Native ads: what it is and how to remove it
Native-search.com is a misleading search engine, which is used to collect advertising revenue. No matter that there are many PC users who claim that this site should be called 'virus' or 'browser hijacker', in reality it's just an untrustworthy search engine, which mostly returns altered search results and shows commercial pop-up notifications.
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.
Automatic
Get a free scan and check if your PC is infected.
Fortect finds malware, unwanted programs and the Windows damage they leave behind, and repairs it in one pass.
Not sure what sends your browser to native-search.com? An automatic scan looks at the usual sources for you.
Do it yourself · free Remove Native ads yourself 4 steps, about 12 minutes, no software needed.
Start the steps
Native ads: summary
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Name | Native |
| Type | Adware extension |
| Symptoms | Redirects to an unknown domain |
| 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
| Evidence | One write-up by a security site; details still limited |
|---|---|
| Domains | native-search.com |
| Ads shown as | Redirects through ad pages |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 23 October 2013 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
From our report of Oct 2013 · not reviewed since
What Native is
Native-search.com is a misleading search engine, which is used to collect advertising revenue.
No matter that there are many PC users who claim that this site should be called 'virus' or 'browser hijacker', in reality it's just an untrustworthy search engine, which mostly returns altered search results and shows commercial pop-up notifications.
Once user clicks on such ad, Native-search.com's owners will receive some money. The same can be told about visiting related websites. However, you should beware that sometimes such sites may be accidentally used for promoting insecure websites that spread malware.
Is Native ads dangerous?
From our report of Oct 2013 · not reviewed since
HOW CAN NATIVE-SEARCH.COM APPEAR ON MY COMPUTER?
According to many PC users, Native-search.com shows up on computers out of nowhere.
No, its distribution is not related to on trojans or other malware. In reality, it sneaks inside computers in a bundle with freeware and shareware. In order to avoid this program, you should start paying more attention to such programs' installation process.
You have to find the check mark, which agrees to download Native-search.com and uncheck it. If you don't know where Native-search.com came from, you were also tricked into installing it. In this case, you should remove this search engine from your computer.
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
native-search.com
How to remove Native ads
How to remove the Native extension
Do the browser steps in every browser and profile on the PC, then check Windows for the program that installed the extension.
Step 1: Remove extensions you did not add
Native 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: 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 Native. 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 3: 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 4: 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
Stream videos without limitations, no matter where you are
There are multiple parties that could find out almost anything about you by checking your online activity.
While this is highly unlikely, advertisers and tech companies are constantly tracking you online. The first step to privacy should be a secure browser that focuses on tracker reduction to a minimum.
Even if you employ a secure browser, you will not be able to access websites that are restricted due to local government laws or other reasons. In other words, you may not be able to stream Disney+ or US-based Netflix in some countries. To bypass these restrictions, you can employ a powerful VPN, which provides dedicated servers for torrenting and streaming, not slowing you down in the process.
Data backups are important - recover your lost files
Ransomware is one of the biggest threats to personal data.
Once it is executed on a machine, it launches a sophisticated encryption algorithm that locks all your files, although it does not destroy them. The most common misconception is that anti-malware software can return files to their previous states. This is not true, however, and data remains locked after the malicious payload is deleted.
While regular data backups are the only secure method to recover your files after a ransomware attack, tools such as can also be effective and restore at least some of your lost data.
From our report of Oct 2013 · not reviewed since
HOW TO REMOVE NATIVE-SEARCH.COM?
We must note that Native-search.com is not a virus or malware.
It's just an annoying search engine, which may appear on your computer after downloading freeware. However, you should rely on more reputable search engines if you want to be sure that you won't be redirected to some malicious website. For that, follow this guide:
- Uninstall Native Search via Add/Remove Programs:
- Click Start -> Control Panel -> Programs (or Add/Remove Programs) -> Uninstall a Program.
- Here, look for Native-search.com and similar entries and select 'Uninstall/Change'.
- Click OK to save the changes.
- Remove Native-search.com add-on from IE, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers:
- Open Internet Explorer, go 'Tools' -> "Manage Add-ons' -> 'Toolbars and Extensions' and uninstall Native-search.com and other entries that may be unknown for you.
- Click ''Tools' -> 'Manage addons' -> 'Search Providers' and choose the search engine you used before.
- Open Mozilla Firefox, go 'Tools' -> 'Add-ons' -> 'Extensions'; find Native-search.com and other unknown entries and click 'Uninstall'.
- Go 'Tools' -> 'Options' and reset the startup homepage to google.com, yahoo.com or similar search page.
- Click the Chrome menu button, select 'Tools' -> 'Extensions', find Native-search.com and other unknown extensions and remove them by clicking Recycle bin.
- No click 'Settings' -> 'Manage search engines' and change your default search engine.
- Finally, scan the system with updated anti-spyware.
Questions about Native ads
How do I stop native-search.com from opening?
Find and remove whatever opens it. Start with the browser's extensions page and remove anything you do not remember adding. Next, open the notification settings and take away permission from sites you do not recognise.
Then check Settings > Apps > Installed apps for programs added around the day the redirects began, and uninstall those. Restart the browser and test a few links after each step.
If native-search.com still appears, reset the browser, which restores the default search engine, start page and permissions without deleting bookmarks or saved passwords. Redirects that survive a reset in every browser point to a program in Windows, and a full scan is the next step.
Is it safe that my browser was redirected to native-search.com?
Landing on native-search.com does not infect the PC by itself. A browser does not run programs from a page without your action. The danger is in the pages that come next:
- some ask you to allow notifications
- some show fake virus warnings
- some offer downloads
- ask for card details
If you only saw those pages and closed them, nothing more is needed than removing whatever caused the redirect. If you allowed notifications, remove that permission.
If you downloaded a file, delete it unopened, or uninstall it if you ran it. If you typed a password or card number on one of the pages, change the password and call your bank.
What is Native?
Native is an adware extension, a kind of adware. It earns money by showing redirects through ad pages, and each view, click or redirect pays whoever runs it. It is not something people usually choose; it arrives through a free download, a fake button or a misleading prompt.
Native does not encrypt files or take control of Windows, but its ads are sold to anyone, including scam operators, so they can lead to fake virus warnings and unwanted downloads. The steps in this guide remove it from Windows and from each browser.
Which browsers does Native affect?
In the cases we checked, Native showed up in Chrome, Edge and Firefox. That does not rule out others on your PC, since adware installers often target every browser they find, and permissions and extensions sync across computers signed in to the same browser account.
Open each browser you have, go to its extensions page and its notification settings, and remove anything you do not recognise. Profiles count separately: Chrome and Edge can each hold several, and each one needs checking on its own.
Are the pop-ups I see really from Native?
Compare them with the details in the table above. Native produces redirects through ad pages, and the clearest sign of it is redirects to native-search.com. Other adware looks similar, so check the name of the sending site at the bottom of a notification, the address in the tab that opened, or the newest entries on the extensions page.
If those match, this guide fits. If you see a different name, the same kind of steps apply, but remove the item you actually find rather than guessing.
My scan found nothing, but the ads continue. Why?
Because the source may not be a file a scanner looks for. Browser notifications are a permission stored in the browser, and many adware extensions are not flagged because they come from an official store.
Some ad-supported programs are only reported if you enable detection of potentially unwanted apps. So a clean scan does not mean the job is done. Check each browser's notification permissions and extension list by hand, and turn on Potentially unwanted app blocking in Windows Security before scanning again.
Why is my browser so slow since the ads started?
Each page now does extra work. An adware extension reads the page, decides where to put ads, loads them from ad servers and reports your visit, and that happens on every tab. Ad-supported programs add their own background activity.
Removing the extension or program usually makes the browser fast again at once. If it stays slow, open the browser's own task manager with Shift+Esc in Chrome or Edge and look for extensions using a lot of memory or processor time.
I let a "support technician" from an ad connect to my PC. What should I do?
Act quickly but calmly. Disconnect the PC from the internet first, so the connection ends. Uninstall the remote access tool they asked you to install and check Installed apps for anything else added during the call.
Run a Microsoft Defender full scan and offline scan. From another device, change your e-mail and banking passwords and sign out of all sessions.
If you paid by card, bank transfer or gift card, contact your bank or the card issuer immediately, and report the scam to the police. Do not answer if they call back.
Did Native collect my data?
Adware typically collects what it needs to choose ads:
- the sites you visit
- search terms
- approximate location
- browser and system details
Extensions with permission to read and change data on all websites can technically see everything on those pages, including forms. That is a privacy problem rather than proof of theft.
If you typed card details or passwords while it was active, changing the most important passwords is a reasonable precaution. Clearing cookies after removal ends the tracking sessions it may have started.
Will Fortect remove Native?
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 Native, 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 Chrome Help: Use notifications to get alerts (no longer online) (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)