GoIncognitoSearch Redirects - How to remove

GoIncognitoSearch is a malicious browser extension that causes your browser to show pop-up ads, open random webpages, and manipulate your internet search. It also logs your internet usage data to improve advertising. If you have GoIncognitoSearch installed, it’s best to remove it as quickly as possible.

In short about GoIncognitoSearch:

Threat type	Browser hijacker, adware.
Removing GoIncognitoSearch	Uninstall GoIncognitoSearch and other browser hijacker, use antivirus apps (Spyhunter for PC, Combo Cleaner for Mac, others) to remove malware, block notifications from sites that abuse them.
How GoIncognitoSearch affects web browsers	It changes the browser’s search settings, forcing it to open Goincognitosearch.com
How it gets installed	It’s promoted online with very misleading ads, it’s bundled with other programs and browser add-ons.

How to remove GoIncognitoSearch

GoIncognitoSearch is a browser extension. Goincognitosearch.com is a website. To stop your browser from opening Goincognitosearch.com, you need to uninstall the GoIncognitoSearch add-on. You can do this in your browser, in the extension area in the upper right corner, under the puzzle piece button. Or in your settings, in the Extensions section.

It’s possible that you can’t remove GoIncognitoSearch – that the “Remove” button just isn’t there. If that’s the case, GoIncognitoSearch must have been installed by a malicious program and its removal is made a bit more complicated. Check this post for the instructions.

It’s also recommended to scan your computer with an antivirus program (Spyhunter for Windows, Combo Cleaner for macOS, etc.) to check for any other potentially unwanted and malicious apps and to remove them if needed.

You can find the instructions for removing GoIncognitoSearch at the bottom of this page.

Goincognitosearch.com also seeks to get access to the notification settings of the browsers that open the site. It can use notifications to show pop-up ads on your screen. These settings don’t get reverted when you uninstall the GoIncognitoSearch extension. So, you might need to fix them manually:

• Chrome – open Settings, scroll down to Site settings (under Privacy and security), click on Notifications.
• Edge (Chromium) – open Settings, click Site Permissions, Notifications.
• Firefox – open Settings, Privacy & Security, scroll down to Permissions, and click on Settings next to Notifications.
• Safari – in the Safari menu, choose Preferences, Websites, Notifications.

GoIncognitoSearch changes browser settings

Bases on GoIncognitoSearch’s name, you might assume that it has something to do with private internet search. It really doesn’t, though. GoIncognitoSearch is one of many very similar browser hijackers. Others also have intriguing names, like ProSearchConverter and ResearchConverter. All that they do – and all that GoIncognitoSearch does – is change your browser’s default search engine and to track your data.

Free browser extensions like GoIncognitoSearch make money by showing ads and by forcing people to click on affiliated links. They might also sell user data, such as their browsing history and search history. GoIncognitoSearch is the same.

However, GoIncognitoSearch has no useful features. While most commercial browser extensions have something to justify their advertising and data collection, GoIncognitoSearch does not. It’s just malware.

How Goincognitosearch.com spreads

GoIncognitoSearch is advertised on Goincognitosearch.com. Those ads are always very vague, mostly just showing a “Download” button or an “Install” button. After all, GoIncognitoSearch doesn’t have any features worth advertising.

The ads for GoIncognitoSearch (and for other browser hijackers) tend to appear on file download sites, torrenting sites, and similar websites. And the ads have obvious “Download” buttons. This can easily result in a misunderstanding where users install GoIncognitoSearch accidentally. Almost like those ads for GoIncognitoSearch were crafted specifically to trick people (How to Avoid Fake Ads Disguised as Fake Download Links).

Another way that people might be tricked into installing GoIncognitoSearch is if it’s included with the installers of other programs as an optional offer (InstallCore).

You can avoid hijackers like GoIncognitoSearch and other adware viruses by:

• Being very careful when you install add-ons and paying careful attention to what permissions it’s asking,
• Having an anti-malware app. Security programs protect your device at all times and warn you about suspicious programs.
• Regularly reviewing your apps and browser add-ons and removing items that look suspicious.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Restore browser settings

TopHow To remove GoIncognitoSearch Redirects 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 GoIncognitoSearch Redirects, 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 GoIncognitoSearch Redirects 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 GoIncognitoSearch Redirects, 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.

How To remove GoIncognitoSearch Redirects 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 GoIncognitoSearch Redirects 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 GoIncognitoSearch Redirects, 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.