The guide outlines how to disable Yahoo search in Chrome, Windows, Safari, Firefox and Edge, with simple step instructions.
Yahoo is a popular search engine used by many internet users. However, sometimes it can happen that Yahoo appears unwanted in the browser settings or is even set as the default search engine. In this article, we’ll show you how to disable Yahoo search in Chrome and other browsers, and make Google or Bing your default search engine again.
By installing a free full version that you downloaded from somewhere on the Internet, you can quickly find yourself with a toolbar or a so-called browser hijacker (also known as adware, trojan or browser virus).
For many, one of these potentially useless programs is the Yahoo Community Smartbar. As with similar browser attachments (extensions), the homepage and the standard search engine of all installed browsers are changed here and one or two system changes are made in the background. These are often used to transmit user data and record the user’s behavior on the internet. The supposedly practical toolbar in the browser isn’t really useful – is it!?
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Toolbars like the Yahoo toolbar are often a nuisance because they can slow down the browser enormously and sometimes even contain malware. You can use your browser settings for how to disable Yahoo search in Chrome and other browsers quickly and with just a few simple steps.
Please be sure to follow all steps! This is important to get this completely removed from the computer. Please also note the information about securing your system in the future and advice to heart when installing new applications.
How to disable Yahoo search in Chrome and other browsers
Uninstalling the Yahoo toolbar can be done the same way in almost all browsers. You can access the installed extensions via the browser settings. These are usually shown to you as a list. Here you then have the option of deactivating plugins such as toolbars or removing them completely from the browser.
Remove Yahoo Toolbar from Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge
How to disable Yahoo search in Chrome
- Open the menu using the three dots at the top right.
- Click on “More Tools” and select “Extensions”.
- You will now receive a list of the installed extensions in your browser.
- Find the Yahoo toolbar and click the trash can icon on the right.
How to disable Yahoo search in Mozilla Firefox
- Click on the three lines at the top right to open the menu.
- Click on the “Extensions” item.
- Find the Yahoo toolbar in the list and click “Remove” on the right.
How to disable Yahoo search in Edge
- Click on the three dots at the top right to open the menu.
- Select the “Extension” item.
- Select Yahoo Toolbar from the list and click Uninstall.
- If you want to make sure that the toolbar is completely removed, you can check under “Apps” in the Control Panel to see whether the toolbar has been uninstalled from your system.
How to disable Yahoo search in Windows using the Control Panel
- Search for the software from the manufacturer Linkury Inc. in the Windows Software Management
- Uninstall the Yahoo Community Smartbar.
How to disable Yahoo search in Safari
- Open Safari and click “Safari” in the menu bar.
- Select “Settings” from the drop-down menu.
- Go to the “Search” tab and select “Google” or another search engine of your choice from the “Search Engine” drop-down menu.
- Click Done to save the settings.
Find and delete adware (advertising software).
This step would be quite time-consuming and certainly incomplete if done manually. However, there are several excellent tools available to do this automatically.
The manufacturer’s standard settings should then be active again in all browsers. Nevertheless, carry out the next steps in these instructions, it is for your safety!
Detect and remove dangerous malware
Many victims of toolbars and adware have additional hidden malware lying dormant on their computers. Most people don’t even notice these; and a slower Internet connection or sluggish computer is not associated with trojans and other malware active in the background.
Delete cookies and clear your browser history
Since the Yahoo Toolbar will already have stored a large number of cookies on your system, it is recommended to remove them via the respective browser/data protection settings. The browser history or browser history can also be cleared in this step. This prevents repeated calls to possibly manipulated links from the history and gets rid of tracking and commission cookies.
Check all web browsers
Check all installed web browsers and ensure that:
- Yahoo no longer appears as the homepage
- Yahoo is no longer the default search engine, but rather Google or Bing when opening a new tab is the page set up by the browser manufacturer
Beware of downloads
When installing legal, free full versions, additional programs are often packed into the actual software. This is how the developers and download providers finance themselves. It almost doesn’t matter where you download the software.
If you are vigilant when carrying out the setup, you can often prevent such a useless and sometimes dangerous additional program from being set up – although unfortunately not always.
Safety checklist
- Always take your time when installing new programs.
- Check the terms of use to see if there is anything about changing browser settings or third-party applications.
- Always perform a custom installation and never the “recommended” express installation.
- Deselect program parts that are not required by removing the relevant ticks.
- Check your system regularly for malware.
- Make regular backups of your most important data (photos, documents, emails, etc.) on an external storage device.
Final words
By following these simple steps, you can remove Yahoo from your browser and set Google or any other search engine of your choice as your default search engine.
