How to remove the Breaking News Now application
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is Breaking News Now?
Breaking News Now is a typical browser hijacker. After installation, it assigns certain browser settings to breakingnewsnowtab.com (the address of a fake search engine).
Note that apps of this type often gather data. Users often download and install browser hijackers unintentionally and, for this reason, they are classified as potentially unwanted applications (PUAs).
Like most browser hijackers, Breaking News Now changes specific browser settings: the address of the homepage, default search engine and new tab. In this case, it sets them to breakingnewsnowtab.com.
Users with Breaking News Now installed on browsers are forced to visit breakingnewsnowtab.com when they open a browser, new tab or enter search queries into the URL bar. This fake search engine displays results generated by Yahoo, simply redirecting users to search.yahoo.com.
To remove the bogus address from browser settings, Breaking News Now must first be uninstalled, otherwise the app reassigns settings after each attempt to modify them. Additionally, this app might track and record browsing data such as geolocations, IP addresses, addresses of visited websites, entered search queries and other data of this kind.
It may also record sensitive, personal details. Developers sell the data to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) or misuse it to generate revenue in other ways. In summary, browser hijackers change browser settings and cause problems relating to privacy, browsing safety, and so on.
Some users might even become victims of identity theft. Therefore, if Breaking News Now or other PUAs are installed on the browser and/or operating system, uninstall them immediately.
| Name | Breaking News Now |
| Threat Type | Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab. |
| Browser Extension(s) | Breaking News Now |
| Supposed Functionality | Improved browsing experience, useful features. |
| Promoted URL | breakingnewsnowtab.com |
| Serving IP Address (breakingnewsnowtab.com) | 100.25.86.134 |
| 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. |
| 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. |
More examples of potentially unwanted apps that are classified as browser hijackers are BestPDFSearch, eadblock Search Manager and Convert Files Tools. Most are advertised as legitimate, useful apps that supposedly include various features, improve browsing safety and the browsing experience, etc.
In fact, they are useless and can cause serious problems. Therefore, never download or install browser hijackers or other PUAs.
How did Breaking News Now install on my computer?
Generally, users download and install potentially unwanted applications with other programs. PUAs are included into the set-ups as 'additional offers', which are listed in "Custom", "Advanced" or other settings. PUAs get permission to be downloaded and installed when users leave these settings unchanged.
Additionally, these downloads and installations can be caused by clicking deceptive advertisements that execute certain scripts.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications
Check all "Custom", "Advanced", "Manual" and other settings, and decline offers to download or install additionally-included apps. Download files and programs from official pages and via direct links. Avoid untrusted, unofficial websites, torrent clients, eMule (and other Peer-to-Peer networks), third party downloaders, installers, etc.
Do not click advertisements that are shown on dubious pages, since they can open potentially malicious pages or cause download/installation of unwanted programs. Remove any unwanted, suspicious extensions, plug-ins or add-ons already installed on the browser.
The same should applied to software of this kind that is installed on the operating system. If your computer is already infected with Breaking News Now, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.
search.breakingnewsnowtab.com redirects to search.yahoo.com (GIF):
Notification stating that Breaking News Now can read and change certain data:
Instant automatic malware removal:
Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
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Quick menu:
- What is Breaking News Now?
- STEP 1. Uninstall Breaking News Now application using Control Panel.
- STEP 2. Remove breakingnewsnowtab.com redirect from Internet Explorer.
- STEP 3. Remove Breaking News Now browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove breakingnewsnowtab.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
- STEP 5. Remove breakingnewsnowtab.com redirect from Safari.
- STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
Breaking News Now 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, "Breaking News Now"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".
After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications that cause browser redirects to the breakingnewsnowtab.com website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.
Breaking News Now 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://breakingnewsnowtab.com (or hxxp://search.breakingnewsnowtab.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 "Breaking News Now".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the breakingnewsnowtab.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 "Breaking News Now" and other recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, 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 "Breaking News Now", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.breakingnewsnowtab.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 "breakingnewsnowtab.com", 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 breakingnewsnowtab.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 "Breaking News Now", as well as all other recently installed browser plug-ins.
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 "Breaking News Now", remove hxxp://breakingnewsnowtab.com or (hxxp://search.breakingnewsnowtab.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: "extensionControlled"
Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the 
button.
Optional method:
Computer users who have problems with breakingnewsnowtab.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 breakingnewsnowtab.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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