Search: what it is and how to remove it
Search-Privacy.space virus is, in fact, a web page which offers the users safe and private browsing online. Brought by FirstGate Mobile Limited, this website promises to stay away from its users' business and protect them from other sites that might seek to track information, display commercial deals or interrupt their browsing with other types of ads.
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: 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 |
| Type | Fake search engine |
| 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 | One write-up by a security site; details still limited |
|---|---|
| Search page | search-privacy.space |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 21 September 2016 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
Is Search dangerous? What it collects
From our report of Sep 2016 · not reviewed since
Dealing with the Search-Privacy.space virus
Search-Privacy.space virus is, in fact, a web page which offers the users safe and private browsing online.
Brought by FirstGate Mobile Limited, this website promises to stay away from its users' business and protect them from other sites that might seek to track information, display commercial deals or interrupt their browsing with other types of ads.
Though the site can be accessed online directly, the Search-Privacy.space developers urge the users to install a browser extension which will supposedly help to ensure a secure browsing experience at all times. What actually happens when you install this extension is that Search-Privacy.space becomes your default search engine and homepage. Besides, you get redirected to this site whenever you try searching for some information on other search engines, too.
The app developers justify this Search-Privacy.space redirect issue as a way of protecting the users from browsing the web via "insecure search engines," but the problem is that the extension blocks you from visiting Google, Yahoo or Bing as well. These legitimate and reputable search service providers cannot be set as your default ones either because the malicious extension installed your browser simply does not allow it.
The only way to fix things is to remove Search-Privacy.space from the computer. Though this application is not a virus, anti-malware software like (or for Mac OS X) should have no trouble detecting it as a potentially unwanted program (PUP) and remove it from your computer.
Though the application creators state a critical opinion on the online ads, sadly, you are likely to see more of them after the Search-Privacy.space hijack takes place on your computer. Of course, the website is free, so its creators need to find a way to monetize it.
They have gathered a group of affiliates and advertise their sponsored content on their search engine. This way, the ads bring advertising revenue and get the Search-Privacy.space going. The main reason this application is regarded as potentially unwanted is that there is no way of knowing whether the mentioned affiliates are trustworthy and provide legitimate content.
So, there is always a chance that some of them might be malicious, try to involve you in some online scams or make you download questionable software. Consequently, delaying Search-Privacy.space removal can even be harmful to your computer. So, do not wait and get on with the work!

How Search got into your browser
From our report of Sep 2016 · not reviewed since
Since Search-Privacy.space qualifies as a browser hijacker, its channels of distribution probably comply to the tendencies typical to this virus category as well.
These main strategies include spreading attached to the deceptive ads promoted on obscure Internet sites and software bundles. The latter method is especially popular among the potentially unwanted programs because it is fast and effective.
Most users do not pay much interest to what they are installing on their computers, which is convenient for the malware creators who can attach Search-Privacy.space or other PUPs to the popular programs and this way install them on their victims' computers.
Luckily, "Advanced" or "Custom" installation options disclose such additional installs and give the user an option to refuse them. Make sure you use the mentioned modes every time you are installing some new applications or files on your PC and stay safe from the cyber parasites.
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
search-privacy.space
How to remove Search
How to stop Search from opening
The search page is only the end point.
These steps remove what sends the browser there, then put the search engine back.
Step 1: Put the search engine back and delete search-privacy.space
Searches that pass through
search-privacy.spacemean 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 search-privacy.space.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 2: Remove extensions you did not add
Search 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 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. 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
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)
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.
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 Sep 2016 · not reviewed since
Search-Privacy.space removal advice
No matter how harmless the potentially unwanted programs may seem, they always need special attention when it comes to the elimination.
Search-Privacy.space removal is not an exception. Though the virus does not seem malicious at all, it may be surprisingly difficult to remove firstly because it is well hidden in the computer's system and, secondly, because it usually carries additional components along with it as well.
Disclosing all the locations of these potentially dangerous files might seem overwhelming, but there are specialized software that can easily do that by applying automatic system scan. As you can see, this highly facilitates your job and ensures you remove Search-Privacy.space virus from your device without leaving any trace. Manually eliminating the infection is also possible, if only you are willing to dedicate some time for this.
Questions about Search
Why does my search engine keep changing to search-privacy.space?
Because something keeps setting it. An extension can change the search engine every time the browser starts, and an ad-supported program in Windows can do it for every browser and re-add the extension after you remove it. Some hijackers also add a policy that locks the setting.
Changing the search engine back only works once the source is gone. Remove extensions you do not recognise, uninstall programs installed around the time search-privacy.space first appeared, and then set the search engine again. If it still returns, check the browser for the Managed by your organization message and follow the policy steps in this guide.
Can search-privacy.space see my searches?
Yes. Every search typed into the address bar goes to search-privacy.space 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 search-privacy.space?
Because the browser's default search engine was changed to it. Search did that through an extension, a program or a browser policy, and as long as that source remains, the setting points to search-privacy.space.
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 search-privacy.space?
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 and use that search engine directly, by typing its address or choosing it in the browser settings.
Which browsers does Search 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 search-privacy.space 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, delete the cookies and site data for search-privacy.space 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.
Should I just switch to another browser?
It may not help. Installers that add hijackers usually target every browser on the PC, and system-level changes such as the hosts file, DNS or proxy affect all browsers at once. A new browser also leaves the hijacker's program and extension in place, collecting data in the old one.
Remove Search properly first. After that, use whichever browser you prefer; Chrome, Edge and Firefox all let you set and protect your own search engine. Import your bookmarks only after the old browser is clean.
Would an ad blocker stop Search?
Not really. An ad blocker can hide some of the sponsored results on search-privacy.space, 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 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.
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 search-privacy.space or another unfamiliar domain instead of the search engine you know, the results come through a middleman. Remove Search and search directly.
Will Fortect remove Search?
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, 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
- 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)