Search Anonymo virus: what it is and how to remove it
Search Anonymo virus is a deceptive piece of malware, which falls into the category of browser hijackers . The program seems to be primarily focused on infecting Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers, but it is not limited to affecting other browsers in the future as well.
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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Search Anonymo virus: summary
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Name | Search Anonymo virus |
| Type | Search hijacker extension |
| Symptoms | A changed search engine |
| 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 5 more facts
| Evidence | 6 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
|---|---|
| Search page | searchanonymo.com |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 31 March 2017 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
What Search Anonymo virus changes in your browser
When You visit a Product-Website, our servers will temporarily save every request in a logfile. The following data are registered and stored by us without any involvement from You:
Is Search Anonymo virus dangerous? What it collects
From our report of Mar 2017 · not reviewed since
Search Anonymo and reasons not to trust it for the protection of your anonymity
Search Anonymo virus is a deceptive piece of malware, which falls into the category of browser hijackers .
The program seems to be primarily focused on infecting Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers, but it is not limited to affecting other browsers in the future as well.
This application attempts to force victims to switch from their default search engines to Searchanonymo.com. Software developers seemingly do it for a good cause -- this search engine, unlike other search engines, is a tool which will protect user's privacy online.
This potentially unwanted program (PUP) promises not to track the user and enhance the browsing experience by providing the most relevant search results; however, we consider these statements to be quite deceptive, to say at least.
Once installed, Searchanonymo.com redirect virus hijacks your browser's Omnibox and provides its own search results when you try to search the Internet straight from browser's address bar.
However, remember that part of these results are paid by third-party companies that want certain links to appear in the SearchAnonymo search results.
These modified search results can contain links that point to completely secure sites, but you might also come across results filled with dangerous links as well. Therefore, we highly recommend you to rely on your common sense and not browse through websites that seem shady.
It seems that this hijacker attempts to make money via pay-per-click advertising scheme but hardly cares about the trustworthiness of links that it promotes via search results. It is one of the reasons why we do not recommend using this search engine and suggest you remove Search Anonymo right away.
On top of that, all these claims about safer search experience seem to be an utter nonsense. Although this PUP promises not to track user's activity online and not even have a single peek at your search and browsing history, we are afraid that it isn't true and that you should stop using Search Anonymo search engine ASAP.
According to this program's Privacy Policy, as soon as the user installs and runs the "product," the program immediately records such information - user's IP address, the date and time of access, name, and URL of the file called up, geo-marketing data and more. Here is an extract from this document:
Besides, this suspicious program says to be using Microsoft or Yahoo search services to deliver search results, and that these companies might collect user's search keywords, IP address, time and date of search queries, and more. Besides, developers of this questionable free program admit to be using collected information to transfer it to "third-party content providers and providers of sponsored links."
It becomes apparent that this suspicious search tool actually tracks the user, and its claims about safe and private browsing opportunities are just vain. Therefore, to free up some space on your PC, we suggest you complete Search Anonymo removal using the software.
From our report of Mar 2017 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Search Anonymo virus
- the IP address of the requesting terminal device;
- the website from which the file is accessed;
- the operating system of your terminal device and the browser you are using;
- the name of your internet access provider;
How Search Anonymo virus got into your browser
From our report of Mar 2017 · not reviewed since
First of all, you have to remember that despite being annoying, this browser parasite is a legitimate program.
This means that it does not use any illegal tricks to install itself on victim's computer system, and it even has its official website that users can visit and download the described program from there.
However, some computer users still end up installing this program on their computers without realizing it, and there's no surprise why they start asking questions about Search Anonymo's distribution.
Most of the time, users unknowingly install it alongside freeware or shareware programs, and mostly it happens due to lack of user's attention to the software installation procedure, which typically provides several installation options for the user to choose from.
Users tend to wrongly assume that auto-selected options (Default/Standard/Basic) are the most trustworthy ones. In reality, these installation modes contain agreements to accept third-party programs bundled with the main software, and these bundled items usually appear to be adware, browser hijackers and other suspicious applications that no one wants to install.
It goes without saying that you must decompose such software package before you start installing your download. To do that:
- Choose Custom/Advanced installation option
- Deselect all suggested items one after another
- Agree to Install your download only after you make sure that all bundled items were opted out.
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
searchanonymo.com
How to remove Search Anonymo virus
How to remove Search Anonymo virus 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
Search Anonymo 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 searchanonymo.com
Searches that pass through
searchanonymo.commean 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 searchanonymo.com.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 Search Anonymo 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
Check Programs and Features folder and uninstall all suspicious programs you can find there. We strongly recommend deleting Search Anonymo software (if you can find it in the currently installed programs' list, of course). If you cannot, proceed to the next step of this removal guide and fix each of the affected web browsers individually.
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
In Chrome, you will need to find and delete an extension called Search Anonymo. Below, you can see a tutorial that explains how to find and delete the extension from Chrome.
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 Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Firefox browser appears to be vulnerable to the hijack. If Firefox browser already started pushing searchanonymo.com search results to you, follow these instructions and delete the unwanted extension for good.
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 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.
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files.
More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
From our report of Mar 2017 · not reviewed since
Search Anonymo removal from the infected browsers
Please use instructions provided below to remove Search Anonymo virus from affected web browsers.
You shouldn't ignore the problem; switching the affected web browser with another one won't allow you to run away from this hijacker because it can affect multiple web browsers at once. Therefore, we suggest you start thinking about Search Anonymo removal.
If you do not like the idea of trying to delete this browser hijacker manually, you can perform a quick system scan with an anti-spyware or anti-malware program and allow it to eliminate this hijacker automatically.
Search Anonymo. Below, you can see a tutorial that explains how to find and delete the extension from Chrome.
Questions about Search Anonymo virus
Is it safe to keep searchanonymo.com as my search engine?
It is not recommended. Searches through searchanonymo.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 searchanonymo.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 searchanonymo.com see my searches?
Yes. Every search typed into the address bar goes to searchanonymo.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.
Why do my searches go to searchanonymo.com?
Because the browser's default search engine was changed to it. Search Anonymo virus did that through an extension, a program or a browser policy, and as long as that source remains, the setting points to searchanonymo.com.
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 searchanonymo.com?
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 Search Anonymo virus and use that search engine directly, by typing its address or choosing it in the browser settings.
Which browsers does Search Anonymo 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 searchanonymo.com 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 Search Anonymo virus, delete the cookies and site data for searchanonymo.com 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.
Would an ad blocker stop Search Anonymo virus?
Not really. An ad blocker can hide some of the sponsored results on searchanonymo.com, but it does not change your search engine back or remove the extension that set it. Your searches would still pass through the hijacker's servers and be logged.
Some ad blockers include tracking filters that block parts of the redirect chain, which can break searches altogether. Remove Search Anonymo virus with the plan above; an ad blocker is a reasonable extra afterwards, from the official store only and from a developer with a long track record.
Will resetting the browser remove Search Anonymo 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 Search Anonymo 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 searchanonymo.com or another unfamiliar domain instead of the search engine you know, the results come through a middleman. Remove Search Anonymo virus and search directly.
Will Fortect remove Search Anonymo 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 Search Anonymo 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: Pay-per-click (read October 7, 2026)
- Wikipedia: Geomarketing (read October 7, 2026)
- Trend Micro Blogs: Why Ransomware Works: The Psychology and Methods Used to Distribute, Infect, and Extort (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)