SearchMe: what it is and how to remove it

Searchme is a potentially unwanted application which can show up on your computer in as a legitimate-looking toolbar. This application is not a virus or malware, but it can hardly help you enhance your Internet browsing experience either.

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.

Automatic

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Not sure what changed your search to searchme.com? An automatic scan checks extensions, programs and browser settings in one pass.

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Do it yourself · free Remove SearchMe yourself 5 steps, about 15 minutes, no software needed.

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Screenshot of SearchMe: virus illustration
SearchMe as our 2016 report showed it.

SearchMe: summary

Detection namesNo Microsoft detection name is known
DistributionNot recorded in the old report
DamageNot recorded in the old report
NameSearchMe
TypeSearch hijacker extension
SymptomsA 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
EvidenceOne write-up by a security site; details still limited
Search pagesearchme.com
BrowsersChrome, Edge and Firefox
First seen27 July 2016
Facts checked7 October 2026

Check your browser and PC

  • Address: searchme.com

How to remove SearchMe

How to remove SearchMe 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.

  1. Step 1: Remove extensions you did not add

    SearchMe often works through an extension, so go through the extension list of each browser:

    • chrome://extensions
    • edge://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 menu with Extensions and Manage extensions highlighted
    Chrome on Windows 11: More > Extensions > Manage extensions.

    Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension

  2. Step 2: Put the search engine back and delete searchme.com

    Searches that pass through searchme.com mean 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 searchme.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 Settings with the Search engine and On startup sections
    Chrome on Windows 11: check Search engine and On startup.

    Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine

  3. 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 SearchMe. 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

  4. 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 Settings page with the Reset settings section open
    Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Reset settings.

    Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine

  5. 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 Security Scan options with Microsoft Defender Antivirus offline scan selected
    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:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows
Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  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.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click 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.

Reset Google Chrome:

If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2
Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. 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.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. 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.Reset MS Edge
Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2
Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari
Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

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 Jul 2016 · not reviewed since

Why should you remove Searchme virus?

Searchme is a potentially unwanted application which can show up on your computer in as a legitimate-looking toolbar.

This application is not a virus or malware, but it can hardly help you enhance your Internet browsing experience either. After investigating the program, we have discovered that this suspicious program is a browser hijacker, which promotes a Searchme.com search engine and modifies search results to advertise sponsors' websites.

In addition, you may also notice that your visited sites are getting packed with sponsored pop-up advertisements which, once clicked, redirect to suspicious sites. Suspicious sites can suggest you to install questionable software updates, apps, and similar content that can put your computer's security at risk.

Note that this hijacker is compatible with all main browsers, including Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. This means that you will not avoid these problems if you simply decide to change the browser. To stop the unpleasant consequences of the hijack, you will have to remove SearchMe from the system.

Besides the already mentioned problems the Searchme.com virus provokes on the infected computer, it may also be involved in data tracking. The information about your most visited websites, frequently viewed pages or computer's IP address might not be highly confidential, but there are numerous ways it can be used. Also, keeping in mind the unpredictability of viruses you cannot be sure if your sensitive data is really safe either.

Only a Searchme removal can ensure that your data is not exposed, and you will not be redirected to unfamiliar domains. It is also important to get rid of the virus because as long as its stays in the system, the computer's will not be working to its fullest potential and, naturally, will be more vulnerable to cyber infections.

Screenshot of SearchMe: virus illustration
SearchMe in our 2016 report.

From our report of Jul 2016 · not reviewed since

How is this virus distributed and how it infected your PC?

SearchMe is distributed via its official website and other sites that are used for spreading such and similar programs.

However, you should also remember that it can also get inside the system in a bundle with freeware and shareware. This method is called bundling and can be avoided by paying more attention to the installation process of the freeware.

Typically, you should find a check mark, which allows Searchme installation or agrees to set searchme.com or search.conduit.com as a start page/default search engine. If you discovered this search engine on your computer, you missed these conditions. In this case, you should remove SearchMe from the system and us more reputable search engines for searching information online.

From our report of Jul 2016 · not reviewed since

Suggestions on dealing with the SearchMe removal

There are two ways the SearchMe removal can be carried out without posing an additional threat to your computer's health.

For the less experienced users, the security experts recommend an automatic approach which simply requires the victim of the hijack to scan the computer using an automatic antivirus utility. The further detection, identification, and removal steps are carried out automatically.

Questions about SearchMe

Is it safe to keep searchme.com as my search engine?

It is not recommended. Searches through searchme.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 searchme.com, and check the browser's other settings, such as the start page and notification permissions, for further changes made at the same time.

Is searchme.com a virus?

It is a browser hijacker, not a virus in the classic sense. searchme.com is a search page that an extension or program set as your default without a clear choice from you.

It does not destroy files or spread to other PCs, but it takes control of your searches, collects them and shows ads, and the software behind it is often bundled with other unwanted programs.

Many antivirus products flag such software as potentially unwanted. Removing the extension or program and resetting the search engine is enough in most cases. A full scan afterwards checks for anything else that came with it.

Why do my searches go to searchme.com?

Because the browser's default search engine was changed to it. SearchMe did that through an extension, a program or a browser policy, and as long as that source remains, the setting points to searchme.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 searchme.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 SearchMe and use that search engine directly, by typing its address or choosing it in the browser settings.

Which browsers does SearchMe 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 searchme.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 SearchMe, delete the cookies and site data for searchme.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.

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 searchme.com or another unfamiliar domain instead of the search engine you know, the results come through a middleman. Remove SearchMe and search directly.

I changed the search engine, but it switched back. Why?

The hijacker is still installed, and it rewrites the setting whenever the browser starts or the extension updates. Changing the setting is the last step, not the first. Find what controls it: the search settings page usually names the extension, and a greyed-out field means a policy.

Remove that source, restart the browser, then pick your search engine and delete the hijacker's entry from the list of saved search engines so it cannot be chosen by accident. Check again after a day, when extensions have had a chance to update.

Would an ad blocker stop SearchMe?

Not really. An ad blocker can hide some of the sponsored results on searchme.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 SearchMe 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 Fortect remove SearchMe?

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 SearchMe, 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

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