Search Tab by The-search-tab.com - How to remove

Search Tab by The-search-tab.com is a potentially unwanted browser add-on that replaces your search engine and new tab. It is not very obnoxious, but it is not very good for your privacy. While Search Tab is not dangerous, you should consider if you trust it with your search queries and to be in control of your search engine settings.

About Search Tab by The-search-tab.com:

Classification	Browser hijacker.
Problems with Search Tab	Replaces your search settings, potentially harming your privacy.
How it gets installed	Advertised online, bundled with a free program as an optional offer.
How to remove Search Tab	Uninstall Search Tab from your browser, and remove other unwanted add-ons and programs manually or with an anti-malware app (Spyhunter for PC, Combo Cleaner for Mac, others).

Is Search Tab by The-search-tab.com safe?

Not the only Search Tab

Search Tab is a browser add-on that replaces your new tab page (the page you open with the plus ‘+’ button at the top or with the Cmd+T or Ctrl+T keyboard shortcut).

Initially, Search Tab got my attention because this add-on’s name is exactly like another Search Tab, one by Hsearchtab.org. That was one shady, as it not only repaced your new tab page, but also pushed its search site. So, I decided to check out Search.the-search-tab.com to see if it’s also problematic. Turns out, it is not, but neither is it entirely trustworthy.

Here, I will refer to Search Tab by The-search-tab.com, but keep in mind that there are other programs and browser add-ons that are called the same.

Search intercepting

Taking over the search settings

Here’s the problem: many browser extensions monetize their users by hijacking their searches. Search Tab is no different. If it only replaced the images on your browser’s new tabs, that would not be a problem.

Once installed, Search Tab replaces your new tab page that you likely search the internet from, as well as sets a new default search engine – Search.the-search-tab.com. Seeing as Search Tab doesn’t do anything to your searches, it’s strange why it inserts itself in between you and Google (or whatever search engine you use). In my experience, most new tab replacers don’t need to touch your search engine settings unless they want to manipulate your searches.

So, while Search Tab is installed, you can’t change your search engine. Your queries go through The-search-tab.com and it then decides where to send them. That might not be a big issue as long as The-search-tab.com doesn’t start pushing Yahoo (or another random search engine) like so many browser add-ons do. Although you might notice that your search results take just a tiny bit longer to appear.

Unclear privacy

It’s a bit difficult to understand whether Search Tab uses your search queries for marketing. The developers of this add-on link to their own website’s privacy policy, but it seems like a lot of it doesn’t apply. It does mention that the collected data can be used for advertising, so there is that.

It shouldn’t be surprising that Broadmedia, the developer of Search Tab, is an online marketing company that connects advertisers and publishers, provides traffic targeting (interest-based advertising), and lead conversion (helping businesses get paying customers). Even if it’s not doing anything now, a browser add-on like Search Tab would be a valuable tool for an advertising firm if it had just a few thousand more users.

How to remove Search Tab

You can uninstall Search Tab by The-search-tab.com in your browser settings, by opening your Settings page, clicking on Extensions, and finding Search Tab. Or you can right-click on its extension icon in the upper right corner of your browser (the puzzle button in Chrome) and remove it from there.

The-search-tab.com might not be the only potentially unwanted add-on in your browser, so be sure to review all of your extensions.

You may want to check your computer for malware with an antivirus program, such as Spyhunter for Windows, Combo Cleaner for macOS. In case you did not install Search Tab yourself, it might have been installed by a bundler – and those tend to offer more than one piece of junkware at a time.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Remove unwanted extensions

TopRemoving Search Tab by The-search-tab.com from Chrome

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Google Chrome window. Select “Settings”.
  
• Click “Extensions” on the left menu bar.
• Go through the extensions list and remove programs you do not need, especially similar to PopBlock+. Click on the trash bin icon next to Search Tab by The-search-tab.com or other add-ons you want to remove.
  
• Press on the “Remove” button on the Confirmation window.
  
• If unsure, you can disable them temporarily.
  
• Restart Chrome.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to PopBlock+, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on Chrome’s menu button (three horizontal lines) and select Settings.
  
• Scroll to the end of the page and click on the Reset 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 Search Tab by The-search-tab.com from Microsoft Edge:Top

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

• Go through the extensions list and remove programs you do not need, especially similar to Search Tab by The-search-tab.com. Click on the "Remove" icon next to PopBlock+ or other add-ons you want to remove.

• Press on the “Remove” button on the Confirmation window.

• If unsure, you can disable them temporarily.

• Restart Microsoft Edge.

TopRemoving Search Tab by The-search-tab.com from Firefox

• 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 PopBlock+ 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.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to Search Tab by The-search-tab.com, 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.
  
• Choose Troubleshooting Information on the Help menu.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button on the confirmation box. Mozilla Firefox will close and change the settings to default.
  

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