SearchPrivately

A new search tool Searchprivately.co set instead of your Google, Bing, or another search provider shows that there is a browser extension called SearchPrivately enabled on your browser. You should find it in the list of extensions on Google Chrome only, which is good news because it means that it will not take much time to delete it fully. We cannot force you to remove this extension together with the search engine it promotes, but we cannot say that you can keep SearchPrivately either even though it promises to make your web searching completely private. It promises to provide a secure channel for searching the web anonymously, but, as it turns out after installing this extension, it does not apply any changes to a user’s default search provider. As you already know, it sets a new search tool in the place of a user’s preferred one. Many users cannot explain why these changes have been applied to their Google Chrome, which only proves that this extension can be enabled on users’ browsers without their direct permission as well. It is one of the reasons it is called a potentially unwanted program (PUP) by specialists working at pcthreat.com. If it is not enough to delete this Google Chrome extension, read the article till the end.

SearchPrivately is advertised as a beneficial extension that can ensure the users’ anonymity. It claims that ordinary search engines track users and record information about them, which might result in various issues linked to the online privacy; however, you should not install this extension seeking to improve your default search tool because it will not change how your preferred search tool works. Instead, it will set its own tool Searchprivately.co. This website looks like any ordinary search tool, and it should enable users to perform web searches anonymously. That is, it should not record any information about them. Well, at least it is advertised as a privacy-friendly search tool. To find out how it really treats the users’ privacy, our specialists have checked its Privacy Policy document. It has turned out that it is not as perfect as it claims to be. It seems that it might also collect some details, e.g., IP-address, the browser used, OS, etc. even though it claims that it is not interested in any information about users. Users are told that it can access only non-personal data, so, if it is true, it should not violate your privacy. Of course, this still shows that Searchprivately.co is not a perfect search tool. It is up to you what to do with it, i.e., whether to let it stay or go to replace it with a more trustworthy search tool.

You see SearchPrivately in the list of extensions on your Google Chrome browser not without reason. You could have downloaded it from the Chrome store (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/search-privately-for-chro/ilankfglddpnffknmceijpnhidchfdji), or it could have entered your system bundled with third-party software. Potentially unwanted applications often travel bundled with software promoted on file-sharing and other third-party pages, so, without a doubt, it is the reason it is enabled on your browser too if you have recently downloaded new software from some kind of page administered by third parties. You are lucky this time – a potentially unwanted application is not a harmful infection. It does not mean that you will not encounter serious malware in the future if you continue downloading applications from file-sharing websites. It might arrive next to software you willingly download from such a page. Do not let this happen – the installation of a reputable security application will be enough to prevent malicious software from entering the system.

You will be allowed to set a new search provider on your Google Chrome browser only when you delete the search tool belonging to SearchPrivately. This piece of software is an ordinary extension that can be deleted via the add-ons manager, so you should not find its removal extremely complicated. If our manual removal guide does not make it clearer where the removal of this undesirable extension should begin, let an automatic tool help you. In such a case, it will be enough to acquire the scanner and launch it once after the installation.

Remove SearchPrivately

Google Chrome

1. Start Google Chrome.
2. Open the menu (tap Alt+F).
3. Select More tools and click Extensions.
4. Find SearchPrivately on the list and select it.
5. Click on the recycle bin icon next to the extension.
6. Click the Remove button in the confirmation window.