Searchme.com Removal Guide

Threat Level:
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Category: Browser Hijackers

You might think that Searchme.com is an average search engine, but the truth is that it is a browser hijacker whose purpose is to hijack your browser’s settings and replace its homepage address and possibly even the new tab page address. Its purpose is to impose itself on your browser to make you use it to search the web. Therefore, we recommend that you remove it from your browser as soon as the opportunity arises because the purpose of replacing your browser’s homepage is to make you view and compel you to click promotional ads featured in its search results. To generate more income, this hijacker is also set to gather anonymous information about you that is used to customize and tailor the links for each unique user.

A browser hijacker would not be a browser hijacker if you were allowed to choose whether you want it on your PC or not. We have classified Searchme.com as a browser hijacker because it comes bundled with malicious bundled software installers. These installers can be found on various shady free software-disseminating websites that bundle freeware with adware and browser hijackers to generate income. These installers have been designed to interact with your web browser while installing other software and place Searchme.com as the homepage and new tab page address.

We have found that Searchme.com is set to replace the homepage address of Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome. Also, it should change the new tab page for Google Chrome as well. Take note that this particular hijacker does not hijack the browser shortcut’s Target line. Therefore, you can get rid of it rather easily. However, before we move on to its removal, we need to discuss some of its most concerning features.

In all honesty, you can use it as a regular search engine, and it will work as you would expect. However, we have a problem with the fact that it redirects all of the search queries you enter in its address box to a customized Yahoo search engine. It is customized because this hijacker’s developers can alter the search results by connecting to its advertising server. As a consequence, the search results feature promotional links. Since there is no information about its developer, we believe that Searchme.com’s search results can contain links to shady websites that can feature undesirable content such as adware, potentially unwanted programs, and dangerous malware. Also, it could even redirect to fake online shopping websites and clone websites that try to extract user passwords and logins. Therefore, we believe that using this hijacker as a search engine poses a risk to your computer’s security and your privacy.

Speaking of privacy, we have found that the information this browser hijacker is set to collect includes the time of visit to it, search time, originating IP address, Media access control (MAC) and operating system data, and search terms. All of this information is used for marketing and advertising purposes, and Searchme.com’s privacy policy states that this same information can be obtained by third parties. It uses browser cookies, pixels, and web beacons to obtain this information. Nevertheless, the way it collects information is entirely legitimate, but you might not want to share this information with unknown entities, so we advise that you delete this hijacker.

We hope that this article has shed some light on the issues relating to Searchme.com. Evidently, this so-called search engine is bad news and will not help you to get better search results. Our research suggests that its search results can contain links to undesirable, shady websites that can feature potentially malicious content. Coupled with the fact that it replaces your browser’s homepage without your authorization and that it collects and shares information with third parties, we highly recommend that you remove it from your PC.

Remove this hijacker manually

Microsoft Internet Explorer

  1. Simultaneously press Alt+T keys.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. Enter a new homepage address in the address line.
  4. Click OK.

Mozilla Firefox

  1. Simultaneously press Alt+T and click Options.
  2. Select General.
  3. Enter a new URL in the Home page address box.

Google Chrome

  1. Simultaneously press Alt+F.
  2. Select Settings.
  3. Click Set pages.
  4. Enter a new homepage address.
  5. Click OK.
Download Remover for Searchme.com *
*SpyHunter scanner, published on this site, is intended to be used only as a detection tool. To use the removal functionality, you will need to purchase the full version of SpyHunter.

Searchme.com Screenshots:

Searchme.com

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