Zwinky Toolbar: what it is and how to remove it
Zwinky Toolbar is a potentially unwanted program that belongs to the browser hijacker category. We must warn you that this program has become a widely spread issue on the Internet because it is capable of hijacking each of web browsers, including Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, etc.
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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Zwinky Toolbar: summary
| Distribution | Software bundles, deceptive third-party websites, fake updates |
|---|---|
| Damage | While browser hijackers are not considered malicious, their presence can expose users to certain hazards, for example, installation of other unwanted apps or privacy risks |
| Name | Zwinky Toolbar |
| Type | Browser hijacker, potentially unwanted program |
| Homepage changes | Once installed, the PUP changes homepage and new tab URL to mywebsearch.com |
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
| 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 6 more facts
| Symptoms | A changed search engine |
|---|---|
| Evidence | One write-up by a security site; details still limited |
| Search page | mywebsearch.com |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 5 January 2021 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
What Zwinky Toolbar changes in your browser
By installing this application, you agree to set your start page and homepage to XXX
Is Zwinky Toolbar dangerous? What it collects
From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since
Zwinky Toolbar is a browser-hijacking app that might track our online activities
Zwinky Toolbar is a potentially unwanted program that belongs to the browser hijacker category.
We must warn you that this program has become a widely spread issue on the Internet because it is capable of hijacking each of web browsers, including Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, etc.
Nevertheless, it's not the main reason why security experts have included this application in this category. Beware that after hijacking each web browser, this application may also cause other problems for its victims.
Once this potentially unwanted application is installed, it may perform the following actions on a Windows or Mac computer:
As you can see, Zwinky Toolbar is a seriously questionable application that was filled with various capabilities. If you don't want to reveal information, which is related to your browsing history, you should never keep such programs on your computer because it may easily start collecting data, which is related to it.
It may collect your search terms, information about your most visited websites, data that you enter when visiting them, your PC's IP address, PC's location, etc. However, we think that the biggest problem related to Zwinky Toolbar is that it may make you visit unwanted websites.
It does that by showing altered search results that may be filled with various links. If you have just found entries on your web browser (Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer, etc.), you should remove Zwinky Toolbar from your computer. Afterward, we also recommend employing to check the OS for potential system damage.
- It may alter the start page and the default search engine to mywebsearch.com;
- it may display altered search results;
- it may show you continuous pop-up advertisements;
- it may track your browsing habits, etc.

From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since
Browser hijackers use deception to enter your PC
Zwinky Toolbar can be installed on your computer consciously from its official site or having no idea about that.
In fact, this program has been noticed for its suspicious infiltration, which requires no users' permission asked. If you want to avoid that, you should start checking what components are spread in a bundle with freeware.
Please always select the Custom or Advanced installation option when installing download managers, PDF creators, video streaming software, video recording software, etc. After doing so, make sure you find a checkmark that claims that you want to install this toolbar or change your start page/default search engine. Do not skip the text, such as:
Of course, you should uncheck each of such questionable checkboxes and complete your installation. If the toolbar enters its target PC system, it modifies some of the browser's settings and starts promoting unknown and sometimes very questionable websites against their will.
Beware that this potentially unwanted program may alter your homepage and default search engine to mywebsearch.com. Also, it may fill your search results with various links and pop-up ads. Do not ignore these changes because they may complicate your browsing experience in the future and may also lead you to the infiltration of other malware. Security experts recommend removing Zwinky Toolbar from the system without wasting time.
From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Zwinky Toolbar
- Alternatively, you can use security software that would delete all unwanted apps from your system automatically
- Computer infections can cause significant damage to system files or disrupt normal settings.
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
mywebsearch.com
How to remove Zwinky Toolbar
How to remove Zwinky Toolbar 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.
Step 1: Remove extensions you did not add
Zwinky Toolbar 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 2: Put the search engine back and delete mywebsearch.com
Searches that pass through
mywebsearch.commean 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 mywebsearch.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 on Windows 11: check Search engine and On startup. Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
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 Zwinky Toolbar. 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.
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.

Protect your privacy - employ a VPN
There are several ways how to make your online time more private - you can access an incognito tab.
However, there is no secret that even in this mode, you are tracked for advertising purposes. There is a way to add an extra layer of protection and create a completely anonymous web browsing practice with the help of VPN. This software reroutes traffic through different servers, thus leaving your IP address and geolocation in disguise.
Besides, it is based on a strict no-log policy, meaning that no data will be recorded, leaked, and available for both first and third parties. The combination of a secure web browser and VPN will let you browse the Internet without a feeling of being spied or targeted by criminals.
No backups? No problem. Use a data recovery tool
If you wonder how data loss can occur, you should not look any further for answers - human errors, malware attacks, hardware failures, power cuts, natural disasters, or even simple negligence.
In some cases, lost files are extremely important, and many straight out panic when such an unfortunate course of events happen. Due to this, you should always ensure that you prepare proper data backups on a regular basis.
If you were caught by surprise and did not have any backups to restore your files from, not everything is lost. is one of the leading file recovery solutions you can find on the market - it is likely to restore even lost emails or data located on an external device.
From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since
Eliminate Zwinky Toolbar virus to protect your privacy
You can remove Zwinky Toolbar easily - either manually or automatically.
Keep in mind that this potentially unwanted program is likely to come as an extension on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or another browser, so you should take your time cleaning them properly.
Automatic Zwinky Toolbar removal is also possible and is actually recommended. By employing up-to-date security software, you can ensure that all the unwanted or malicious components are deleted from your system at once - the whole process will only take you a few minutes.
Questions about Zwinky Toolbar
Is it safe to keep mywebsearch.com as my search engine?
It is not recommended. Searches through mywebsearch.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 mywebsearch.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 mywebsearch.com a virus?
It is a browser hijacker, not a virus in the classic sense. mywebsearch.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 mywebsearch.com?
Because the browser's default search engine was changed to it. Zwinky Toolbar did that through an extension, a program or a browser policy, and as long as that source remains, the setting points to mywebsearch.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 mywebsearch.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 Zwinky Toolbar and use that search engine directly, by typing its address or choosing it in the browser settings.
Which browsers does Zwinky Toolbar 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 mywebsearch.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 Zwinky Toolbar, delete the cookies and site data for mywebsearch.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.
Would an ad blocker stop Zwinky Toolbar?
Not really. An ad blocker can hide some of the sponsored results on mywebsearch.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 Zwinky Toolbar 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 resetting the browser remove Zwinky Toolbar?
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 Zwinky Toolbar can come back after a reset if one of those remains. Do the reset after removing the program and policies, not instead of it.
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 Zwinky Toolbar 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.
Will Fortect remove Zwinky Toolbar?
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 Zwinky Toolbar, 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 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 6, 2026)