SearchAssistant.co Removal Guide

SearchAssistant.co is a recently published search engine that you can get accidentally by clicking suspicious advertisements. If you want to remove, then consult the instructions below. However, if you want more information about it, then we kindly invite you to read this short description. We have tested it on our tests computers and found that it is a mere browser hijacker set to redirect web traffic and make money from the promotional links included in its search results. We do not have a shadow of a doubt that SearchAssistant.co is a fake search engine that is part of a web monetization campaign that will not improve your browsing experience but fill the pockets of this hijacker’s developers and their advertising partners.

As far as we know, this hijacker is currently being distributed via two channels that include a dedicated distribution website, as well as distribution on third-party sites. From the outset, we want to clarify that this hijacker affects Google Chrome only. The first distribution channel we want to discuss is the dedicated website for the same address — SearchAssistant.co. This website features a browser extension called Search Assistant. This extension can read and change all your data on the sites you visit, Change your search settings to Searchme.com, and manage your apps, extensions, and themes. It is claimed that it will optimize your search experience, but that is untrue. So when you download this extension, it changes your browser’s search settings to force you to use Searchme.com.

This same extension is also featured on the Chrome Web Store, but because this extension informs you about the changes to be made it does not appear as illicit. However, its developers have employed malicious distribution methods as well. We have found that you can get this hijacker accidentally by clicking fake advertisements and pop-ups that appear on numerous shady websites. Nothing else is known about this distribution method, but we are positive that more information will surface shortly. If you know how you got this hijacker, please leave a comment in the comments section below.

SearchAssistant.co is no different from thousands of other browser hijackers that are created with the intention of redirecting web traffic to subject you to commercial content. When SearchAssistant.co or rather Searchme.com is set as your browser’s homepage, it redirects the entered search queries to Google.com. However, we fear that this hijacker can modify Google’s search results to include promotional links of unknown origin. There is no telling what kind of content you may be subjected to, so it is recommended to stop using this fake search engine.

SearchAssistant.co attracts its users with a neat customizable search window that allows you to change its color, add a clock and show the current date. This may not look like much but some users like this customizability because not all search engines provide it. However, if you use the Chrome and Google.com combo, then you can customize it with hundreds of themes that you can get from the Chrome Web Store, so there is no need to use SearchAssistant.co if customizability is what you are after.

Before we wrap up this article, we want to shed light on the fact that this hijacker is set to collect information about you. According to the privacy policy, it will collect data such as “Date and time of Your visit to our Site,” “Date and time of Your search,” “Originating IP address,” “Media access control ("MAC") and operating system data,” and “Search term(s).” The developers probably use this information for marketing and advertising purposes because the privacy policy does not clarify the reason for collecting it.

In any case, keeping SearchAssistant.co is a potential security risk because it can promote shady websites in its search results. Also, its information collection practices are unacceptable because the collected information is used to tailor the advertising campaign. We advocate for responsible searching practices, so we recommend that you remove this hijacker using the guide below.

How to remove this hijacker from Chrome

1. Open the web browser.
2. Press Alt+F.
3. Choose More tools and click Extensions.
4. Locate SearchAssistant and remove it.