Histcleaner.com: what it is and how to remove it
Histcleaner.com is a browser extension that performs unwanted tasks and takes over various processes. The official website states that this application can clear your searches and browsing history but that is untrue.
Facts checked October 6, 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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Histcleaner.com: summary
| Distribution | Shady websites, deceptive ads, redirects, freeware installations |
|---|---|
| NAME | Histcleaner.com |
| TYPE | Browser hijacker; potentially unwanted program |
| SYMPTOMS | When a browser gets hijacked, usually the main settings get changed – the homepage, new tab address, and search engine; additionally, users can experience an increased amount of commercial content |
| DANGERS | The application might gather various browsing-related information, which raises many user security and privacy concerns |
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
| 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 9 more facts
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
|---|---|
| Name | Histcleaner.com |
| Type | Search hijacker extension |
| Symptoms | A changed search engine |
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Search page | histcleaner.com |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 19 October 2021 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Is Histcleaner.com dangerous? What it collects
From our report of Oct 2021 · not reviewed since
Histcleaner.com does not enhance the browsing experience with useful functions
Histcleaner.com is a browser extension that performs unwanted tasks and takes over various processes.
The official website states that this application can clear your searches and browsing history but that is untrue. It is just an attempt to stay relevant and make people less likely to remove the add-on if they think it does something beneficial.
Browser plugins are very popular because they provide some kind of special functions that you cannot access on a default browser, like automatically block ads, suspicious websites and search for the best discounts. Browsers can make a lot of changes and access a lot of data. That was not unseen by fraudsters that want to make a profit.
The developers of such applications can monetize a lot of different aspects. They can inject promoted links in the search results, cause redirects, and display ads. It makes the whole browsing experience annoying and inconvenient. Because the changes seem to appear seemingly out of nowhere, many people think that they have been infected with a virus.
The homepage that gets added has a search box and 4 buttons. Each of them says "last 6 hours", "last 24 hours", "last week", "all history". When you click on them nothing seems to happen, so even the most basic functions that the developers are talking about do not work.
When you type anything into the search box and press "Enter", you get redirected to Google, so there is really no point in having this extension installed.
From our report of Oct 2021 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Histcleaner.com
- You can remove an unwanted extension in the settings of the browser; deploying professional security software to scan the machine is recommended
From our report of Oct 2021 · not reviewed since
What are the associated risks?
When an extension like this is added to the browser, it might track and store various data like your IP address, the website you visit, links you click on, and what you purchase.
This information can later be sold to advertising networks that create special algorithms to better target you. This is not necessarily a bad thing, at least when you visit only legitimate websites and use trusted applications. But we suspect that this is not the case as you are now here.
One of the other things that hijackers like Histcleaner.com can do is place advertisements in the search results, and everywhere else. This way, the application can place what it wants, and make you click on it. These advertisements may not always be safe to press on also. They can lead to dangerous websites that use social engineering techniques to lure out your personal information or download PUPs and even malware.
What is what you had to be doing in the first place to infect yourself with this kind of browser extension because most commonly they are spread on shady sites that are full of redirects and deceptive ads. That is why we say that usually, the users themselves are at fault. It is important to follow certain security guidelines to avoid this in the future:
- Do not believe everything you see on the internet - pop-ups, or banners, or websites that say that you won some kind of prize are most often fake.
- Do not click on random links and websites, make sure they are safe first. The easiest things you can do to ensure that the website at least uses basic security rules is to check the URL. If it starts with HTTPS, it is safe. If it starts with HTTP, it is better to avoid such a site because it does not use end-to-end encryption. Look for a lock next to the name - if it is there, that means that the website has SSL certificates.
- Exit pages that seem to be spammy, and have a lot of pop-ups in the corner of the screen, or sketchy-looking "Download" buttons. Fake download buttons still exist and they can definitely lead to questionable pages.
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
histcleaner.com
How to remove Histcleaner.com
How to remove Histcleaner.com 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.
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 histcleaner.com
In Chrome open Settings > Search engine > Manage search engines and site search, make an engine you trust the default, and delete
histcleaner.comfrom 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 histcleaner.com 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
Histcleaner.com 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 Histcleaner.com 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
Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices.
Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings.
Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact - you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use for the data restoration process.
From our report of Oct 2021 · not reviewed since
Start the removal
The first thing you should do is go to your browser settings and check if you see any extensions with a similar name or suspicious-looking add-ons in general.
You can follow our guide if you need help:
MS Edge (Chromium)
Now that your machine is clear from intruders, you should get rid of all the data that might have been collected about you, while it was in your machine. For this, you need a different tool - , which is a multi-purpose maintenance software.
It will fully clear your browsers from cookies and cache, which will result in better performance of your machine. Besides that, it can be useful in fixing various more complicated system errors that are caused by corrupted files, registry issues, etc.
- 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 the suspicious plugins that might be related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
- 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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
- 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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
- Click Safari > Preferences...
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
- 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.
From our report of Oct 2021 · not reviewed since
Additional safety measures
The hijacking could have been caused not only by a browser extension but also by a program.
This most commonly happens when people do not pay attention during the installation process and browse through shady sites. If the previous removal method did not get rid of the intruder, you most likely have a potentially unwanted program performing tasks in the background.
In this case, simply removing the plugin from the browser will not help, and the application will keep messing up the settings until you completely eliminate it from your system.
Identifying the program responsible for hijacking your browser might be difficult if you have never done this before and if it is not named the same as the homepage. It could be disguised as an antivirus, image editing software, or anything else.
If you are not sure what to do and you do not want to risk eliminating the wrong files, we suggest using or security tools that will scan your machine, eliminate it, and prevent such infections in the future by giving you a warning before a malicious program can make any changes.
If manual removal is what you prefer, we have instructions for Windows and Mac machines:
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
The next time you are trying to download freeware, make sure to be very careful, and not rush. There can be bundled software that is harmful. Be sure to choose "Custom" or "Advanced" installation methods, read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, and most importantly, check the file list up for installation - if you see any files that seem out-of-place, untick the boxes next to their names.
This is the most you can do during the installation. Keep in mind, that the program itself, that you are trying to install, can be a PUP.
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
Questions about Histcleaner.com
Is it safe to keep histcleaner.com as my search engine?
It is not recommended. Searches through histcleaner.com usually still return results, but the operator sees every query, often stores it with an identifier for your browser and shows extra ads or paid links. Some hijacked results lead to fake downloads or scam pages.
You also did not choose it, which means something changed your settings without asking and may still be installed. Set your own search engine back, remove the extension or program that set histcleaner.com, and check the browser's other settings, such as the start page and notification permissions, for further changes made at the same time.
Can histcleaner.com see my searches?
Yes. Every search typed into the address bar goes to histcleaner.com 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.
What is histcleaner.com?
It is the search page used by the browser hijacker Histcleaner.com. 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 histcleaner.com 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 Histcleaner.com, 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, Histcleaner.com 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 histcleaner.com 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 histcleaner.com 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 Histcleaner.com
- clear cookies and site data for histcleaner.com
- treat sensitive searches made in the meantime as known to a third party
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.
Is only one browser affected?
Often not. Programs that install hijackers tend to change every browser they find, and sync can carry the extension to other computers signed in to the same browser account. Check Chrome, Edge and Firefox, even the ones you rarely use, and look at the shortcut targets on the desktop and taskbar for each.
If you use sync, remove the extension while signed in so the removal syncs too. Also check the On startup setting and the new tab page, because hijackers change those as well as the search engine.
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 Histcleaner.com?
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 Histcleaner.com, 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
- Tozny: End-to-end encryption – Why HTTPS is not enough (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 6, 2026)