How to remove IncognitoSearcher

Tips for IncognitoSearcher removal

IncognitoSearcher is rogue website that tries to present itself as legitimate search provider that supposedly claims to enhance user’s online browsing experience by providing accurate search results. It operates by making changes into the installed browser settings in order to promote a dubious search engine. Additionally, most of the people download or install browser hijackers unknowingly and thus they are considered to be potentially unwanted applications. Furthermore, most browser hijackers spy on users browsing habits in order to collect vital information.

IncognitoSearcher browser hijacker promotes its own fake search engine named as incognitosearcher.com. It can secretly get installed in all the popular and mostly used browsers such as IE, Edge, Google chrome and so on. You will see new default search engine provider, homepage as well as new tab URL. If you have installed IncognitoSearcher app, you will be forced to visit this domain every now and then. All these changes made by this browser hijacker are very rigid and cannot be reverted back. It cannot be restored without eliminating the software affecting it.

Another problem regarding IncognitoSearcher is that they spy on users activities. They gather highly sensitive and personal information into various forms such as IP address, search queries, geo-location, bank account details etc and shared with third parties (potentially cyber criminals) by the developers who misuse received data to generate revenue. Therefore, presence of data tracking software on system leads into system infections, browsing safety, financial losses and even identity exposure. Hence, you must uninstall all suspicious applications and browser extensions immediately from the computer or browsers.

Threat specification

Name: IncognitoSearcher

Type: Search hijacker, unwanted toolbar, Browser hijacker

Description: Aims to hijack your web browser as well as redirect you to harmful websites constantly.

Symptoms: display malicious content, redirect you to dubious websites and slow down computer performance as well as internet speed.

Damage: browser tracking (possibly privacy issues), monetary losses and infiltration of other PUPs or malware infections.

Distribution methods: fake Flash Player Updater, software bundling, suspicious websites, deceptive pop-up ads, porn or torrent sites and many more.

Removal: Use antimalware tool to remove IncognitoSearcher easily and effectively from the PC.

Intrusion methods of IncognitoSearcher:

Software bundling is the prominent method that is used to deliver IncognitoSearcher promoted by some potentially unwanted program. The marketing technique helps the developers to add their created app as an option component of some regular software. By denying such an additional component during the installation moment the users end up with downloading and installing the malicious malware. Hence, you can avoid the infiltration of unwanted programs by using custom or advanced options of downloading/installation processes. Other sources for the distribution of this dubious malware are spam emails, harmful websites, malicious links, cracked software, porn or torrent sites and many others.

How to prevent intruding unwanted programs?

• Use of official websites and direct links for any software download.
• Avoid suspicious websites and malicious links.
• Check custom/advanced option while downloading/installing any software.
• Do not skip installation steps.
• Avoid using unofficial and free file hosting sites, p2p sharing networks and other sources.
• Adverts that appear on shady pages should not be clicked as they redirect to various unreliable websites.

Antimalware Details And User Guide

Click Here For Windows Click Here For Mac

Important Note: This malware asks you to enable the web browser notifications. So, before you go the manual removal process, execute these steps.

Google Chrome (PC)

• Go to right upper corner of the screen and click on three dots to open the Menu button
• Select “Settings”. Scroll the mouse downward to choose “Advanced” option
• Go to “Privacy and Security” section by scrolling downward and then select “Content settings” and then “Notification” option
• Find each suspicious URLs and click on three dots on the right side and choose “Block” or “Remove” option

Google Chrome (Android)

• Go to right upper corner of the screen and click on three dots to open the menu button and then click on “Settings”
• Scroll down further to click on “site settings” and then press on “notifications” option
• In the newly opened window, choose each suspicious URLs one by one
• In the permission section, select “notification” and “Off” the toggle button

Mozilla Firefox

• On the right corner of the screen, you will notice three dots which is the “Menu” button
• Select “Options” and choose “Privacy and Security” in the toolbar present in the left side of the screen
• Slowly scroll down and go to “Permission” section then choose “Settings” option next to “Notifications”
• In the newly opened window, select all the suspicious URLs. Click on the drop-down menu and select “Block”

Internet Explorer

• In the Internet Explorer window, select the Gear button present on the right corner
• Choose “Internet Options”
• Select “Privacy” tab and then “Settings” under the “Pop-up Blocker” section
• Select all the suspicious URLs one by one and click on the “Remove” option

Microsoft Edge

• Open the Microsoft Edge and click on the three dots on the right corner of the screen to open the menu
• Scroll down and select “Settings”
• Scroll down further to choose “view advanced settings”
• In the “Website Permission” option, click on “Manage” option
• Click on switch under every suspicious URL

Safari (Mac):

• On the upper right side corner, click on “Safari” and then select “Preferences”
• Go to “website” tab and then choose “Notification” section on the left pane
• Search for the suspicious URLs and choose “Deny” option for each one of them

Manual Steps to Remove IncognitoSearcher:

Remove the related items of IncognitoSearcher using Control-Panel

Windows 7 Users

Click “Start” (the windows logo at the bottom left corner of the desktop screen), select “Control Panel”. Locate the “Programs” and then followed by clicking on “Uninstall Program”

Windows XP Users

Click “Start” and then choose “Settings” and then click “Control Panel”. Search and click on “Add or Remove Program’ option

Windows 10 and 8 Users:

Go to the lower left corner of the screen and right-click. In the “Quick Access” menu, choose “Control Panel”. In the newly opened window, choose “Program and Features”

Mac OSX Users

Click on “Finder” option. Choose “Application” in the newly opened screen. In the “Application” folder, drag the app to “Trash”. Right click on the Trash icon and then click on “Empty Trash”.

In the uninstall programs window, search for the PUAs. Choose all the unwanted and suspicious entries and click on “Uninstall” or “Remove”.

After you uninstall all the potentially unwanted program causing IncognitoSearcher issues, scan your computer with an anti-malware tool for any remaining PUPs and PUAs or possible malware infection. To scan the PC, use the recommended the anti-malware tool.

How to Remove Adware (IncognitoSearcher) from Internet Browsers

Delete malicious add-ons and extensions from IE

Click on the gear icon at the top right corner of Internet Explorer. Select “Manage Add-ons”. Search for any recently installed plug-ins or add-ons and click on “Remove”.

Additional Option

If you still face issues related to IncognitoSearcher removal, you can reset the Internet Explorer to its default setting.

Windows XP users: Press on “Start” and click “Run”. In the newly opened window, type “inetcpl.cpl” and click on the “Advanced” tab and then press on “Reset”.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 Users: Press the Windows logo, type inetcpl.cpl in the start search box and press enter.  In the newly opened window, click on the “Advanced Tab” followed by “Reset” button.

For Windows 8 Users: Open IE and click on the “gear” icon. Choose “Internet Options”

Select the “Advanced” tab in the newly opened window

Press on “Reset” option

You have to press on the “Reset” button again to confirm that you really want to reset the IE

Remove Doubtful and Harmful Extension from Google Chrome

Go to menu of Google Chrome by pressing on three vertical dots and select on “More tools” and then “Extensions”. You can search for all the recently installed add-ons and remove all of them.

Optional Method

If the problems related to IncognitoSearcher still persists or you face any issue in removing, then it is advised that your reset the Google Chrome browse settings. Go to three dotted points at the top right corner and choose “Settings”. Scroll down bottom and click on “Advanced”.

At the bottom, notice the “Reset” option and click on it.

In the next opened window, confirm that you want to reset the Google Chrome settings by click on the “Reset” button.

Remove IncognitoSearcher plugins (including all other doubtful plug-ins) from Firefox Mozilla

Open the Firefox menu and select “Add-ons”. Click “Extensions”.  Select all the recently installed browser plug-ins.

Optional Method

If you face problems in IncognitoSearcher removal then you have the option to rese the settings of Mozilla Firefox.

Open the browser (Mozilla Firefox) and click on the “menu” and then click on “Help”.

Choose “Troubleshooting Information”

In the newly opened pop-up window, click “Refresh Firefox” button

The next step is to confirm that really want to reset the Mozilla Firefox settings to its default by clicking on “Refresh Firefox” button.

Remove Malicious Extension from Safari

Open the Safari and go to its “Menu” and select “Preferences”.

Click on the “Extension” and select all the recently installed “Extensions” and then click on “Uninstall”.

Optional Method

Open the “Safari” and go menu. In the drop-down menu, choose “Clear History and Website Data”.

In the newly opened window, select “All History” and then press on “Clear History” option.

Delete IncognitoSearcher (malicious add-ons) from Microsoft Edge

Open Microsoft Edge and go to three horizontal dot icons at the top right corner of the browser. Select all the recently installed extensions and right click on the mouse to “uninstall”

Optional Method

Open the browser (Microsoft Edge) and select “Settings”

Next steps is to click on “Choose what to clear” button

Click on “show more” and then select everything and then press on “Clear” button.

Conclusion

In most cases, the PUPs and adware gets inside the marked PC through unsafe freeware downloads. It is advised that you should only choose developers website only while downloading any kind of free applications.  Choose custom or advanced installation process so that you can trace the additional PUPs listed for installation along with the main program.