Movieapp Search Hijacker - How to remove

Movieapp Search (Search.movieapp.net) is an add-on that behaves like a browser hijacker. That’s an unhelpful (and sometimes malicious) app that changes how your browser works in order to get you to visit certain websites.

Though Movieapp Search offers movie trailer search and quick access to celebrity news, its changes to search settings are ultimately unhelpful. It’s recommended to uninstall Movieapp Search and to check your browser settings.

In short about Movieapp Search:

Classification	Browser hijacker, adware.
How Movieapp Search gets installed	It’s advertised online in ways that might be deceptive.
How it changes the browser	It changes the default search engine to Search.movieapp.net, it causes unexpected websites to return web search results.
How to get rid of Movieapp Search	Uninstall Movieapp Search and other unwanted extensions, remove malicious apps (Spyhunter for PC, Combo Cleaner for Mac, others).

What does Movieapp Search do?

Movieapp Search changes browser settings

Have you noticed that Search.movieapp.net appears in your address bar? Did Movieapp Search take over your browser’s home page/new tab? Are your internet search results returned by an unexpected website?

Movieapp Search is made by SOSO Interactive Limited, a company that also made QuickMovie Tab and Movieapp Home. It’s another movie-themed site that uses Movieapp.net to deliver its features.

Once Movieapp Search is installed, it allows you to search for movie-related info in your address bar by preceding your query with ‘m’. If you search without the ‘m’, then Movieapp Search causes the query to go to Yahoo.com or another site.

It’s an adware program

Movieapp Search makes money by forcing its users to visit certain websites, to see ads that they display. According to its privacy policy, it uses CodeFuel for monetization.

It’s not always clear what separates adware from a good ad-supported program, but Movieapp Search’s functionality is not good enough add-on to justify its advertising. It takes over the default search engine setting in a slightly hostile way.

Honestly, advertising seems to be the point of the Movieapp Search extension.

It gets installed without consent

Browser hijackers and adware infections are usually installed with the help of deception or even malware. Dishonest and misleadingly presented ads for browser extensions lead to people installing them unintentionally.

You may have encountered an ad for Movieapp Search as you were trying to download a file or watch a movie. The ad might have implied that you must install Movieapp Search in order to access the content that you were trying to access.

This post on Blog.chromium.com – Taking Action on Deceptive Installation Tactics – lists some installation tactics that are considered deceptive. It’s about the installation flow and the context of where you are. For instance, if you’re trying to download a file, click on a “Download” button, and are offered to install an extension, that can lead to a misunderstanding that ends up with an unwanted extension attached to your brower.

Movieapp Search may have used the Recommended Extension or Download Ready advertising template, as its sibling extensions do. Such advertising templates are made to confuse users. So, if you installed Movieapp Search without meaning to, you’re probably not alone in this.

How to get rid of the Movieapp Search new tab

If there’s one adware infection, Movieapp Search or another, on your device, then it is very possible that there are more adware or potentially unwanted programs. Check your computer for malicious apps and remove them. You can use anti-malware tools like Spyhunter for Windows, Combo Cleaner for macOS, and others.

Remove the Movieapp Search extension as described in the instructions below. Also, review your browser settings, especially the default search engine setting. This is the thing that Movieapp Search changes when it’s installed, so it’s important to make sure that it’s back under your control. Choose a search engine that you trust (Top 10 Search Engines In The World) and set it as your default.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Uninstall browser extensions

TopHow To remove Movieapp Search Hijacker 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 Movieapp Search Hijacker, 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 Movieapp Search Hijacker 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 Movieapp Search Hijacker, 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 Movieapp Search Hijacker 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 Movieapp Search Hijacker 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 Movieapp Search Hijacker, 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.