SearchUp Mac

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*Source of claim SH can remove it.

SearchUp

SearchUp is a Mac browser hijacker app that starts a page-redirecting process in the main browser, aiming to popularize different sites. SearchUp can also look into the history of the browser and generate paid targeted ads (e.g. popups, banners, etc.) that earn money from each click.

SearchUp
The SearchUp malware on Mac

Intrusive page-redirecting and advertising browser apps like this one are common for both PC and Mac computers so even if you are using a Mac machine, this doesn’t mean you are immune to them.

SearchUp for Mac

SearchUp for Mac is a browser-hijacking extension for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and other browsers that is specifically programmed to enter Mac computers. SearchUp for Mac will change the search engine of the browser and begin to spam all of your searches with advertised sites.

This hijacker will also replace the address of your browser’s homepage and use it as yet another tool for popularizing a certain promoted website. The whole purpose of the existence of apps like this one is to make money through the implementation of the Pay-Per-View and the Pay-Per-Click online marketing models. Through these models, a given browser hijacker is able to generate income from each click any of its advertising banners and pop-ups get and from each visit made by users to the sites that this aggressive advertising software is tasked with promoting. And while none of this is directly targeted at harming your computer or compromising your online security, the uncontrolled nature of the advertising campaign conducted by SearchUp and the fact that you aren’t given any options to stop or at least limit it means that the chances of encountering different kinds of threats and malware (including Spyware, Ransomware, or Trojans) due to the endless barrage of ads and redirects caused by the hijacker would be dangerously high.

What is SearchUp?

SearchUp is an unwanted app for Mac systems that operates as a browser add-on that causes aggressive redirects and ad-generation in the browser. SearchUp should be uninstalled as soon as the user spots it because its activities may potentially put the computer in serious danger.

SearchUp Mac
The SearchUp scam product on Mac

Most users, of course, want to get this app removed from their Macs as soon as possible but they are not able to complete the uninstallation on their own. This is because, oftentimes, there isn’t a straightforward uninstallation procedure that they can follow to remove the hijacker. The good news is that there is still a way to remove unwanted apps like SearchUp, SystemExtrGsecurecontent, Search Marquis and we will explain to you the exact steps in the uninstallation guide that you will find further down this page.

The SearchUp app

The SearchUp app is a type of page-redirecting browser hijacker for Mac that infects the main browser and takes over its settings. The SearchUp app will not stop spamming you with its aggressive site-promotions and clickbait banners until you manage to permanently remove it.

If you make sure to follow the steps and instructions that you will find within the next lines, uninstalling this hijacker should not be difficult. Still, if you run into any trouble, don’t hesitate to request our assistance by leaving us a comment in the comment section at the bottom of this page. 

SUMMARY:

NameSearchUp
TypeAdware
Detection Tool

*Source of claim SH can remove it.

Remove SearchUp Malware from Mac

Browser Hijackers like SearchUp may sometimes be successfully removed if you find and delete their extensions from the browser’s extensions sub-menu. For this reason, before you try any of the detailed steps in the guide below, this is what we suggest you do inside your Mac browser:

  1. With the hijacked Mac browser opened, click on its main menu and select Preferences.
  2. Then, from Preferences, find the extensions sub-menu and open it.
  3. You should see a list of the extensions and add-ons that have been installed in the browser.
  4. Try to determine which of them look unfamiliar or seem to be operated by SearchUp.
  5. Remove the suspicious-looking extensions/add-ons by tapping on the trash bin icon.

If these steps are not enough to rid you of SearchUp and its disturbance, please continue with the steps in the guide that follows:

Step1

*Source of claim SH can remove it.

If your Safari browser is open, you will need to quit it in order to complete the steps below. Apps like SearchUp, however, may prevent the hijacked browser from closing normally. If this is your case, then use the Force Quit option that is found in the Apple icon menu of the browser.

Step2

WARNING! READ CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING!

*Source of claim SH can remove it.

Next, with the browser closed, head to the following directory  Finder >>> activity-monitor.

Start the Activity Monitor and take a good look at the active processes that are listed there. Look for processes (it could be one or many) that are operated by SearchUp or behave in an unusual way (they consume way too many RAM or CPU resources without any particular reason). 

Highlight each questionable-looking process and then go at the top and click on the button with the “i” letter. An information window that looks like this should show up on your screen:

chromeinfo

Go to the bottom of the information window and click on Sample:

chromesample

A sample file of the process will be generated. Save that file and run it in the free online virus scanner that is available here:

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    When the scan is over, follow the recommended actions and delete the sample file.

    Do the above for all processes you suspect could be part of SearchUp or are problematic. 

    Step3

    Now, after you have dealt with all questionable processes in the Activity Monitor, it is time to delete any traces of SearchUp from your browser. For that, press and hold the Shift key from your keyboard while you are launching Safari. This should ideally prevent the browser from automatically opening tabs and pages that have been pushed by the browser hijacker.

    If some unwanted pages get loaded despite that,  Force Quit Safari and turn off your internet connection. If your Mac is connected through Wi-Fi, select Wi-Fi off in Mac’s Menu. If your Mac is connected through a cable, unplug the Ethernet cable manually.

    Now, with the internet connection off, try again to load Safari while pressing and holding the Shift key. This time, no unwanted pages and tabs should be loaded.

    Step4

     With the browser safely launched, click on the Safari Menu. After that, just as it is shown on the image below, select Preferences:

    Preferences in Safari

    When in Preferences, click on the Extensions tab:

    extensions in safari

    SearchUp may have installed one or many extensions that are helping it and your job here will be to find these extensions and uninstall them. Keep in mind that it is not necessary that the browser hijacker’s extensions have the same name. Look for unfamiliar entries, or entries that you can’t remember installing on your own and uninstall them.

    Back to Preferences, click on the Privacy tab this time, and select the option that says “Remove All Website Data”. Confirm the action by clicking on Remove now.
    Privacy in Safari

    Attention! By removing all website data, all stored website data (and this includes your saved passwords and login credentials for all websites that require authentication) will be deleted. 

    Back to the Preferences menu, select the first tab named General this time, and open it. Head to where it is written Homepage and if the homepage URL that you see there has been changed, delete it and write a homepage that you trust.

    Default Home Page

    Finally, still in Safari, go to the History menu and click on the Clear History option. This will clear all problematic web pages from the history of your browser.

    Step5

    SearchUp is known to affect other browsers aside from Safari. If you are using Firefox or Google Chrome on your Mac, here is what you need to do to remove the hijacker’s nagging extensions from these browsers:

    firefox-512 How to Remove SearchUp From Firefox in OSX:

    Start Mozilla Firefox and head to the top right where this icon is located mozilla menu Click on the icon and then select Add-ons from the fall-down menu. After that, select the Extensions tab from the left.

    pic 6

    In the list of extensions, locate the problematic ones and remove them. After that, you need to refresh Your Firefox Settings.

    chrome-logo-transparent-backgroundHow to Remove SearchUp From Chrome in OSX:

     In Google Chrome things aren’t very different but to avoid any confusion, here is what you need to do:

    First, launch Chrome and head to the top right corner where this icon is located chrome menu icon Click on the icon and choose More Tools from the menu that falls down. Then, on the left, click on the Extensions tab. Find the problematic extensions that have a relation to SearchUp and simply click on the trash bin icon   chrome-trash-iconto remove them.

    pic 8

    Before you reset Your Chrome Settings, don’t forget to click on the main menu icon at the top right corner chrome menu icon again, and select the Settings option from the fall-down menu. Once in the Settings, click on Search, which is the fourth tab, and choose Manage Search Engines. SearchUp may have added some sponsored or unwanted search engines without your approval. If this is the case, remove them and keep only the search engines that you trust and use.

    Remember! Some Browser Hijackers may be more difficult to remove than others. If the instructions in this guide aren’t helpful and you still see signs of SearchUp after you complete all the steps, it is best to scan your Mac computer with the recommended professional removal tool. 

    Feel free to ask us any questions that you may have regarding this guide in the comments below this post and a member of our team will do his best to help you out.


    About the author

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    Brandon Skies

    Brandon is a researcher and content creator in the fields of cyber-security and virtual privacy. Years of experience enable him to provide readers with important information and adequate solutions for the latest software and malware problems.

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