Flow

Flow provides a set of search results that should be related to your likes and preferences. In order to provide those results, the application needs to collect data on your browsing habits. The collected information doesn’t include personally identifiable information, so this extension doesn’t pose a severe security threat. Nevertheless, if this extension is added accidentally, you can easily remove it by following the instructions that you will find at the bottom of this entry. For more questions, feel free to leave us a comment, and our team will be ready to assist you.

Based on the information we can find on the Chrome Web Store, Flow has more than 20,000 active users. We don’t know how many of those users added the extension willingly, and how many browsers were affected accidentally. However, it is clear that Flow is very far from a malicious infection even though our research team says that it is a potentially unwanted program. Extensions like Flow can be downloaded from their official websites, and seeing how it also has a page at the Chrome Web Store, it is more than obvious that the extension is not a malicious tool.

However, why do we still categorize Flow as a potentially unwanted program? Well, there is a possibility that the extension comes bundled with freeware. If you tend to download programs from file-sharing websites, it is possible to install more than just one application on your computer when you go through the program setup. Of course, it is important to stay away from file-sharing sites in the first place. If you need a particular program, you have to download it from its official website. But if you still want to make use of third-party sources, at least read the installation wizard through and through. Usually, it is possible to deselect unwanted applications during the setup, and if you fail to do that, you end up with a bunch of apps you neither need nor want.

It’s hard to say whether that was the case with Flow because we don’t know how you got it. Maybe you really added it to Chrome willingly because you thought it could provide you with reliable search results? But now that you have been using the extension for a while, you don’t like how it hogs the top of your search results page? Whichever it might be, if you decide to remove Flow from your system, it’s really easy to do, so don’t panic.

The good thing about this application is that Flow doesn’t change your default search engine, so it isn’t as intrusive as many other browser extensions. Nevertheless, here’s what it has to say about its functionality:

Flow enhances your search experience by adding additional relevant search results.

Some of these results may be sponsored.
It gives you more choice to find what you’re looking for.

If Flow really displays sponsored search results, it means that the application collects data on your browsing history. Of course, it cannot collect information like your logins and your passwords, but the browsing history gives insight into what kind of sponsored content you might prefer, and that’s what Flow depends on when it generates custom content.

Here, the problem is that Flow doesn’t review the sponsored content it displays. Hence, if you get exposed to all sorts of marketing schemes, the extension cannot be held responsible for it. Such aspects are usually covered in the Privacy Policy, and users seldom read it because the document is terribly long. However, the bottom line is that there are certain aspects of cybersecurity that you have to pay close attention to if you want to continue using Flow safely.

If you don’t want to use the app anymore, delete Flow via the Extensions menu. While you’re at it, you should also look whether you have more unwanted extensions added. If you don’t know which programs or applications could be potentially malicious, scan your computer with the SpyHunter free scanner. As mentioned, sometimes users download and install unwanted programs accidentally. So, you can always check with a security tool of your choice whether your system is clean and safe. If you find unwanted apps on-board, you can terminate them automatically.

How to Remove Flow

1. Launch Chrome and press Alt+F.
2. Click More tools and select Extensions.
3. Locate Flow and remove the app.
4. Restart Chrome.