How to remove the SearchConverterApp app from a hijacked browser?

What is SearchConverterApp?

Most browser hijackers are designed to promote one or another fake search engine (its address) by making certain changes in a web browser's settings. SearchConverterApp is designed to promote the searchconverterapp.com address.

It is noteworthy that browser hijackers tend to be designed to collect browsing-related and (or) other information. Another detail about apps like SearchConverterApp is that most users download and install them accidentally (unknowingly).

For this reason, this and other browser hijackers are called potentially unwanted applications (PUAs).

Typically, browser hijackers change the address of a default search engine, homepage, and new tab. SearchConverterApp changes those settings to searchconverterapp.com.

Therefore, a hijacked browser opens this address when its user opens a new window, new tab, and enters search queries into the URL bar. It is known that searchconverterapp.com shows results generated by Yahoo (redirects to search.yahoo.com) or searchlee.com - another shady search engine.

In other words, searchconverterapp.com does not generate unique results - it shows results generated either by a legitimate or questionable search engine.

It is important to know that fake search engines (including searchlee.com) may generate misleading results (promote dubious pages), include advertisements alongside their search results. Therefore, it is strongly advisable against using fake search engines like searchconverterapp.com.

To remove searchconverterapp.com from the settings of a hijacked browser, users need to uninstall SearchConverterApp. Otherwise, this app will redo its changes after every attempt to undo them. The same applies to most browser hijackers.

It is common that browser hijackers can read and collect browsing data, for example, addresses of visited websites, entered search queries, geolocations, and IP addresses. Although, there are browser hijackers that gather sensitive information as well, for example, login credentials.

The main reason why browser hijackers and other potentially unwanted applications that gather various data should never be downloaded and installed is that collected information could be sold to third parties (potentially cybercriminals), used for marketing purposes, or monetized using other ways.

Therefore, apps of this type can be the culprit of problems related to browsing safety, online privacy, or even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	SearchConverterApp
Threat Type	Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab
Browser Extension(s)	SearchConverterApp
Supposed Functionality	Improved browsing experience
Promoted URL	searchconverterapp.com
Serving IP Address (searchconverterapp.com)	104.21.2.155
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. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

More examples of potentially unwanted applications designed to hijack browsers are PDFSearchTip, SportSearchMaster, and VideoSearchz.

It is common that apps of this kind are advertised as legitimate, useful - they are supposed to have some features, provide accurate search results, and (or) improve the browsing experience in some other way. However, most browser hijackers are useless to their users.

Typically, they promote fake search engines and collect various data. It is strongly advisable not to have any browser hijacker installed or use fake search engines to browse the web.

How did SearchConverterApp install on my computer?

As a rule, users download and install potentially unwanted apps unknowingly. Usually, they download, install PUAs together with other programs. More precisely, when apps of this kind are included in downloaders, installers for other programs (bundled together with those programs). In most cases, offers to download or install PUAs can be declined by unticking some checkboxes or through "Custom", "Advanced", or other settings in downloaders, installers. When users do not check and change these settings, they agree to download or install any included potentially unwanted apps. Sometimes, users cause unwanted downloads or installations by clicking on deceptive advertisements designed to run certain scripts.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

To avoid unwanted downloads, installations, it is recommended not to use third-party downloaders, installers, unofficial pages, Peer-to-Peer networks (like torrent clients, eMule), etc., as channels, tools to download or install any software, files.

It is advisable to use official websites and direct links when downloading files or programs. Also, it is important to check downloaders and installers for "Custom", "Advanced," and other similar settings, or checkboxes.

It is common that those settings (or checkboxes) cna be used to opt out bundled potentially unwanted applications. One more way to avoid unwanted downloads, installations to by not clicking on advertisements that appear while intentionally or unintentionally visiting questionasble pages.

Those ads can open other untrustworthy websites or cause unwanted downloads, or even installations (if designed to run certain scripts). Unwanted, unknown or suspicious extensions, add-ons, or plug-ins installed on a browser should be uninstalled.

The same should be applied to programs of this kind installed on the operating system. If your computer is already infected with SearchConverterApp, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.

Searchconverterapp.com redirects to search.yahoo.com (GIF):

Searchconverterapp.com redirects to searchlee.com (GIF):

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Quick menu:

• What is SearchConverterApp?
• STEP 1. Uninstall SearchConverterApp application using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove SearchConverterApp browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 3. Remove searchconverterapp.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 4. Remove searchconverterapp.com redirect from Safari.
• STEP 5. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
• STEP 6. Remove searchconverterapp.com redirect from Internet Explorer.

SearchConverterApp 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, "SearchConverterApp"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications (which cause browser redirects to the searchconverterapp.com website), scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

SearchConverterApp browser hijacker removal from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove browser redirects:

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 "SearchConverterApp" 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 "SearchConverterApp", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.searchconverterapp.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 "searchconverterapp.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 searchconverterapp.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 plugins from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions" and remove "SearchConverterApp", 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 "SearchConverterApp", remove hxxp://searchconverterapp.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 searchconverterapp.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 searchconverterapp.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.

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://searchconverterapp.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 "SearchConverterApp".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the searchconverterapp.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.

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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