Wow Search: what it is and how to remove it

Wow Search is the misleading website that hijacks the web browser to change wanted settings and control your online traffic with its altered search results. The page takes over your homepage, default search engine, new tab settings, and interferes with task scheduler, registry to ensure that the PUP gets launched continuously.

Facts checked October 6, 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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Wow Search: wow com search hijacker
Wow Search as our 2020 report showed it.

Wow Search: summary

DistributionInsecure freeware installations, other PUPs, deceptive websites
NameWow Search
TypeBrowser hijacker
RelatedYahoo Search
DeveloperOath, a Verizon company
VersionsUs.wow.com; Start.wow.com
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 9 more facts
Main dangerIs associated with ad-supported sites that can track and collect information about users' behavior online
Detection namesNo Microsoft detection name is known
DamageNot recorded in the old report
SymptomsA changed search engine
Evidence4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited
Search pagewow.com
BrowsersChrome, Edge and Firefox
First seen8 June 2020
Facts checked6 October 2026

What Wow Search changes in your browser

a changed search engine

Oath shares information within its affiliated brands and companies and with Verizon.

Is Wow Search dangerous? What it collects

From our report of Jun 2020 · not reviewed since

WowSearch is the PUP that takes the place of your primary search provider and aims to make you visit specific insecure sites

Wow Search is the misleading website that hijacks the web browser to change wanted settings and control your online traffic with its altered search results.

The page takes over your homepage, default search engine, new tab settings, and interferes with task scheduler, registry to ensure that the PUP gets launched continuously. This fake search engine claims to improve your time online, but it significantly diminishes browsing experience when it starts showing content filled with pop-ups and banners, in-text ads, and hyperlinks.

This browser hijacker sets wow.com as the default homepage, new tab, and search engine. This way, it keeps users from accessing other sites, especially security pages that can claim about Wow Search virus functionalities.

Although promotional ads may claim that this is a useful program and it offers improvement for your machine, you shouldn't believe those false statements. You can indicate that browser hijacker is a questionable program immediately after the first redirect or in-browser search attempt when results get injected with advertising sites instead of useful pages.

Since Wow Search is a common potentially unwanted program and can be installed via software bundles, its versions us.wow.com, start.wow.com and many other can appear on your screen in the form of additional redirects, toolbars, extensions or plug-ins. The more hijacking tools the PUP installs, the more guarantee there is that the victim cannot remove this intruder completely.

Wow Search or wow.com, is a browser hijacker, so if you have ever heard about programs of such type, you should know what this search engine can cause. Its name may suggest that you will be pleasantly surprised while using it, but there is no 'wow' factor in that.

Beware that all that you can get is sponsored content in your search results that can redirect you to unknown and even malicious websites. This search site has been showing in-text links, banners, and pop-up ads and similar content in its search results.

Some people are annoyed by it; others think that it is useful. Unfortunately, but you should never click on Wow ads displayed in its search results because they are shown only for redirecting you to required websites.

If redirects to wow.com have already started bothering you on your Internet Explorer, Google Chrome or other web browsers, you should also know that this search engine can try to track your browsing activity. According to PC security experts, it is capable of collecting people's search terms, added information on each of their favorite sites, and similar data.

This Wow Search data tracking issue is somewhat disclosed in the Privacy Policy of the website, but it is not properly disclosed, so users still use the fake search engine believing its secureness. The company has all the access to information about you:

This data should be called as personally non-identifiable, but we believe that you should never reveal it to unknown parties that can try to use it for their needs. Finally, Wow search virus may cause the appearance of unfamiliar toolbars, browser add-ons, and similar programs on your computer.

If you do not want to deal with that, you should run a full system scan with or other reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of all PUPs, like browser hijackers and adware.

You need to react to these redirects and all the shady installations as soon as possible, so Wow Search removal can give the best results. If you allow the browser hijacker to run on the system for a longer period of time, it alters more settings and can damage the machine this way.

Wow Search: wow com search hijacker
Wow Search in our 2020 report.
Wow Search: wow com hijacker
Wow Search in our 2020 report.

From our report of Jun 2020 · not reviewed since

Internet is not the safest place to get your programs and tools

Potentially unwanted programs and other unreliable search engines, adware programs, tools are spread in bundles with freeware and shareware as free additions.

People fail to pay enough attention to such programs' installation, so they unnoticeably agree to change their homepage or default search engine and make other system changes.

Besides, they agree with the installation of various toolbars, plugins, extensions, and similar extras without even noticing the danger. To avoid that, you should always choose Custom or Advanced installation methods instead of the quick installation option.

In addition, try to find all checkboxes that agree to download toolbars or another search site on the system. If you noticed that some PUP hijacked your computer and started causing continuous redirects to unfamiliar websites and annoying pop-up notifications, it's a sign that your machine was affected. Don't waste time and follow with a PUP termination.

Check your browser and PC

  • Address: wow.com

How to remove Wow Search

How to remove Wow Search 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

    Wow Search 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 wow.com

    Searches that pass through wow.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 wow.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 Wow 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

  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

Remove Wow Search from the system and clean the machine by following:

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

You should check the browser for additionally installed extensions or content that got on the device without your permission

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)

Search for Wow Search hijacker and associated files on your Firefox browser

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.
Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

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

Change your homepage if it was altered:

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

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

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

Do not let government spy on you

The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices.

Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.

You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using VPN.

Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.

Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack

Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings.

Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact - you can set this process to be performed automatically.

When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use for the data restoration process.

From our report of Jun 2020 · not reviewed since

Get a proper tool and remove WowSearch browser hijacker

We don't recommend leaving Wow Search virus instead of your default search engine because it's a questionable site that is spread with a help of unfair distribution methods, such as bundling and other PUPs. In addition to that, it may try to alter your system settings, return altered search results, display misleading pop-up advertisements and initiate other unwanted activities.

Please, be very careful when following these manual elimination steps to guarantee the successful elimination of this questionable search engine.

In addition to these tips and anti-malware program suggestions, we should note that you need to remove Wow Search completely from the system, to end all the processes that might run in the background and affect the speed of your machine significantly.

Questions about Wow Search

Why does my search engine keep changing to wow.com?

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 wow.com 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.

Did wow.com come with a program I installed?

Most likely, yes. Search hijackers such as wow.com usually arrive with free software, where an extra offer is pre-ticked in the installer, or as an extension that promises something useful, such as file conversion, maps, recipes or streaming.

Look at Settings, Apps, Installed apps sorted by install date: whatever was installed just before the search engine changed is the main suspect. Uninstall it, then remove any extension you do not recognise. In future, choose the custom or advanced option in installers and untick extra offers, and install extensions only from the official store pages of publishers you know.

Why do my searches go to wow.com?

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

Which browsers does Wow 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 wow.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 Wow Search, delete the cookies and site data for wow.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.

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.

Will resetting the browser remove Wow Search?

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 Wow Search can come back after a reset if one of those remains. Do the reset after removing the program and policies, not instead of it.

Would an ad blocker stop Wow Search?

Not really. An ad blocker can hide some of the sponsored results on wow.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 Wow 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.

Will Fortect remove Wow 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 Wow 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

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