How to remove Recall Alerts from your browser
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is Recall Alerts?
Recall Alerts is a rogue application endorsed as a multi-purpose tool. It can allegedly provide quick and easy access to product recalls (purchase returns due to safety issues and/or defects), safety services, weather forecasts, news, and email provider websites.
This app is classified as a browser hijacker, since it modifies browsers to promote search.recallalertstab.com, a fake search engine.
Additionally, it monitors users' browsing activity. Most downloads/installations of Recall Alerts are not intentional, as it has dubious proliferation methods. Therefore, it is also classed as a PUA (Potentially Unwanted Application). Note that Recall Alerts is often distributed together with another PUA called Hide My Searches.
Common browser hijacker targets include Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer and other popular browsers. After successful infiltration, these rogue applications change the homepage, default search engine and new tab/window URLs to the addresses of their fake web searchers.
I.e., with Recall Alerts installed, each new tab/window opened and each web search made via the URL bar redirects to search.recallalertstab.com. Few fraudulent search tools can generate actual results - they typically redirect to (or cause redirection chains ending with) a legitimate search engine.
This extends to search.recallalertstab.com, which redirects to search.yahoo.com. While these alterations may not seem difficult to undo, without removal of the hijacking app, it is impossible. Access to browser settings is limited or denied, and any permitted changes made, automatically reset.
Furthermore, Recall Alerts has data tracking capabilities. It monitors browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries typed, etc.) and collect users' personal information (IP address, geolocations, and other details). This sensitive data can then be shared with third parties (potentially cyber criminals) intent on misusing it for financial gain.
Therefore, the presence of data-tracking content on devices can lead to financial loss, serious privacy issues, and even identity theft. Due to such threats posed to devices and users' safety, you are advised to remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately upon detection.
| Name | Recall Alerts |
| Threat Type | Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab. |
| Detection Names | Avast (Win32:Adware-gen [Adw]), BitDefender (Gen:Variant.Ser.Ursu.17195), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of Win32/WinWrapper.V Potenti), Fortinet (Riskware/WinWrapper), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Browser Extension(s) | Recall Alerts |
| Supposed Functionality | This app supposedly allows quick access to product recalls, safety services, news, weather and email websites. |
| Promoted URL | search.recallalertstab.com |
| Serving IP Address (search.recallalertstab.com) | 3.211.24.6 |
| Affected Browser Settings | Homepage, new tab URL, default search engine |
| Symptoms | Manipulated Internet browser settings (homepage, default Internet search engine, new tab settings). Users are forced to visit the hijacker's website and search the Internet using their search engines. |
| Additional Information | Recall Alerts is distributed with another browser hijacker called Hide My Searches. |
| Distribution methods | Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers. |
| Damage | Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites. |
| Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
Most browser hijackers seem legitimate and advertise a wide variety of "useful" features. Inmate Search, Get Breaking News, and My Obituares App are some examples of apps similar to Recall Alerts. All PUAs generate revenue for their developers and are not created with user convenience in mind.
The features promised are rarely operational, making these unwanted applications useless to regular users. Rather than delivering any real value, PUAs force-open untrustworthy and malicious web pages, deliver intrusive advertisements (pop-ups, coupons, banners, surveys etc.), and track private data.
How did Recall Alerts install on my computer?
Some PUAs have "official" promotional web pages (e.g. Recall Alerts), on which they can often be downloaded "free", however, these apps can also be downloaded/installed together with other software. This deceptive marketing tactic of pre-packing regular programs with unwanted or malicious content is called "bundling".
Rushing download and installation processes (e.g. skimming or ignoring terms, skipping steps and sections, using presets, etc.), endangers devices with potential system infiltration and infections. PUAs can be stealthily downloaded/installed by intrusive ads. When ads of this kind are clicked, they can execute scripts designed for this purpose.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications
All content should be research, before download/installation. Use only official and verified download channels. Untrustworthy download sources, such as P2P sharing networks (BitTorrent, eMule, Gnutella, etc.), unofficial and free file-hosting sites, third party downloaders and similar are far more likely to offer deceptive and/or bundled software.
Approach download and installation processes with caution. Read the terms, study all available options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings, and decline downloading/installing supplementary apps, tools, functions, and so on.
Intrusive ads usually seem normal and harmless, however, when clicked, they redirect to dubious websites (e.g. pornography, adult-dating, gambling, and others). If you experience advertisements/redirects of this type, inspect the device and immediately remove all suspect applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins.
If your computer is already infected with Recall Alerts, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.
Recall Alerts browser hijacker installer set-up:
Recall Alerts browser hijackers asking for various permissions:
Website promoting Recall Alerts browser hijacker:
Another website promoting Recall Alerts browser hijacker:
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is Recall Alerts?
- STEP 1. Uninstall Recall Alerts application using Control Panel.
- STEP 2. Remove search.recallalertstab.com redirect from Internet Explorer.
- STEP 3. Remove Recall Alerts browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove search.recallalertstab.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
- STEP 5. Remove search.recallalertstab.com redirect from Safari.
- STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
Recall Alerts browser hijacker removal:
Windows 11 users:
Right-click on the Start icon, select Apps and Features. In the opened window search for the application you want to uninstall, after locating it, click on the three vertical dots and select Uninstall.
Windows 10 users:
Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.
Windows 7 users:
Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.
macOS (OSX) users:
Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.
In the uninstall programs window: look for any recently installed suspicious applications (for example, "Recall Alerts"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".
After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications that cause browser redirects to the search.recallalertstab.com website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.
Recall Alerts browser hijacker removal from Internet browsers:
Video showing how to remove browser redirects:
Remove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:
Click the "gear" icon 
(at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".
Change your homepage:
Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Internet Options", in the opened window, remove hxxp://search.recallalertstab.com and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you launch Internet Explorer. You can also enter about: blank to open a blank page when you start Internet Explorer.
Change your default search engine:
Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". In the opened window, select "Search Providers", set "Google", "Bing", or any other preferred search engine as your default and then remove "Recall Alerts".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.recallalertstab.com redirect, reset your Internet Explorer settings to default.
Windows XP users: Click Start, click Run, in the opened window type inetcpl.cpl In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.
Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: Click the Windows logo, in the start search box type inetcpl.cpl and click enter. In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.
Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.
In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.
Click the Reset button.
Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
Click the Chrome menu icon 
(at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More tools" and click "Extensions". Locate "Recall Alerts" and other recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons (e.g., "Hide My Searches"), and remove them.
Change your homepage:
Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable "Recall Alerts" or "Hide My Searches", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://search.recallalertstab.com or hxxps://hidemysearches.com) below the “Open a specific or set of pages” option. If present, click on the three vertical dots icon and select “Remove”.
Change your default search engine:
To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings", in the "Search engine" section, click "Manage search engines...", in the opened list look for "hxxp://search.recallalertstab.com" and "hxxp://hidemysearches.com", and when located, click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Remove from list".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.recallalertstab.com redirect, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.
After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.
In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:
Click the Firefox menu 
(at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions" and remove "Recall Alerts", as well as all other recently installed browser plug-ins (e.g., "Hide My Searches").
Change your homepage:
To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Options", in the opened window disable "Recall Alerts" or "Hide My Searches", remove hxxp://search.recallalertstab.com or hxxp://hidemysearches.com and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you start Mozilla Firefox.
Change your default search engine:
In the URL address bar, type about:config and press Enter.
Click "I'll be careful, I promise!".
In the search filter at the top, type: "recallalertstab"
Right-click on the found preferences and select "Reset" to restore default values.
Optional method:
Computer users who have problems with search.recallalertstab.com redirect removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.
Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.
Select Troubleshooting Information.
In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.
In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.
Remove malicious extensions from Safari:
Make sure your Safari browser is active and click Safari menu, then select Preferences...
In the preferences window select the Extensions tab. Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions and uninstall them.
In the preferences window select General tab and make sure that your homepage is set to a preferred URL, if its altered by a browser hijacker - change it.
In the preferences window select Search tab and make sure that your preferred Internet search engine is selected.
Optional method:
Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...
In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.
Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:
Click the Edge menu icon 
(at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate any recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.
Change your homepage and new tab settings:
Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section look for the name of the browser hijacker and click "Disable".
Change your default Internet search engine:
To change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge: Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Privacy and services", scroll to bottom of the page and select "Address bar". In the "Search engines used in address bar" section look for the name of the unwanted Internet search engine, when located click the "Disable" button near it. Alternatively you can click on "Manage search engines", in the opened menu look for unwanted Internet search engine. Click on the puzzle icon 
near it and select "Disable".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.recallalertstab.com redirect, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.
In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.
Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
- If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.
Summary:
A browser hijacker is a type of adware infection that modifies Internet browser settings by assigning the homepage and default Internet search engine settings to some other (unwanted) website URL. Commonly, this type of adware infiltrates operating systems through free software downloads. If your download is managed by a download client, ensure that you decline offers to install advertised toolbars or applications that seek to change your homepage and default Internet search engine settings.
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