How to uninstall software causing redirects to searchmy.co
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is searchmy.co?
searchmy.co is a fake search engine. Rogue search engines are usually unable to generate unique results, and simply collect users' data. Fake web search engines are promoted by Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs) classified as browser hijackers.
The software promoting searchmy.co has been observed adding the "Managed by your organization" feature to Google Chrome browsers. Browser hijackers cause redirects to their associated search engines by making modifications to browser settings.
Additionally, most browser hijackers have data tracking capabilities that are used to record browsing activity and collect sensitive information extracted from it.
Safari, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and other browsers with large user bases are typical browser hijacker targets. They operate by assigning bogus web searcher addresses as the homepage, default search engine, and new tab/window URLs. These seemingly minor changes significantly affect the browsing experience. To elaborate, with a browser hijacker promoting searchmy.co installed, each search query typed into the URL bar and new browser tab/window opened redirects to the searchmy.co search engine.
Fake search engines seldom provide valid search results, and so they tend to redirect to (or cause redirection chains ending with) Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other legitimate sites - searchmy.co is likewise unable to generate search results and has been observed redirecting to the genuine webcrawler.com search engine.
searchmy.co has also been observed redirecting (via flip-search.com) to opti-page.com. The opti-page.com web searcher is fake, and while it can generate search results, they are inaccurate and promote untrusted/malicious websites and content.
Furthermore, browser hijackers can undo any changes users try to make to their browsers and restrict/deny access to the browser settings outright. Therefore, it is impossible to recover an affected browser without removing the software hijacking it.
Browser hijackers can track data. Information of interest includes visited URLs, viewed web pages, searched queries, IP addresses, geolocations, and even personally identifiable details. Developers monetize the collected data by sharing it with and/or selling it to third-parties (potentially, cyber criminals).
In summary, the presence of data-tracking software on browsers/systems can lead to serious privacy issues, financial loss, and identity theft.
To ensure device integrity and user privacy, all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins must be eliminated immediately upon detection.
| Name | Search My browser hijacker |
| Threat Type | Browser hijacker, Mac malware, Mac virus |
| Detection Names (installer) | AegisLab (Riskware.OSX.Generic.1!c), BitDefender (Adware.MAC.Agent.BB), Emsisoft (Adware.MAC.Agent.BB (B)), MAX (Malware (ai Score=87)), Full List (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address | 104.21.33.153 |
| Symptoms | Your Mac becomes slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you are redirected to dubious websites. |
| Distribution methods | Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers, torrent file downloads. |
| Damage | Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to bogus websites, loss of private information. |
| Malware Removal (Mac) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your Mac with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
Searcher4u.com, searchfox.me, searchletter.com, and search.assistivedata.com are some examples of other fake search engines, and Search Lime, Fire Search, and Brilliant Check, of browser hijackers. This software may seem legitimate and typically offers various "useful" functionality, however, the advertised features are rarely operational. In fact, this applies to most PUAs. The only purpose of these unwanted apps is to generate revenue for the developers.
PUAs are designed to hijack browsers, cause redirects, run intrusive advertisement campaigns (adware), and collect private data.
How did searchmy.co install on my computer?
Browser hijackers, adware-type apps, and other types of PUAs are commonly distributed by integrating them into the download and/or installation set-ups of other programs, so that a proportion of users inadvertently download and install them together with their chosen software. This distribution method is known as "bundling".
Offers to download and install additionally-included apps usually appear in "Advanced", "Custom" and other settings of the set-ups (where they can usually be declined). Many users fail to check and change these settings, thereby granting permission for PUAs to be downloaded and installed by default.
In addition, unwanted downloads and installations are sometimes caused by clicking deceptive advertisements capable of executing certain scripts.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications
You are advised to research all software before download/installation. Use only official and verified download channels. Unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule), and other third party downloaders commonly offer harmful and bundled content, and are therefore untrusted and should be avoided.
When downloading/installing, read the terms, study all possible options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of additional apps, tools, features, and so on.
Intrusive advertisements typically seem legitimate, however, they can redirect to dubious and malicious sites (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, and many others). If you encounter ads or redirects of this kind, inspect the system and remove all dubious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately.
Installed programs must be activated and updated with tools or implemented functions that are provided by the official developers. No other third party, unofficial tools should be used.
Note that it is illegal to activate licensed software with ‘cracking’ tools. Files and programs should be downloaded from official websites and via direct download links. Avoid third party installers and the tools/sources mentioned above.
Do not open website links or files in irrelevant emails that are received from unknown, suspicious addresses. These bogus emails are often disguised as official and important. Regularly, scan your computer with reputable, up-to-date antivirus or anti-spyware software.
If your computer is already infected with browser hijackers, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.
Screenshot of the deceptive installer distributing a browser hijacker promoting the searchmy.co fake search engine:
Screenshot of "Managed by your organization" feature added to Google Chrome browser by a browser hijacker promoting searchmy.co:
Screenshot of searchmy.co set as the default search engine on a Google Chrome browser:
Appearance of searchmy.co redirecting to the legitimate webcrawler.com search engine (GIF):
Appearance of searchmy.co redirecting (via flip-search.com) to the opti-page.com fake search engine (GIF):
IMPORTANT NOTE! In some cases, malicious applications like searchmy.co alter system proxy settings, thereby causing unwanted redirects to a variety of dubious websites.
The redirects are likely to remain even after removing the application itself. Thus, you must restore them manually.
Step 1: Click on the gear icon in the Dock to navigate to the system settings. If the icon is not present in the Dock, you can find it in the Launchpad.
Step 2: Navigate to the Network settings.
Step 3: Select the connected network and click "Advanced...".
Step 4: Click on the "Proxies" tab and untick all protocols. You should also assign the settings of each protocol to the default: "*.local, 169.254/16".
IMPORTANT NOTE! Rogue setups/apps that promote searchmy.co may create a new device profile. Therefore, before taking any further removal steps, perform these actions:
1) Click the "Preferences" icon in the menu bar and select "Profiles".
2) Select the "searchmy.co" profile and delete it.
3) Perform a full system scan with Combo Cleaner anti-virus suite.
After performing these actions, you can proceed with further removal steps for this browser hijacker.
Instant automatic Mac 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 Mac malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner for Mac
By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.
Quick menu:
- What is searchmy.co?
- STEP 1. Remove searchmy.co related files and folders from OSX.
- STEP 2. Remove searchmy.co redirect from Safari.
- STEP 3. Remove searchmy.co browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove searchmy.co homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
Video showing how to remove searchmy.co browser hijacker using Combo Cleaner:
searchmy.co redirect removal:
Remove searchmy.co-related potentially unwanted applications from your "Applications" folder:
Click the Finder icon. In the Finder window, select "Applications". In the applications folder, look for "MPlayerX","NicePlayer", or other suspicious applications and drag them to the Trash. After removing the potentially unwanted application(s) that cause online ads, scan your Mac for any remaining unwanted components.
Remove browser hijacker-related files and folders
Click the Finder icon from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder...
Check for browser hijacker generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:
In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchAgents/
In the "LaunchAgents" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by browser hijackers - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Browser hijacker commonly installs several files with the exact same string.
Check for browser hijacker generated files in the ~/Library/Application Support/ folder:
In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/Application Support/
In the "Application Support" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious folders. For example, "MplayerX" or "NicePlayer", and move these folders to the Trash.
Check for browser hijacker generated files in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:
In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/LaunchAgents/
In the "LaunchAgents" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by browser hijackers - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Browser hijacker commonly installs several files with the exact same string.
Check for browser hijacker generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons/ folder:
In the "Go to Folder..." bar, type: /Library/LaunchDaemons/
In the "LaunchDaemons" folder, look for recently-added suspicious files. For example "com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist", "com.myppes.net-preferences.plist", "com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist", "com.avickUpd.plist", etc., and move them to the Trash.
Scan your Mac with Combo Cleaner:
If you have followed all the steps correctly, your Mac should be clean of infections. To ensure your system is not infected, run a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus. Download it HERE. After downloading the file, double click combocleaner.dmg installer. In the opened window, drag and drop the Combo Cleaner icon on top of the Applications icon. Now open your launchpad and click on the Combo Cleaner icon. Wait until Combo Cleaner updates its virus definition database and click the "Start Combo Scan" button.
Combo Cleaner will scan your Mac for malware infections. If the antivirus scan displays "no threats found" - this means that you can continue with the removal guide; otherwise, it's recommended to remove any found infections before continuing.
After removing files and folders generated by the browser hijackers, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.
Remove browser hijackers from Internet browsers
Remove Safari browser hijackers:
Open the Safari browser, from the menu bar, select "Safari" and click "Preferences...".
In the preferences window, select "Extensions" and look for any recently-installed suspicious extensions. When located, click the "Uninstall" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Safari browser - none are crucial for regular browser operation.
Change your homepage:
In the "Preferences" window, select the "General" tab. To set your homepage, type the preferred website URL (for example: www.google.com) in the Homepage field. You can also click the "Set to Current Page" button if you wish to set your homepage to the website you are currently visiting.
Change your default search engine:
In the "Preferences" window, select the "Search" tab. Here you will find a drop-down menu labeled "Search engine:" Simply select your preferred search engine from the drop-down list.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.
Remove Google Chrome browser hijackers:
Click the Chrome menu icon 
(at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More Tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".
Change your homepage
Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable the malicious extension (if present), look for a browser hijacker URL 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 a browser hijacker URL, when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Delete".
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.
Remove malicious extensions from Mozilla Firefox:
Click the Firefox menu 
(at the top right corner of the main window) and select "Add-ons and themes". Click "Extensions", in the opened window locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, click on the three dots and then click "Remove".
Change your homepage
To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Settings", in the opened window disable malicious extension (if present), remove the browser hijacker URL 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 "Accept the Risk and Continue".
In the search filter at the top, type: "extensionControlled". Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the 
button.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.
Outstanding!
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