SmartStreamSearch Hijacker - How to remove

SmartStreamSearch is a browser add-on that is promoted online with the help of misleading ads. If you’ve got it installed, it probably wasn’t on purpose.

SmartStreamSearch has no useful features whatsoever, but its effects on infected browsers are undeniable:

• it causes your web search results to be delivered by Yahoo.com or another unexpected site,
• it opens ads in new browser tabs and in notification messages.

It’s recommended to remove the SmartStreamSearch extension and to see if there you have any other malicious extensions installed.

In short about SmartStreamSearch:

Classification	Browser hijacker, adware.
How to stop SmartStreamSearch redirects	Uninstall SmartStreamSearch and other unwanted extensions, check your device for malicious items and remove them (with Spyhunter for PC, Combo Cleaner for Mac, and others), check your browser settings and change them to fit your wishes.
Effects on the browser	Your browser returns your search results by Yahoo or another unexpected site, SmartStreamSearch logs your browsing history and displays pop-up ads.
How SmartStreamSearch gets installed	It’s promoted online with the help of misleading ads, it might be bundled with free programs and installed without your knowledge.

How to stop SmartStreamSearch redirects

Remove hijackers and other malware

The way that SmartStreamSearch hijacks your internet search is by replacing your default search engine in your browser settings. You can open the main menu of your browser, go to the settings, look for the Search engine section, and see for yourself what’s going on there. If SmartStreamSearch is installed, it shows up right there.

So, the way to get back control over your internet search results is to remove SmartStreamSearch and other dubious browser add-ads.

In addition, it’s good to check what files you’ve downloaded recently and what apps you’ve installed.

Besides checking them manually, you can use an antivirus program, such as Spyhunter for Windows, Combo Cleaner for macOS, and others.

Check your browser settings

When I first encountered SmartStreamSearch, it offered me to subscribe to its notifications. This was alongside other ads that also wanted to access my notifications. If you encountered any such ads (“press Allow to…”), then you should check your notification settings. These settings enable some sites to send ads straight to your screen and they’re independent of browser extensions. Even after removing the SmartStreamSearch extension, you might still receive pop-up ads from the Smartstreamsearch.com site.

Here’s how to check them and block them, if needed:

• 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.

Check the instructions at the bottom of this page to see how to review your new tab, search engine, and other settings.

How SmartStreamSearch affects the browser

SmartStreamSearch is a browser add-on but, instead of checking your spelling, helping you download videos, or blocking ads, it changes how your browser searches the internet. Most likely, SmartStreamSearch causes redirects to Yahoo. It changes your browser’s settings to force you to visit certain websites.

Another thing that SmartStreamSearch does is read your browsing history and log your search terms. So, instead of your search queries being private between you and your trusted search site, they now go through the Feed.smartstreamsearch.com site – an advertising site. This is not great for privacy.

You might also see more ads than you’re used to, thanks to SmartStreamSearch. It can open new browser tabs or show notification pop-ups on your screen. Among them, ads for other notification hijackers, such as WebPDFSearch, UltimateStreamSearch, and others.

How browser hijackers get installed

I first saw SmartStreamSearch on an ad by DesktopHut, a site that shows unavoidable ads by opening them in new browser tabs.

The way that SmartStreamSearch was presented is a little misleading. It’s advertised on file download sites and its ads can easily lead people to install it mistakenly. The ads blend in with download sites, as they almost look like download links themselves.

Another way that browser hijackers get installed is by being included in the installers of free programs. If you’ve ever installed a free program only to find a few unexpected apps on your computer, you’re familiar with this. It is called bundling and it’s often used by adware viruses to sneak onto computers.

Either way, it’s unlikely that SmartStreamSearch ever gets installed by users intentionally. I believe this for a few reasons:

• There’s no way to find SmartStreamSearch yourself. You need to be directed by an ad or know the address to find the offer to install SmartStreamSearch.
• SmartStreamSearch doesn’t offer any features that would make it worth using. There’s no way that people seek it out voluntarily.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Restore browser settings

TopHow To remove SmartStreamSearch 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 SmartStreamSearch 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 SmartStreamSearch 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 SmartStreamSearch 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 SmartStreamSearch 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 SmartStreamSearch 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 SmartStreamSearch 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.