How to get rid of Gosearches.gg redirect from Chrome, Edge, Firefox

If you’re an internet user, chances are you’ve come across browser hijackers at some point. These are programs or browser extensions that change your browser’s settings without your consent, and one of the most notorious ones is Gosearches.gg. This untrusted search engine is often promoted by browser hijackers and can pose a serious threat to your online privacy and security.

Gosearches.gg can display intrusive and harmful ads, redirect your searches to deceptive or malicious websites, and collect various types of information about your browsing activities. It is often spread through bundled download packages of free software, where users unwittingly download and install browser hijackers along with the desired program.

If you suspect that your browser has been hijacked and Gosearches.gg has taken over, it’s essential to take action immediately to remove the associated browser hijacker. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Gosearches.gg, why it’s dangerous, and how you can get rid of it for good. So read on to learn how to protect your online privacy and security from this persistent threat.

QUICK LINKS

• What is Gosearches.gg?
• How to remove Gosearches.gg
• What to Do After Removing the hijacker

What is Gosearches.gg?

Gosearches.gg is a browser hijacker that typically spreads through bundled downloads of free software, fake Google Docs extensions, and the Your File Is Ready To Download Virus. Once installed on a computer, Gosearches.gg can modify a browser’s settings, such as the homepage and default search engine, without the user’s consent. This can make it difficult to remove the hijacker and restore the browser’s original settings.

Once your browser is hijacked by Gosearches.gg, it will redirect your web searches to its own search engine. This search engine may appear to provide legitimate results, but it often displays sponsored ads, fake news articles, and links to other malicious websites. Some of these links may lead you to phishing websites that attempt to steal your personal information, while others may download malware onto your computer.

Removing Gosearches.gg from your computer can be challenging, as it may use various techniques to prevent its removal. For example, it may use the Managed by your organization function in Google Chrome to lock your browser settings, making it difficult to change your default search engine or homepage. However, there are several steps you can take to remove the browser hijacker and restore your browser settings to their default values.

One of the most concerning aspects of Gosearches.gg is its ability to collect sensitive information about your browsing activities. This includes your IP address, web browser type and version, usernames and passwords, Internet Service Provider (ISP), internet cookies, webpages visited, auto-fill browser settings, and URLs visited. This information can be used for targeted advertising, identity theft, or other malicious purposes.

Browser hijackers like Gosearches.gg can also redirect you to malicious websites, such as work-at-home schemes, diet pill scams, fake virus alerts, pornographic content, and other questionable content. This can further compromise the security of the affected system and potentially expose you to additional malware.

In summary, Gosearches.gg is a dangerous browser hijacker that can compromise your online privacy and security. It is important to take steps to protect yourself from this and other similar threats by being cautious when downloading software, keeping your browser and security software up to date, and using reputable search engines and browser extensions.

VirusTotal flagged the Gosearches.gg installer as malicious:

Examples of Browser hijackers

Browser hijackers are a persistent and growing threat to computer security. They are often distributed through free software downloads, and once installed, they can cause a range of problems such as changing browser settings, redirecting search queries, displaying unwanted ads, and collecting personal data. Gosearches.gg is just one example of such hijackers, and unfortunately, there are many more out there. Search-Alpha.com, Charmsearching.com, and Finderflash.club are examples of other browser hijackers similar to Gosearches.gg that you should be aware of. By learning to recognize these threats, you can take steps to protect your computer and your privacy.

How did Gosearches.gg get installed?

Fake search engines can be installed in a browser through several methods: software bundling, drive-by downloads, phishing scams, downloading from untrusted sources;

• When downloading and installing new software, the fake search engine may be included as a part of the package. If the user does not uncheck the installation of the fake search engine, it can be installed onto their browser.
• Drive-by downloads is a type of malware attack where the fake search engine is downloaded onto the user’s computer without their knowledge. This can happen when a user visits a compromised website or clicks on a malicious link.
• Phishing scams are attempts to steal sensitive information, such as login credentials, by posing as a trustworthy entity. A fake search engine may be installed on a user’s browser as part of a phishing scam.
• Downloading and installing software or browser extensions from untrusted sources, such as third-party websites, can also result in a fake search engine being installed.

Examples of scam pages that are designed to trick users into installing browser hijackers and adware:

It is important to be cautious when downloading and installing software and to only download from trusted sources to reduce the risk of a fake search engine being installed on a browser.

Threat Summary

How to remove Gosearches.gg from Windows 11 (10, 8, 7, XP)

To remove Gosearches.gg from your browser, go to the browser’s extensions or add-ons settings and uninstall any suspicious extensions. Then, change the default search engine in the browser’s settings to a trusted source such as Google or Bing. If the fake search engine is still present, reset the browser to its default settings. Additionally, it’s important to scan your computer for malware using an antivirus program.

If you have any questions or need help, write a comment below. Some steps will require you to restart your device or exit this web page. So, read this guide carefully and then bookmark this page or open it on your smartphone for future reference.

To remove Gosearches.gg, perform the steps below:

1. Uninstall any suspicious programs
2. Remove Gosearches.gg from Chrome
3. Remove Gosearches.gg from Edge
4. Scan your computer for malware

Read this section to know how to manually remove the Gosearches.gg hijacker. Even if the step-by-step guide does not work for you, there are several free removers below which can easily handle such hijackers.

Uninstall any suspicious programs

The first step is to check your computer for any suspicious programs or extensions and remove them. To do this, go to the Control Panel (on Windows) or Applications (on Mac) and uninstall any programs that you don’t recognize or that you think may be associated with the Gosearches.gg hijacker.

Windows 7	Windows 8
Click ‘Start’. In the Start menu select ‘Control Panel’. Find and select ‘Programs and Features’ or ‘Uninstall a program’. Select the program. Click ‘Uninstall’.	Press and hold Windows key and hit X key. Select ‘Programs and Features’ from the menu. Select the program. Click ‘Uninstall’.
Windows 10	Mac OS
Press and hold Windows key and hit X key. Select ‘Programs and Features’ from the menu. Select the program. Click ‘Uninstall’.	On the top menu select ‘Go’, then ‘Applications’. Drag an unwanted application to the Trash bin. Right-click on the ‘Trash’ and select ‘Empty Trash’.

Remove Gosearches.gg from Google Chrome

1. Open the Google Chrome menu by clicking on the button in the form of three horizontal dotes (). Select More Tools, then click Extensions. You can also type chrome://extensions into Chrome’s address bar.
2. Examine your list of installed extensions and find any that you don’t recognize, you know are malicious or simply want to remove. Click the “Remove” button below the extensions you want to remove. In the pop-up that comes up, click “Remove” once again. The extension box and icon should disappear from the screen.
3. If the “Remove” option is not available as the extension is being detected as “Installed by administrator” or “Managed by your organization” then the easiest way to fix this is to follow the instructions: Remove Google Chrome extensions installed by enterprise policy, Chrome Managed by your organization malware removal guide.
4. To completely remove any changes made by the Gosearches.gg hijacker, reset your browser settings to their default values. To do this, go to the Chrome main menu again, click “Settings”. Click Reset settings and then “Restore settings to their original defaults”.
5. Confirm your action, click the “Reset settings” button.

Remove Gosearches.gg from Edge

1. Open Microsoft Edge and click on the three dots icon in the top right corner. Select “Extensions” from the drop-down menu. You can also type edge://extensions into Chrome’s address bar.
2. Look for any suspicious extensions that may be associated with Gosearches.gg and click on “Remove” to uninstall them.
3. Next, click on “Settings” from the drop-down menu. Scroll down and click on “Privacy, search, and services” from the left-hand side menu.
4. Under “Services”, click on “Address bar and search”.
5. Click on “Manage search engines”. Look for Gosearches.gg and click on the three dots icon on the right-hand side.
6. Select “Remove from list” to delete Gosearches.gg from the list of search engines.
7. Restart your browser and check if Gosearches.gg is no longer present.

If these steps do not remove Gosearches.gg from your browser, it is recommended to use a trusted antivirus program to scan your computer for any associated malware or viruses.

Scan your computer for malware

It is possible that the browser hijacker came bundled with PUPs (potentially unwanted programs) and other unwanted software. To ensure that your computer is clean, run a full system scan with a reputable antivirus software.

You can automatically get rid of the browser hijacker with MalwareBytes. Malwarebytes is a reputable anti-malware software that is commonly used to remove various types of malware, including browser hijackers like Gosearches.gg.

1. Download Malwarebytes by clicking on the link below. Save it on your Windows desktop.
   
   

   Malwarebytes Anti-malware
   326462 downloads
   Author: Malwarebytes
   Category: Security tools
   Update: April 15, 2020
   
2. Once the download is done, close all applications and windows on your personal computer. Open a folder in which you saved it. Double-click on the icon that’s named MBsetup.
3. Choose “Personal computer” option and press Install button. Follow the prompts.
4. Once installation is finished, scan your computer. Run a full scan of your computer to detect and remove any browser hijackers and other forms of malware. The scan may take several minutes to complete, depending on the size of your hard drive and the speed of your computer.
5. Remove detected threats. If the scan finds any threats, click Quarantine to remove them. The software will automatically remove the browser hijacker and any associated malware. After the removal process is complete, restart your computer to ensure that any changes made by the hijacker are fully removed.

The following video demonstrates how to remove hijackers, adware and other malware with MalwareBytes.

What to Do After Removing the hijacker

After successfully removing the Gosearches.gg hijacker from your computer, it is important to take some additional steps to ensure that your computer and personal information remain secure. Here are some recommended actions to take:

1. It’s important to change your browser settings back to your preferred search engine and homepage. Make sure that Gosearches.gg is completely removed from your browser’s settings and that it cannot reappear.
2. If you entered any sensitive information such as login credentials or passwords while the browser hijacker was active, change them immediately. This will prevent any potential identity theft or unauthorized access to your accounts.
3. To remove any traces of the browser hijacker, clear your browser history and cache. This will help ensure that any data or information collected by the hijacker is removed from your system.
4. Use a reputable anti-malware program like Malwarebytes to scan your computer for any remaining malware or potentially unwanted programs (PUPs). This can help ensure that there are no hidden threats or malicious files on your computer.
5. Make sure that your browser and operating system are up-to-date with the latest security patches and updates. This can help prevent future security issues and keep your system protected.
6. To avoid getting infected with similar malware in the future, be cautious of downloads and only download from reputable sources. Avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments from unknown sources.

Finish Words

In conclusion, Gosearches.gg is a dangerous browser hijacker that can significantly affect the performance and security of your computer. It is important to always be cautious when downloading and installing software from the internet and to regularly scan your computer with trusted antivirus software to detect and remove any threats. If you suspect that your browser has been hijacked by Gosearches.gg, it is important to take action immediately to remove any associated browser extensions and scan your system for any malware. By following these steps, you can help protect your privacy and security online.