How to remove History-Cleaner browser hijacker

History-Cleaner is a browser-hijacking app that can read your browsing history

If you have found the History-Cleaner browser hijacker on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, MS Edge, or another web browser unexpectedly, you are not alone. Several people reported that they experienced a strange redirect phenomenon as soon as they try to use the search function of their browser, as their search results are no longer the same. To be more precise, each time a new tab is used or the “home” button is pressed, users keep getting redirected to history-cleaner.xyz.

While the new homepage might seem like nothing unusual, the impact on web browsing is quite significant. First of all, by appending the new search box, it may force users to use an alternative search provider, such as Bing, Google, Yahoo, or something else (this usually depends on users' location and other parameters).

These providers are completely legitimate, although unexpected changes to your default provider should be taken seriously. Not only does this alter which search results you are being shown, but it also ensures that the primary results are sponsored – they are not organic. Paid search results are not something new, although potentially unwanted applications tend to abuse them and flood users' searches with ads.

Besides unwanted advertisements, History-Cleaner may also initiate extensive web browsing tracking activities. For example, cookies,^[1] search queries, IP address,^[2] operating system type and version, language preferences, and much more can be collected by the hijacker.

History-Cleaner: how did it end up on my browser?

If you did not install the extension intentionally for its functionality, it means you were tricked into doing so in other ways. There are two primary methods how hijackers and similar PUPs are distributed:

• Software bundles;
• (Misleading) advertisements on various websites.

If you have not heard of software bundling before, it is not a coincidence. Users are known to download software from third-party sources; it is also common knowledge to security experts that these third-party websites bundle software into packages. Without realizing, users might not notice optional apps and proceed with the installation process, ending up with the desired application and several other ones they never wanted.

This happens because people tend to rush the installation process of new apps and choose the Recommended/Quick settings when prompted. To avoid being a victim of this scheme, you should always be aware that optional apps might be offered to you, and your job is to find these offers and decline them. Pick Advanced/Custom settings and watch out for pre-ticked checkboxes, fine print text, misplaced buttons, and similar tricks.

We have also seen a rise in apps that are being distributed thanks to misleading notifications or statements online. Once redirected to a suspicious website, users might be told that they need to update an already existing extension. Please ignore these claims, as you might even install malware on your device this way. Always download software updates from official, legitimate websites.

Other browser hijackers

Browser hijackers are among the most prevalent forms of potentially unwanted software – they have been around for decades by now. The principles of these apps' operation drastically changed from that time, as back then they used to be described as “spyware” and were a nightmare to deal with. Toolbars such as Ask were very difficult to remove.

Thanks to various cybersecurity implementations and tech companies treating security more seriously, these once dangerous apps evolved and are now considered more of nuisances than real infections. That being said, it does not mean that they should be completely disregarded.

Some browser hijackers still managed to keep some of the malicious traits – the “Managed by your organization” setting is one such example. When installed, a program modifies certain Windows settings, such as Group Policy, in order to prevent users from uninstalling it. We have previously talked about apps with such operational traits, including Routes virus, AnywhereSearch, or Flare Search. Luckily, History-Cleaner does not possess such a function and is relatively easy to remove.

How to remove History-Cleaner correctly

Regardless of which infection you are dealing with – be it serious or not – you should always start from a scan with powerful anti-malware, for example, SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes. Security software can find and remove all the malicious components at once, so you don't have to worry that a Trojan is stealing your data in the background.

Once you are sure there's no malware on your device, you should remove the unwanted extension. If you have never dealt with this process before, proceed with the following steps:

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 the suspicious plugins that might be related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.

Your next step is to ensure that your browser is not using the hijacker's search engine:

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

Finally, make sure you clean the web browser caches to stop unwanted browser tracking. This step would also reduce the probability of a dangerous session hijacking^[3] attack and prevent errors related to bugged caches. If you want to do this effectively for all browsers at once and also repair damaged system files if such help is required, employ FortectIntego instead of relying on manual steps.

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

If you are using Edge, Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari, refer to the instructions below.