The default search engine on Safari is Google. If you notice your Safari browser defaulting to Yahoo search engine whenever you start it up, beware that you probably have a very annoying malware in your Mac.
But you shouldn’t be worried, because this malware won’t do much harm and is usually simple to remove.
My name is Andreas, and I’m a tech enthusiast who loves exploring macOS and its various applications, including Safari. Since I’m a heavy Mac user, I’m quite familiar with the malware or scripts that redirect you to Yahoo.
This article will show you how to remove Yahoo Search from Safari on your Mac. But before we do that, let’s see what exactly the Yahoo Search redirect means.
So, let’s jump in!
Contents
What is the Yahoo Search Redirect?
The Yahoo search redirect malware is an annoying virus that redirects browsing traffic to Yahoo. It doesn’t matter what browser you’re using or what the default search engine on the browser is; it will keep redirecting you to Yahoo.
This makes it one of the more frustrating malware to deal with. Fortunately, unlike other malware, the Yahoo search redirect virus is nothing more than a nuisance.
It’s difficult to know if you’ve infected your Mac with the virus since searching for something on Safari is the only way to know if you have a Yahoo redirect virus.
Common ways to infect your Mac include installing shady extensions, third-party software, free software, and similar applications. Now, let’s look at how to remove Yahoo Search from Safari Mac.
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Remove Yahoo Search on Safari from Mac
Step 1: Empty Safari Caches
Launch the Safari app. Open the “Safari” dropdown menu and click on “Preferences”.
Choose the “Advanced” tab in the preferences menu and check the box next to the Show Develop Menu in Menu Bar.
Open the Develop menu from the menu bar.
Click on Empty Caches.
Step 2: Clear All Your Browsing History
Launch the Safari app. Select History from the menu bar. Choose Clear History from the History menu.
Select the All History option from the small menu next to Clear and confirm by pressing the Clear History button.
Step 3: Change the Search Engine
Open the Safari menu. Choose Preferences. Select the Search tab.
In the Search Engine section, select Google.
Step 4: Check Activity Monitor
On your Mac Finder, open the Go menu. Select the Utilities tab.
Double-click on the Activity Monitor.
Search for any suspicious process in the Activity Monitor List.
Select the Search, and click on the X symbol. Click on the Force Quit button.
Step 5: Remove Unknown Profiles
Open the Apple menu. Select System Preferences.
Choose the Users & Groups tab. Select the suspicious profiles that aren’t familiar to you. Click on the minus symbol (-) to delete it.
Step 6: Remove Suspicious Extensions
Open the Safari menu. Select Preferences. Open the Extensions tab.
Select the unwanted extension and click Uninstall.
FAQs
How to Keep My Mac Safe From Reinfection?
New malware is uploaded daily, increasingly insidiously attacking unknowing users. Update your software programs to keep your OS and device drivers updated. Stay away from downloading questionable files. Secure your wireless network and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
Should I Run a Full System Scan With Antivirus?
The entire disk scan will detect, quarantine, and remove any virus it detects on your computer. The antivirus program will notify you once the scan is finished, and all the malware found on your system will be quarantined.
If the antivirus that’s protecting you has identified and quarantined every one of your compromised files, you will be able to remove them once they’ve been driven out of safety. In addition, advanced users may go through the compromised files and confirm that there aren’t any false positives before hitting the Delete button.
Conclusion
Removing the Yahoo redirect malware from Safari is easy. Many users may not be even aware of this virus, and they will continue using their search engines on black-listed websites until they get frustrated. This can end up causing more harm tomorrow.
Follow the steps presented above to remove Yahoo Search from your Safari browser on Mac, and if you’re experiencing any further difficulties, please leave a comment below and let us know.
