Charmsearching: What it is and how to remove it

What does “Charmsearching” mean?

Charmsearching.com is a fake search engine that can refer to malware that hides in browsers on Mac. It secretly redirects your connections to malicious websites and can spam you with tons of ads. Known as a browser hijacker, Charmsearching can get access to your IP address, URLs, search queries, and browser version information.

Charmsearching usually redirects users to various websites (sometimes for malicious purposes, sometimes just to earn money from pop-up ads) without them ever noticing that something’s wrong. The most common signs of this browser hijacker in action are the word “charmsearching” in your URL bar, an increased number of pop-up ads, and redirection to suspicious websites when using search engines.

How does Charmsearching get on your Mac, and what are its symptoms?

Charmsearching usually infiltrates your Mac through what’s called “bundling.” It’s a marketing strategy for certain businesses that put additional adware or malicious files on the products you’re downloading. While sometimes these additional files may be a benefit to your system, it’s often more likely that you’re opening the doors for a browser hijacker and other type of malware.

Upon download, Charmsearching takes action. It can start changing your web settings without your permission or install annoying toolbars that may lead to malicious sites. Overall, Charmsearching has plenty of symptoms, the most noticeable of which are:

• Unexpected pop-ups.
• Webpage links that redirect to suspicious websites.
• Unusual web browser start pages.
• New default browser search engine.
• Reduced browser and computer speed

How to get rid of the Charmsearching malware on Chrome

To remove the Charmsearching malware from your Chrome browser, follow these steps:

1. Open the “Extensions” menu by clicking on the puzzle icon in your browser’s top right corner and choosing “Manage extensions.”

2. In the extension menu, find the recently installed suspicious browser extensions and remove them.

3. Open the Chrome settings menu by clicking on the three vertical dots in the top right corner and clicking “Settings.”

4. In the settings menu, find “On the startup” and click “Open a specific page or set of pages.” If it shows a browser hijacker URL (http://www.charmsearching.com), click on the three dots near the link and select “Remove.”

5. In the settings menu, open “Search engine” and click “Manage search engines and site search.” If you see “charmsearching.com” as a default search engine, click the three vertical dots near it and choose “Delete.”

If these steps don’t do the trick, you can also try resetting your browser. In the settings menu, navigate to “Reset settings,” click on “Restore settings to their original defaults,” and then choose “Reset settings.”

How to get rid of the Charmsearching malware on Safari

To remove the Charmsearching malware from your Safari browser, follow these steps:

1. In your Safari browser, click “Safari” in the top left corner and then choose “Settings.”

2. In the settings menu, click “Extensions,” find recent or suspicious-looking extensions, then click “Uninstall.”

3. In the settings menu, click “General” and review the “Homepage” section. If you see “Charmsearching.com,” change the URL to the Apple start page URL or any other preferred link.

4. In the settings menu, navigate to the “Search” tab. If the default search engine looks suspicious and is different from your preferred one, change it.

If these steps don’t provide the results you’re looking for, you can also try resetting the browser’s history. To do so, choose “Clear history” in the Safari menu, pick “All history,” and click “Clear history.”

How to get rid of the Charmsearching malware on Firefox

To remove the Charmsearching malware from your Firefox browser, follow these steps:

1. Open your Firefox browser and choose the puzzle logo in the top right corner.

2. In the extensions menu, choose the extensions that seem recent or suspicious, click on three horizontal dots, and then click “Remove.”

3. Open the Firefox settings menu (Click on three horizontal lines on Firefox start page > “Settings.”), navigate to “Home” and check the “Homepage and new windows” section. If you see “charmsearching.com,” change it to a different URL (For example, “Firefox home”).

4. Navigate to the “Search” in your Firefox settings menu and find “Default search engine.”

5. If the default search engine is set to “Charmsearching” or other suspicious name, change it to another search engine.

If these steps yield no results, you can also try contacting Firefox support by clicking on the “Firefox support” option in the lower left corner of Firefox settings.

How to get rid of the Charmsearching malware on Microsoft Edge

To remove the Charmsearching malware from your Microsoft Edge browser, follow these steps:

1. Open your Edge browser and click on the three dots in the top right corner. In the dropdown menu, select “Extensions.”

2. In the extension menu, look for suspicious or recent add-ons. If you find Charmsearching or another dubious extension, delete it by clicking “Remove.”

3. In the same dropdown menu, find and click “Settings.”

4. In the settings menu, navigate to “Start, home, and new tabs” and check the links in the “When Microsoft Edge starts” section.

5. If you notice the “charmsearching.com” URL, click on the three dots and then “Delete” to remove the website from your browser’s home page.

6. In the Microsoft Edge browser settings, navigate to the “Privacy, search and services” tab, and click “Address bar and search.”

7. If you see a suspicious search engine in the “Search engine used in address bar” section, click on it and choose a different default search engine. To remove unwanted search engines, click on “Manage search engines.”

8. To remove unwanted search engines, go to the “Manage search engines” menu, select a search engine, click on the three dots beside it, and click “Delete.”

If these steps do not provide results, you can also try to reset the Edge browser. To do so, in the browser settings menu, click on “Reset settings” and then “Restore settings to their default values.” To complete the reset process, click “Reset.”

How to prevent Charmsearching from coming back

Safeguarding yourself from Charmsearching isn’t difficult. You can prevent it from coming back by simply tending to basic cybersecurity requirements.

Keep your browser up to date

Most of the latest secure browsers can already mitigate the effects of Charmsearching. Since browser updates usually include security enhancements, you should keep your browser up to date to safeguard against browser hijackers and other cyber risks.

Use a reputable antivirus program or NordVPN

Using an antivirus can further prevent Charmsearching from impacting your system and personal data. If you haven’t done so already, consider installing an antivirus or using NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro™ feature to protect your online traffic from malicious links, pop-up ads, and snoopers. For one of the safest browsing experiences, download NordVPN — the world’s leading VPN service.

Be careful about what links you click on

Vigilance is a common-sense habit when browsing the internet. Be wary of suspicious links, spam emails, and dubious proposals with unknown URLs. If you’re unsure whether the link’s secure, use the link-checker tool to double-check.

Avoid downloading files from unknown sources

The internet is full of shady websites that offer various software. Avoid downloading files from unknown sources, and consider using additional safety measures when sharing files yourself. For example, NordVPN’s Meshnet can be a great alternative to sharing files without endangering your online presence to hackers and malicious actors.

FAQ

How do I know if my browser has a virus?

If a browser has a virus, you’ll see some clear and noticeable signs — unexpected pop-ups, new toolbars, redirections to weird websites, and slow connections. To know for sure, however, you can run an antivirus scan — it should clarify your suspicions. It’s also important to mention that your browser is more likely to get infected with a browser hijacker rather than an actual computer virus. So if your browser acts funny, first think of browser hijackers, rather than viruses.

Can a Chromebook get a trojan?

Yes, a Chromebook can get a trojan, but it’s less likely compared to older Windows or macOS systems. Safeguarding your system with antivirus software can help you reduce the risk of getting a trojan.

How do I scan for malware?

To scan for malware, you can use your antivirus software’s malware scan function or get NordVPN. With the Threat Protection Pro™ feature, NordVPN will block malicious websites and ads while also running a check on your downloaded files (keep in mind, the feature only works on the content you’ll be downloading after installing the software and not the files that are currently in your “Downloads” folder).