SearchBoosted Mac Adware - How to remove

SearchBoosted is a malicious app and browser extension that infects Macs. It hijacks online searches, opens unwanted sites, and injects ads into the browser. It can also read people’s search history and other private information that can later be used for advertising.

SearchBoosted should be removed quickly, but it’s a little harder to delete than a normal app.

SearchBoosted in short:

Type of threat	Adware,trojan.
How SearchBoosted affects the Mac	It forces browsers to open unwanted websites, it collects private user data, it may lead to more unknown apps being installed without permission.
How adware infects Macs	It’s advertised deceptively, disguised as legitimate apps, it’s bundled with other apps and installed without the user knowing.
How to remove SearchBoosted	Find and delete malicious files with anti-malware scanners (Spyhunter for Mac, Combo Cleaner, others), review Mac and browser settings, change them if needed.

Symptoms of infection by SearchBoosted

SearchBoosted is an extension/app, you can see it if you open Safari preferences and navigate to Extensions. There it’s laid out that SearchBoosted can read your information on all the sites that you visit, which is honestly pretty scary.

However, if you don’t check your apps and extensions, there are other signs that SearchBoosted is installed:

• some websites do not open on the infected device (but they open fine on other devices on the same network),
• similarly, some apps that need the internet to work (browsers, chat apps) freeze, crash,
• instead of Google or another trusted search engine, web search results are returned by unknown sites (Searchlee.com, Searchmarquis.com, others),
• random browser add-ons get installed without permission.

In addition to all that, SearchBoosted may log user data, such as their search history.

How SearchBoosted gets installed

SearchBoosted is not a unique threat, but part of a larger campaign. It’s very similar to OriginalGrowthSystem, AphroditeResults, and other adware infections.

Very often, victims of apps like SearchBoosted say that they get infected with these malicious apps after downloading and installing what looks like an Adobe Flash Player update. Sometimes, it’s another program, like a new macOS update.

Malicious ads are designed to look like web pages by Apple, Adobe, and other trusted companies. They’re promoted on various websites that allow malicious ads: pirating sites (free movies, sports streams, cracked games and other software), file download sites, etc.

Ad blockers can help avoid malicious ads. Anti-malware programs can warn about suspicious files and apps. But there’s no 100% effective way to avoid all malware and all deceptive ads. If you ever have questions and aren’t sure about something, ask for help from your anti-malware vendor (if you have one), on Apple Support Communities, and other forums.

How to remove SearchBoosted adware

Normally, deleting apps from Macs is easy. But SearchBoosted is harder to remove than a normal app. It might come back after being deleted. More needs to be done to get rid of this infection.

Below are instructions for checking your configuration profiles, network settings, and Library folders in which SearchBoosted’s files might be lurking. These need to be deleted to really get rid of SearchBoosted.

In addition to SearchBoosted, there might be more malicious items that need to be found and deleted. Anti-malware apps, such as Spyhunter for Mac, Combo Cleaner, and others, can help find malicious apps and files and warn you about them.

What anti-malware apps won’t do is restore the settings that malware might have hijacked. After deleting SearchBoosted and other junk, go into your browsers and review their default search engine, home page settings, as well as what extensions are installed. Remove unwanted add-ons, customize your settings how you like them.

Finally, you might want to reset your passwords. SearchBoosted had the ability to see some of your data, so just in case, it’s good to protect your accounts with new, complex and unique passwords.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Check your apps and settings

How to remove SearchBoosted Mac Adware from macOS

Delete SearchBoosted Adware from your applications.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go.
3. Select Applications from the dropdown.
4. Find the SearchBoosted Mac Adware app.
5. Select it and right-click it (or hold the Ctrl and click the left mouse button).
6. In the dropdown, click Move to Bin/Trash. You might be asked to provide your login password.

(Optional) Delete related settings

Some malicious apps make themselves difficult to delete by changing various settings and leaving behind malicious files. Remove settings related to SearchBoosted Adware.

• Click the Apple logo in the menu bar. Open System Preferences.
• Some malicious applications set profiles to enforce unwanted settings. Remove unwanted configuration profiles.

1. 1. In System Preferences, click the Profiles icon. This icon is only visible if there are profiles on your Mac.
   2. Select unwanted profiles and remove them by pressing the minus '-'  button at the bottom.

• Some adware applications set SOCKS proxy to manipulate your internet traffic. Remove unwanted proxies:

1. 1. In System Preferences, click Network, Advanced, Proxies.
   2. If a proxy is set without your permission, uncheck it and click OK.

(Optional) Delete malicious files

Some malicious apps leave behind dangerous files in your Library folders. Delete files related to SearchBoosted Mac Adware.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go -> Computer.
3. In the search box, type in SearchBoosted Adware and variations of it.
4. Delete the files that are found and that seem to be related to SearchBoosted Mac Adware.

Review browser settings

How to remove SearchBoosted Mac Adware from Safari:Top

Remove malicious extensions

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences.
  
• Select Extensions and uninstall SearchBoosted Adware and other suspicious extensions.
  
• If your homepage was changed, click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences and choose General tab. Enter preferable URL to the homepage field.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings(older versions) If you are still experiencing any issues related to SearchBoosted Mac Adware, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Reset Safari…
  
• Select which options you want to reset (usually all of them come preselected) and click on the Reset button.
  

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

TopHow to remove SearchBoosted Mac Adware from Google Chrome on Mac:

• Open Chrome browser.
• Enter in the url field “chrome://extensions” address and hit Enter.
• Find SearchBoosted Adware on the extensions list and click on the recycle bin icon next to it.
• Click on 'Chrome' button at the top left corner. Select 'Preferences' on a drop-down menu box.
• Find 'Search' options on Settings tab. If your search engine is changed, click 'Manage Search Engines' and set your preferred search engine.
• On the same page find 'Show home button' checkbox and change your homepage.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to SearchBoosted Mac Adware, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• On the 'Preferences' menu window, scroll down to the bottom and find 'Reset settings' button. Click it.
• Confirm your selection and click 'Reset' on the following window.

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

How To remove SearchBoosted Mac Adware from Firefox on Mac OS:

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla window and select the “Add-ons” icon (Or press cmd+Shift+A on your keyboard).
• Go through Extensions list, remove everything SearchBoosted Mac Adware 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.
• Enter “about:preferences” in URL bar and hit enter.
• Open Search settings tab.
• If your search engine is changed, click 'Default Search Engines' and set your preferred search engine.
• If your homepage was changed, click on the Firefox menu in the top right corner, select Preferences-> General. Enter a preferable URL to the home page field.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to SearchBoosted Adware, 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 Refresh Firefox button.
• Click on the Refresh 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.