How to Get Rid of QSearch on Mac

QSearch has long been recognized as a browser hijacker, capable of completely overriding your browsing habits and forcing you to follow its rules, adhere to its policies, and expose your activities to its developers and advertisers.

Unfortunately for many Mac users, QSearch has been a bane for years, but there are ways to remove it and stop this tool from taking advantage of your device and data.

What is QSearch?

Taking on the appearance of a browser, it’s actually an Adware tool designed to bombard a Mac user with ads, hinder their user experience and take full advantage of data tracking, cookies, and more that a Mac owner will undoubtedly be unwilling to share. For many users, they simply give up on trying to remove the piece of software once they are misled into installing it, but there are ways to learn how to get rid of QSearch with minimal fuss.

Remove QSearch from Chrome

This is one of the simplest methods available to Chrome users. To remove QSearch from Chrome, simply open your browser, navigate to the settings option in the top right, click the ‘extensions’ section, locate the presence of the QSearch extension and then select it to uninstall.

Quick Tip: If it refuses to uninstall, disconnect your Wi-Fi and try the same process above.

Removing QSearch from Firefox

For users of Firefox, the process is fairly similar to Chrome, but the navigation will be slightly different. First, open your Firefox browser and locate your settings section, which is a button with three horizontal lines. Navigate to the add-ons and themes section, followed by going to the extensions category. You should see QSearch here and simply click it and select uninstall or remove.

Remove QSearch from Safari

As the most popular browser for Mac users, Safari can often get caught up with QSearch when misleading updates are clicked. Fortunately, the removal process is very straightforward – and first identify your settings tab. Locate the extensions section and you’ll see a full list of the extensions that are active on Safari. Click on QSearch once you find it and then remove it; it’s as simple as that.

How much trouble can QSearch cause?

Generally speaking, QSearch is only a piece of Adware, meaning that it isn’t there to cause harm to you or to your device; it’s simply programmed to track your browsing habits to sell this data to advertisers, allowing them to bombard you with adverts. Not only can this be irritating, but it can also be highly invasive, as QSearch even works when you decide to browse privately, tracking your behaviour and selling it to marketing companies looking to expose you to their products and services.

Although many choose to leave QSearch where it is, there really is no reason to do so. Not only can it track your activity, it can also slow down your internet experience, direct you to links that you haven’t clicked on but and generally cause a nuisance to Mac users. Removing it should be a priority, as your device is your own.