Remove a Hijacked Search Engine or Bing Redirect
If your searches keep going to Bing, Yahoo, or some unknown site you didn't choose, a browser hijacker or rogue extension is the likely cause. Here's how to take back control.
On this page
You type a search in your address bar and instead of Google (or whichever engine you prefer), it sends you somewhere else — Bing, Yahoo, a site called "Search Baron", or something stranger. This is called browser hijacking, and it's almost always caused by a rogue extension or a setting changed by software you installed.
Step 1: Change your search engine back
Chrome: Go to Settings > Search engine and choose Google (or your preferred engine) from the drop-down. Then click Manage search engines and remove any unfamiliar entries.
Edge: Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Address bar and search and change the search engine.
Firefox: Go to Settings > Search and pick your engine under Default Search Engine. Remove any you don't recognise under One-click search engines.
Step 2: Check and remove extensions
Rogue extensions are the most common cause of redirects. Open your extensions list:
- Chrome / Edge: type
chrome://extensionsoredge://extensionsin the address bar. - Firefox: click the menu (three lines) > Add-ons and themes.
Look for anything you don't remember installing — especially extensions with vague names like "Search Manager", "Quick Search", or anything you installed alongside free software. Remove them.
Step 3: Check your startup page
In Chrome/Edge settings, find On startup and make sure it's not set to open a page you didn't choose. Remove any unfamiliar URLs.
Step 4: Scan for unwanted software
Chrome has a built-in cleanup tool. Go to Settings > Reset and clean up > Clean up computer (Windows only) and run the scan. On any browser, running a free scan with Malwarebytes (available from their official site) will catch most browser hijackers.
About the "Bing redirect" specifically
A redirect to Bing doesn't mean Microsoft did something wrong — it's almost always a third-party extension that changed your default search to Bing without your clear consent. Removing that extension fixes it.
If it comes back after removal, ask us — there may be a background program reinstalling the extension.
Frequently asked questions
I removed the extension but my search engine keeps changing back. Why?
Some browser hijackers install a separate program on your computer that keeps reinstalling the extension. Run a Malwarebytes scan to detect and remove this program. You should also check Windows Settings > Apps for anything you don't recognise installed around the time the problem started.
Is Bing itself a virus?
No. Bing is Microsoft's legitimate search engine. Being redirected to Bing is annoying but not dangerous in itself — the problem is that something changed your settings without your permission. Once you remove the culprit extension or software, Bing won't appear unless you choose it.
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