virus?
A reset disables extensions, restores the default search engine, start page and new tab, and clears temporary data and cookies. It keeps bookmarks, history and saved passwords. For many hijackers that is enough.
It does not remove a program installed in Windows, policies in the registry, changes to the hosts file or DNS, or edited shortcuts, so Hide My History virus can come back after a reset if one of those remains. Do the reset after removing the program and policies, not instead of it.
The results look like Google or Bing. Is that real?
Partly. Many hijacker search pages pass your query to a real search engine and show its results, so the list looks familiar. What changes is the frame around it:
- extra sponsored links at the top
- the hijacker's own tracking
- sometimes a design that copies a known search engine
You can tell by the address bar. If it shows hidemyhistory.co or another unfamiliar domain instead of the search engine you know, the results come through a middleman. Remove Hide My History virus and search directly.
Will Fortect remove Hide My History virus?
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 Hide My History virus, 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
- Wikipedia: Browser hijacking (read October 7, 2026)
- CSOonline: What is malvertising? And how to protect against it (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)