Directionstab.com New Tab - How to remove

Directionstab.com is a website that replaces the new tab page of those who install the Directions Tab add-ons. Directionstab.com is meant to provide quick access to online maps but its functionality is laughable. Directionstab.com does try to redirect your searches but it fails to provide any useful features. It’s best to uninstall Directions Tab and look for more reputable map add-ons and apps.

About Directionstab.com:

Classification	Adware, browser hijacker.
Problems and issues with Directionstab.com	Replaces the new tab but does not use it to deliver any useful functions, promotes a specific search engine.
How hijackers spread	Installed by infected/bundled installers, advertised online, advertised by adware.
Removing Directionstab.com	Uninstall Directions Tab, delete junkware and malware, find it with Combo Cleaner for Mac, Spyhunter for PC, other anti-malware scanners, block notifications that come from unwanted sites.

About Directionstab.com

New tab hijacker

Directionstab.com is made by Innover Group – a familiar name to me. This is the same company that made Speedtest-guide.com, Trackpackagetab.com, Directionstab.com, and a bunch of other browser hijackers that replace the new tab page.

All these hijackers and Directionstab.com all replace the new tab page and promote Yahoo.com.

Technically, they’re browser add-ons. Directionstab.com is related to Directions Tab, which can be found on the Chrome Web Store. Directions Tab has over thirty thousand users on it and Directionstab.com’s traffic has been rising for months.

Why? Directionstab.com’s functionality isn’t exactly good:

• It has three links to map sites (Waze, Bing, and Google maps). You still need to load those other sites. Directionstab.com is no better than bookmarking those sites. No maps are built into this new tab page.
• In fact, Directionstab.com is worse because it replaces the new tab. Those who used the default new tab page with their most visited sites, bookmarks, pinned links, custom background images, and a search box to their preferred search website lose all of that with Directionstab.com.

Adware

Directionstab.com getting access to the browsing history is also not great. Directionstab.com’s privacy policy does assure us that nobody’s private data is used and their search queries aren’t logged, but it also mentions advertising and market research. Of course – Directionstab.com is free, so there must be a way that it’s benefitting its creators. And data about users’ browsing habits is valuable for marketers.

Another concern is that traffic from Directionstab.com may lead some users to Searchactiv.com and Safeplexsearch.com, two alternative search engine sites that behave like adware.

Overall, Directionstab.com is not too harmful, only annoying. It’s best to uninstall it.

How to remove Directionstab.com

Remove Directions Tab

Directionstab.com is a new tab replacer, so you could just install another new tab add-on on top and it would overwrite Directionstab.com. But that’s not a very good solution because Directionstab.com is still installed, still has access to the browsing history, and could be updated to include new functions later.

Instead, it’s best to just remove it. Find Directions Tab’s icon in your browser window’s upper right corner, right-click on it, and that will bring up a context menu. There should be an option “Remove”. Click it and Directionstab.com will get uninstalled. In the case that this fails, like if you get a message that Directions Tab is managed and can’t be removed, read this post: Installed by enterprise policy (fake). This shouldn’t be a problem in Directionstab.com’s case but some malicious browser add-ons cannot be removed until you change some system settings.

Find other malware

Scan your computer with an anti-malware application, such as Combo Cleaner for macOS, Spyhunter for Windows, or others. Do it if you want to check your device for malware and potentially unwanted programs. Because browser hijackers are sometimes spread by the infected installers of unrelated free programs and apps, it’s something to watch out for after you discover a browser hijacker installed.

If it turns out that it was a compromised installer that snuck Directionstab.com into your computer, remember where you downloaded it from and be wary of that website or platform in the future.

Adware infections can also cause browser hijackers. Adware can be sneaky but if your anti-malware app detects any, delete it immediately. Directionstab.com can be considered extremely mild adware but there are much more serious variants out there that lead to scams and malware.

You might also have encountered Directionstab.com because of simple ads on sites like Quizdiva or Skribbl.io.

Block unwanted notifications

If you are receiving notifications from Directionstab.com, you can block them in browser settings.

• Go to your notification settings:
  • Chrome – type “chrome://settings/content/notifications” in the address box.
  • Edge (Chromium) – type “edge://settings/content/notifications” in the address box.
  • Safari – in the Safari menu, choose Preferences, Websites, Notifications.
  • Firefox – open Settings, Preferences, Privacy & Security, scroll down to Permissions, and click on Settings next to Notifications.
• Find the sites that send unwanted notifications (Directionstab.com?) and press the button next to each of them and then click “Block”.

This does not block the sites, it just prevents them from showing any more pop-up notifications in the browser. Be careful when sites ask you to allow their notifications. Only press “Allow” for sites that you really want to hear from.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Remove unwanted browser add-ons

TopHow To remove Directionstab.com New Tab from Google Chrome:

• Click on the 3 horizontal lines icon on a browser toolbar and Select More Tools→Extensions
  
• Select all malicious extensions and delete them.
  
• Click on the 3 horizontal lines icon on a browser toolbar and Select Settings
  
• Select Manage Search engines
  
• Remove unnecessary search engines from the list
  
• Go back to settings. On Startup choose Open blank page (you can remove undesired pages from the set pages link too).
• If your homepage was changed, click on Chrome menu on the top right corner, select Settings. Select Open a specific page or set of pages and click on Set pages.
  
• Delete malicious search websites at a new Startup pages window by clicking “X” next to them.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to Directionstab.com New Tab, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on a Chrome’s menu button (three horizontal lines) and select Settings.
• Scroll to the end of the page and click on theReset browser settings button.
  
• Click on the Reset button on the confirmation box.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

How To remove Directionstab.com New Tab from Firefox:Top

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla window and select the “Add-ons” icon (Or press Ctrl+Shift+A on your keyboard).
  
• Go through Extensions and Addons list, remove everything Directionstab.com New Tab related and items you do not recognise. If you do not know the extension and it is not made by Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, Oracle or Adobe then you probably do not need it.
  
• If your homepage was changed, click on the Firefox menu in the top right corner, select Options → General. Enter a preferable URL to the homepage field and click Restore to Default.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to Directionstab.com New Tab, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla Firefox window. Click on the Help button.
  
• ChooseTroubleshooting Information on the Help menu.
  
• Click on theReset Firefox button.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button on the confirmation box. Mozilla Firefox will close and change the settings to default.
  

If the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program to identify malicious entries.

How to remove Directionstab.com New Tab from Microsoft Edge:Top

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Microsoft Edge window. Select “Extensions”.

• Select all malicious extensions and delete them.

• Click on the three-dot menu on the browser toolbar and Select Settings

• Select Privacy and Services and scroll down. Press on Address bar.

• Choose Manage search engines.

• Remove unnecessary search engines from the list: open the three-dot menu and choose Remove.

• Go back to Settings. Open On start-up.
• Delete malicious search websites at Open specific page or pages by opening the three-dot menu and clicking Delete.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to Directionstab.com New Tab, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings

• Click on Edge's menu button and select Settings. Click on the Reset Settings button on the left.
• Press the Restore settings to their default values option.

• Click on the Reset button on the confirmation box.

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.