Removal instructions for the Happy Dolphin Club browser hijacker

What kind of software is Happy Dolphin Club?

Happy Dolphin Club is a rogue browser extension. It is promoted as a tool that displays dolphin-themed browser wallpapers. After examining this piece of software, we determined that it is a browser hijacker.

It operates by modifying browsers in order to generate redirects to the happydolphinclub.com fake search engine. Additionally, Happy Dolphin Club spies on users' browsing activity.

Happy Dolphin Club browser hijacker overview

Browser hijackers typically assign the addresses of endorsed websites as browsers' homepages, default search engines, and new tab/window URLs. Happy Dolphin Club promotes happydolphinclub.com in this fashion. Therefore, new browser tabs/windows opened and search queries entered in the URL bar – result in redirects to the happydolphinclub.com webpage.

It is noteworthy that browser-hijacking software commonly utilizes persistence-ensuring techniques to complicate its removal and prevent browser recovery.

Illegitimate search engines usually cannot provide search results, so they lead to genuine Internet search sites. Happydolphinclub.com redirects to the Bing search engine (bing.com). However, it could land elsewhere since factors like user geolocation may impact redirects.

Furthermore, Happy Dolphin Club has data-tracking functionalities. Information of interest may include: visited URLs, viewed pages, searched queries, Internet cookies, usernames/passwords, personally identifiable details, finance-related data, and so on. This vulnerable information can be shared with and/or sold to third-parties (potentially, cyber criminals).

To summarize, the presence of browser-hijacking software like Happy Dolphin Club on devices can lead to system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	Happy Dolphin Club
Threat Type	Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab
Browser Extension(s)	Happy Dolphin Club
Supposed Functionality	Dolphin-themed wallpapers
Promoted URL	happydolphinclub.com
Detection Names (happydolphinclub.com)	N/A (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (happydolphinclub.com)	104.21.48.222
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).
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.

Browser hijacker examples

Purging Properly, Save Turtle Tab, Car Club Wallpapers, and Searchfz are merely some examples of browser hijackers we have analyzed recently.

Software within this classification typically appears legitimate and offers a broad range of "useful" functionalities. However, these features are usually nonoperational – they are a lure that entices users into downloading/installing browser hijackers.

It must be emphasized that even if a browser extension or an application works as advertised – that does not prove its legitimacy or safety.

How did Happy Dolphin Club install on my computer?

Browser hijackers are proliferated using the bundling marketing technique – packing regular program installation setups with unwanted/malicious additions.

The threat of inadvertently allowing bundled content into the system is increased by downloading from dubious channels (e.g., freeware and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, etc.) and by rushing through installation processes (e.g., ignoring terms, using "Easy/Quick" settings, etc.).

Browser-hijacking software can have "official" promotional webpages, and it is endorsed on scam sites. Most users access such pages via redirects generated by websites using rogue advertising networks, misspelled URLs, intrusive ads, spam browser notifications, and installed adware.

Additionally, intrusive advertisements spread browser hijackers. Once clicked on, some of the adverts can execute scripts to perform downloads/installations without user permission.

How to avoid installation of browser hijackers?

We strongly advise researching software and downloading it only from official/verified sources. When installing, it is essential to read terms, study possible options, use the "Custom" or "Advanced" settings, and opt out of all additional apps, extensions, features, etc.

We also advise being cautious while browsing since fake and malicious online content usually appears genuine and harmless. For example, intrusive ads may look innocuous – yet redirect to highly questionable sites (e.g., pornography, gambling, adult dating, scam-promoting, etc.).

In case of encounters with advertisements and/or redirects of this kind, inspect the device and immediately remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with Happy Dolphin Club, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.

Appearance of happydolphinclub.com redirecting to the Bing search engine (GIF):

Permissions asked by Happy Dolphin Club browser hijacker:

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:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner 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. 7 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 Happy Dolphin Club?
• STEP 1. Uninstall unwanted applications using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove Happy Dolphin Club browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 3. Remove happydolphinclub.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 4. Remove happydolphinclub.com redirect from Safari.
• STEP 5. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Happy Dolphin Club 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, select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

Happy Dolphin Club 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 "Extensions" and click "Manage Extensions". Locate "Happy Dolphin Club" and other 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), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable "Happy Dolphin Club", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.happydolphinclub.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 "happydolphinclub.com", 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.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the happydolphinclub.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 extensions from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons and themes". Click "Extensions", in the opened window locate "Happy Dolphin Club", as well as 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 "Happy Dolphin Club", remove hxxp://happydolphinclub.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 "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.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with happydolphinclub.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 happydolphinclub.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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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the purpose of forcing users to visit happydolphinclub.com website?

Cyber criminals (e.g., developers of browser hijackers and fake search engines, etc.) generate revenue via redirects to webpages like happydolphinclub.com.

Is visiting happydolphinclub.com a threat to my privacy?

Most likely, yes. Websites like happydolphinclub.com usually collect (and sell) visitor data.

How did a browser hijacker infiltrate my computer?

Browser-hijacking software is mainly distributed through bundled installers, online scams, deceptive promotional pages, freeware and free file-hosting websites, P2P sharing networks, spam browser notifications, and intrusive advertisements.

Will Combo Cleaner help me remove Happy Dolphin Club browser hijacker?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan computers and eliminate detected browser-hijacking apps. Keep in mind that manual removal (performed without security tools) might not be ideal. In cases where multiple browser hijackers are present, after one is removed – the others may simply reinstall it. Furthermore, browser-hijacking software may be capable of denying access to removal-related settings and/or undoing user-made changes. Therefore, it is crucial to eliminate browser hijackers thoroughly and all at once.

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