Remove Securesearch.me (Removal Guide)

Securesearch.me – a b browser hijacker that tries to imitate Google

Securesearch.me

Securesearch.me is a web address that you might suddenly find as your homepage on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, MS Edge, Safari, or another browser. If that happened to you, it means that you have a browser hijacker installed on your system – a type of a potentially unwanted program. This happens due to deceptive distribution techniques, as developers often hide these apps as optional components within the installers downloaded from third-party websites. Alternatively, you might also have been tricked by a fake update prompt or similar ad.

Once installed, the so-called Securesearch.me virus would manipulate the search results (redirect them to WebCrawler), insert ads in various places on the internet, and monitor your online browsing activity in the background. This information is gathered for marketing purposes, as it provides the developers the ability to send you targeted ads, increasing profits for them.

Name	Securesearch.me
Type	Browser hijacker, potentially unwanted program
IP address	172.67.145.39
Distribution	Software bundles, suspicious ads on third-party sites, fake updates
Symptoms	Suspicious extension or apps installed on the system; new tab and homepage set to http://securesearch.me; a customized search redirects all search results to WebCrawler (www.webcrawler.com/serp?q=); search results are filled with sponsored links; overall increased amount of ads
Risks	Installation of other potentially unwanted programs, personal information disclosure to unknown parties, financial losses
Removal	You can uninstall potentially unwanted programs by following the manual guide below or by scanning the computer with powerful anti-malware
Optional steps	Adware or malware infections can cause significant damage to system files or disrupt normal settings. To revert these changes and remediate your operating system, perform a full scan with Fortect Intego repair software

Securesearch.me hijack becomes apparent immediately due to modifications to the browser it performs. For example, after entering the search query into a search engine, you would be redirected to WebCrawler – a provider that is known to be used by various potentially unwanted programs. Instead of seeing genuine results, you would be presented with dozens of ads placed at the top.

Since the “Ad” marking is relatively invisible, and most users are used to clicking on links that reside at the top, there is a high chance that clicks on ads would be performed. Each time such sponsored links are clicked, the developers receive a commission. Since the Securesearch.me hijacker might be installed on thousands of users' browsers, such a monetization method becomes extremely profitable. Unfortunately, users are the ones that have to deal with the unfortunate side-effects of the infection.

It is also important to note that Securesearch.me tries imitate Google very hard – it uses a distinct color pattern. Initially, the only visual difference is that there are few links included under the “Search” button. These links lead to most popular retailers, such as Amazon, The Home Depot, or Macy's. By adding these links, developers want to create an illusion that the app's presence is somehow useful.

Securesearch.me hijack

However, every modern browser can provide customization of the front page – so you can add links that are relevant to you. In other words, browser hijackers such as Securesearch.me bring little to no benefit to the end-users and instead have the main goal of feeding ads and monetize the pay-per-click^[1] revenue.

There are more reasons to remove Securesearch.me from your computer, and that is privacy risks. The hijacker uses all sorts of information gathering technologies in order to collect the following:^[2]

Technical information (IP address, unique identifier on Android, iOS, installed programs, operating system type, language preferences, etc.)
Usage information (visited websites, viewed content, clicked links, search queries, timestamps)
Social networks (interactions on social media)
If provided, registration-related data (name, home or work addresses, e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers, birth date and gender)
Support information

If you value your privacy and want to go back to a clutter-free browsing experience, hurry up with Securesearch.me removal. For that, you can either employ anti-malware software such as SpyHunter Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes Malwarebytes or use our manual guide provided below. Browser changes might either be related to an extension appended to your browser or a program installed on your Mac or Windows system.

If you found additional unwanted programs or malware on your computer, we also recommend using Fortect Intego to eliminate all the inconstancies within the OS after the infection. Otherwise, you might face crashes, errors, lag, and other stability issues in the future.

Avoid unintentional installation of potentially unwanted programs

Despite the popular belief, security software alone will never guarantee that your computer will never be bothered by potentially unwanted software or malware. Your own actions play a big role in computer security and safety.

Users widely believe that PUPs such as adware, browser hijackers, scareware, and others, appear on their systems seemingly out of nowhere or that they self-install. However, it is far from the truth, as such apps typically spread via software bundling, and users themselves give permission for the infiltration (unintentionally, of course).

To avoid such a course of events in the future, follow these tips provided by tech experts from novirus.uk:^[3]

Always prefer downloading software from official websites instead of third-party ones;
During the installation, always opt for Advanced/Custom settings instead of Recommended/Quick ones;
Remove all the ticks from pre-selected checkboxes;
Decline all the offers and watch out for misplaced buttons;
Read the fine print;
Install a powerful anti-malware program that would warn you about potentially unwanted applications.

Securesearch.me virus

Delete Securesearch.me hijacker and check for other unwanted programs

There are two different ways you can remove Securesearch.me virus from your computer. If you prefer the manual method, you should check all your web browsers for suspicious extensions first. If nothing is found, you should also check the installed applications folder on your Windows or a Mac computer. If you don't know how to perform these steps, you can rely on our step-by-step guide located below this article.

Alternatively, you could simply employ powerful security software that has the PUP detection feature. Nonetheless, it is important to note that not all security applications would be capable of spotting all browser hijackers and similar suspicious apps. Therefore, if you want to proceed with automatic Securesearch.me removal, you might have to use several different anti-malware programs to succeed. A browser reset might still be required in some cases.

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.

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.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
Pick Manage Add-ons.
You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.

Change your homepage if it was altered:

Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
Select Internet Options.
In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
Click Apply and then select OK.

Delete temporary files:

Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
Under Browsing history, click Delete...
Select relevant fields and press Delete.

Reset Internet Explorer:

Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
Select Reset.
In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.

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.

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

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.

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.

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.

How to remove Securesearch.me

Securesearch.me – a b browser hijacker that tries to imitate Google

Avoid unintentional installation of potentially unwanted programs