Top 5 Ways to Get Rid of Yahoo Search Redirect Error on Mac

Last week, a few WG members were infected with the Yahoo Search Redirection Virus on Mac. Technically, it’s not a virus but a browser hijacker that takes control of your browser’s search engine by default. No matter what you try, you will end up using the Yahoo search engine on Safari, Chrome, or Firefox. If you’re in the same boat as us, read on to resolve the issue.

Before we talk about how to get rid of Yahoo Search Redirection on Mac, let’s first understand what it is and how it could have happened on your Mac.

What is Yahoo Redirect Virus

Before you start bashing Yahoo on social media, let us assure you that it isn’t Yahoo’s fault. A hijacker has created a malicious script that redirects your browser’s home page to Yahoo. Why Yahoo then? Well it’s a popular search engine and chances are people won’t notice the difference.

The page has been injected with lots of ads that make money for the person who created the malicious script. And it’s probably also data theft, including your IP address and search queries.

Reasons behind Yahoo redirect requests

• A user goes to an official product website to download software and due to a lack of eye makes a spelling mistake and instead goes to a dummy source that looks identical. In such cases, a user downloads malware instead of legitimate software.
• A person downloads free software – usually a video downloader, PDF editor, audio converter, or something like that – and may not even notice that they just downloaded malware that came with that free software. Guys, there’s the reason we recommend sticking to the Mac App Store or well-known product names.

• You clicked on various pop-up ads on the web and downloaded a third-party web extension that took over Mac search engine preferences.

Now let’s fix the Yahoo redirect issue.

1. Uninstall unknown applications from Mac

This is the most logical step. Unknowingly installing third-party applications is the main reason why browsers often get infected with Yahoo redirect error. Follow the steps below to uninstall unknown third party apps from Mac.

Step 1: Open the Finder menu from the Dock.

2nd step: Go to the Apps menu and look for unfamiliar apps that you don’t remember downloading or that don’t look like a genuine program.

Some of the possible examples are TakeFresh, TopResults, FeedBack, ApplicationEvents, GeneralOpen, PowerLog, or WebDiscover.

Step 3: Select one of these or other suspicious apps and then drag and drop it to the trash.

2. Uninstall extensions from Safari and Google Chrome

Normally, you won’t have any problem with Safari extensions because Apple keeps a close eye on each extension and you can only download it from the Mac App Store. Nevertheless, it is always advisable to remove any suspicious extensions from the default browser.

Safari

Step 1: Open Safari browser on Mac.

2nd step: Select Safari from the menu bar and click Preferences.

Step 3: Go to the Extensions menu, find an unknown extension name, and select Uninstall from the side menu.

Google chrome

Extensions play a vital role in the Chrome ecosystem. Some extensions may not be actively maintained, may be out of date, or may develop incompatibilities with newer versions of Chrome. Additionally, malicious extensions may prefer Yahoo search engine over Google.

If dozens of Chrome extensions are installed, it can be difficult to determine which of them is causing the problem.

For this reason, the easiest solution is to deactivate all extensions and then activate only the ones you need one at a time.

Step 1: Open Google Chrome, tap the three-dot menu at the top.

2nd step: Go to More Tools> Extensions.

Step 3: This will open the Extension menu. Hit the Remove button and remove the Chrome extensions.

3. Reset Google Chrome

Resetting the Google Chrome browser resets the start page, new tab page, search engine, and pinned tabs. This will also disable all extensions and clear temporary data such as cookies and cache. Your favorites, history and saved passwords will not be erased. Follow the steps below to reset Google Chrome browser.

Step 1: Open Google Chrome and tap on the three-dot menu in the top right corner.

2nd step: Scroll down to the Settings tab, then click the Advanced button.

Step 3: Scroll down to the Restore settings to their original defaults option below. Then click on the Restore Default Settings option.

Step 4: Press the Reset Settings button to confirm.

4. Use Chrome Malware Scanner

Do you know that Google Chrome has a built-in malware scanner to remove any suspicious download files? Follow the steps below to use the option in Chrome browser.

Step 1: Open Chrome and go to settings.

2nd step: Scroll down and click on Advanced to open all settings.

Step 3: Scroll down to the Reset and clean section and click Clean up computer.

This will open a window where you can launch the Chrome malware scan. Simply select the Search button to start the scan.

5. Use Malwarebytes

Malwarebytes is one of the most popular and widely used anti-malware software for Mac, and for good reason. Malwarebytes identifies and removes malware, adware, spyware, and other threats before they can infect your Mac.

The software detects and removes malware in real time without any user intervention.

Download the software from the link below and run a scan on your Mac.

Download Malwarebytes for Mac

Start browsing safely

Yahoo search redirect error can spoil your browsing experience and slow down your Mac. Besides, it can potentially inject advertisements and steal your personal data. So, before the situation gets out of hand, follow the above solutions to remove Yahoo redirect causing malware annoyance on Mac.