SearchWebSvc ads: what it is and how to remove it
SearchWebSvc is an adware application that is actively being spread via fake Flash update prompts and targets Mac systems exclusively. Nevertheless, some users may install the PUP via software bundle packages that they downloaded from unofficial sources.
Facts checked October 6, 2026. Removal steps checked against Apple's current documentation and the security vendors' reports. We have not run the malware on a Mac. 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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SearchWebSvc ads: summary
| Distribution | The app is typically distributed via fake Flash Player update prompts, as well as along freeware downloaded from third-party sites (software bundles) |
|---|---|
| Name | SearchWebSvc |
| Type | Mac virus, adware |
| Symptoms | Unknown applications appear on computer out of nowhere Web browser settings altered, customized search engine applied Mac operates slower Visited websites are filled with ads Redirects lead to suspicious domains |
| Homepage | Once infected, browsers ' new tab URL and the homepage is set to search.searchpulse.net or home.searchpulse.net, which redirects all searches to yahoo.com |
| Dangers | Installation of malware and potentially unwanted apps, sensitive information disclosure to unknown parties or cybercriminals, monetary loss due to encountered online scams, etc. |
| Removal | Scan the Mac with security software to find the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect for Mac scans for malware and unwanted programs. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 8 more facts
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Domains | search.searchpulse.net |
| Ads shown as | Redirects through ad pages |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 28 February 2020 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Is SearchWebSvc ads dangerous?
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
SearchWebSvc - a malicious application that disturbs macOS users with ads and installs other apps without asking
SearchWebSvc is an adware application that is actively being spread via fake Flash update prompts and targets Mac systems exclusively.
Nevertheless, some users may install the PUP via software bundle packages that they downloaded from unofficial sources. The app also belongs to the AdLoad virus family, which is capable of install adware and PUPs on users' systems without permission - this makes SearchWebSvc particularly dangerous.
Once inside, SearchWebSvc might perform several changes to users' web browsers. For example, the homepage and the new tab of Google Chrome, Safari, and Mozilla Firefox can get switched to search.searchpulse.net or home.searchpulse.net, and users may start seeing redirects to sites like akamaihd.net, which is typically filled with intrusive pop-ups, deals, offers, banners, coupons, and other commercial content.
Besides, the SearchWebSvc virus can track information that relates to users' web browsing habits, all while installing multiple unwanted apps on Macs in the background, each of which could pose even more security risks.
Most of the modern browsers ask users whether they want to apply changes that are being implemented by a newly-installed application. While these changes might be stopped, the installed browser extensions and homepage settings may not be terminated in a usual way - SearchWebSvc uses various permissions to prevent users from reverting these changes.
As a result, users may be stuck with the web browser that is using an unsafe search engine - which is typically search.searchpulse.net or home.searchpulse.net. While the search engine directs all results to a legitimate source (Yahoo.com), it does not mean that they are genuine.
SearchWebSvc will populate top search results with sponsored links and ads, increasing the traffic to the affiliated sites. Each click made by users provides monetary benefit for the app developers, so it is in their best interest to have as many users to click on these links as possible.
Unfortunately, some people do not understand that they are being deceived and that their browsing routine is a different experience from what it is supposed to be.
On the other hand, many will notice these changes that there entirely unasked for, as intrusive ads will flood each visited page. However, because many were tricked into installing the SearchWebSvc virus via fake update prompts, most will not know that they have the app installed in the first place.
Another reason to remove SearchWebSvc as soon as possible is due to data tracking practices. Typically, adware gathers the following information:
Besides making changes to the web browsers, the PUP may also insert multiple files into the system and also established unsolicited Profiles. By doing so, the app prevents easy SearchWebSvc removal and continues to operate in the background. Luckily, there are multiple anti-malware that could help users with the process.
Because SearchWebSvc modifies browser settings, we highly recommend to reset all the installed web browsers - we provide instructions on how to do that below. Additionally, if your macOS is slow even after you delete unwanted apps, it may be struggling with space due to junk files. To fix this issue, employ optimization software .
- IP address
- Geolocation
- Links clicked
- Ads clicked
- Timestamp
- Technical details of the device
- List of installed apps
- Search queries, etc.
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
Avoid being infected with adware and all the problems that come with it
Adware is generally not considered malicious, although many such apps cross the line of simply being "potentially unwanted."
Installing software behind users' back is malicious activity, and should never be tolerated. It is worth noting that adware on Macs become a much more prevalent phenomenon in recent years, so users should employ precautionary measures to avoid it.
There are two main methods how macOS users get infected with adware:
When it comes to the former, it is plain and simple - you should avoid third-party websites and not use them as sources for new apps. Currently, Apple's App store holds more than 1.8 million apps, , so there is plenty to choose from.
If, despite this, you still want to download apps from third-parties, ensure that you never rush the installation process, read the instructions carefully, watch our for pre-ticked boxes, and always opt for Advanced/Custom settings if prompted to remain in control of optional components that are deceptively offered to you.
There is also one thing you should know about the Flash Player as a regular user - you do not need this plugin on your macOS computer.
Most modern web browsers already have the functionality implemented, and Flash is simply an outdated and flawed piece of software that is not needed anyways. Thus, DO NOT ever "update" Flash when prompted on a random site - it is a scam, and you may infect your computer with malware.
- Software bundle packages downloaded from third-party sites;
- Fake Flash Player update prompts encountered on malicious websites.
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on SearchWebSvc
- If your Mac is slow after adware removal, it might be that it is filled with junk.
- To get rid of it automatically, employ
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
search.searchpulse.net
How to remove SearchWebSvc ads
How to remove SearchWebSvc from a Mac
Remove the app and what starts it, then check the browsers.
Step 1: Delete apps and downloads you did not intend to install
Open the Applications folder and your Downloads folder. Drag any app you did not install, and any disk image (
.dmg), installer (.pkg) or archive (.zip) that came from SearchWebSvc or a site you do not trust, to the Bin, then empty the Bin.Also check
~/Library/Application Supportfor a folder with the same name as the app you removed.Step 2: Remove unknown login items and background items
Open System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions. Under Open at Login and Allow in the Background, switch off or remove anything you do not recognize, especially items whose developer is shown as an unknown name or that appeared on the day you ran the command.
Then open Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder and check
~/Library/LaunchAgents,/Library/LaunchAgentsand /Library/LaunchDaemons for property list (.plist) files you did not add. Drag suspicious ones to the Bin, then restart the Mac.Step 3: Check the browsers for extensions and changed settings
In Safari open Settings > Extensions and General (homepage). In Chrome open
chrome://extensions, in Firefoxabout:addons.Remove any extension you did not add, and reset the homepage and search engine if they changed. Browsers hold saved passwords and cookies, which is why the password step comes first.
Step 4: Quit what is running that you do not recognize
Open Activity Monitor (in Applications > Utilities, or search for it with Command + Space).
In the CPU or Network tab, look for a process you did not install or whose name is random, select it, click the stop button (the octagon with an X) and choose Quit or Force Quit.
Note the name first: you will look for the same name in the next steps. Malware that comes back after a restart is handled in the next two steps.
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
Remove from Google Chrome
Reset Google Chrome as explained below:
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)
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
It is important to reset Safari after you get rid of the SearchWebSvc virus in order to get rid of the altered homepage and new tab URL settings:
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
To get rid of unwanted apps from macOS, drag the related icon to Trash:
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 Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
Get rid of SearchWebSvc virus
To remove SearchWebSvc virus from your Mac, dragging it to the Trash will not suffice.
To get rid of the threat manually, you will have to perform several different steps in order to ensure that all the components of the unwanted app are eliminated. Because SearchWebSvc app establishes an unwanted profile, you should eliminate it:
Now you should navigate to the Library folder and eliminate the following entries:
You should also check the LaunchAgents and LaunchDaemons for unwanted .plish entries related to the infection. Nevertheless, you can also perform automatic SearchWebSvc removal with the help of anti-malware software.
- Go to System Preferences…
- Select Profiles
- Get rid of the unwanted profile by clicking on "–" at the bottom-left
Questions about SearchWebSvc ads
How do I stop search.searchpulse.net 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 search.searchpulse.net 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 search.searchpulse.net?
Landing on search.searchpulse.net 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 SearchWebSvc?
SearchWebSvc 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.
SearchWebSvc 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 SearchWebSvc affect?
In the cases we checked, SearchWebSvc 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 SearchWebSvc?
Compare them with the details in the table above. SearchWebSvc produces redirects through ad pages, and the clearest sign of it is redirects to search.searchpulse.net. 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.
Can an adware pop-up infect my PC just by appearing?
No. A pop-up, a notification or a new tab is only a web page or a message. It cannot run programs on Windows by itself, provided the browser and Windows are up to date. Infection needs a step from you:
- running a downloaded file
- installing an extension
- giving a stranger remote access
That is why scam pages work so hard to make you click. Close such pages with the tab's X or by closing the browser, not with buttons inside the page, which may start a download.
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.
Did SearchWebSvc 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 SearchWebSvc?
Fortect for Mac scans for malware and unwanted programs, and its free scan shows what it finds on your Mac before you decide anything.
For SearchWebSvc, follow the plan on this page as well: removing a launch item or an app is done in macOS itself, and a scanner cannot undo what was typed or entered on the infected Mac, such as saved passwords that were copied.
Change your passwords from another device first, and if the page tells you to erase the Mac, a scan is not a substitute. The free scan costs nothing and the full-featured product needs a license.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Adware (read October 6, 2026)
- Statista: Number of apps available in leading app stores as of 4th quarter 2019 (read October 6, 2026)
- HelpDesk Geek: Disable Adobe Flash On Your PC & Why You Would Want To (read October 6, 2026)
- 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)