Remove Bing Search from Android phone (Virus Removal Guide)

If your Android browser homepage or search queries are being redirected through Bing Search, then you may have a browser hijacker installed that is causing these redirects.

What is Bing Search?

Bing Search is a legitimate search engine, however, there are plenty of browser hijackers which will redirect the user’s search queries to bing.com. Bing is a search engine developed by Microsoft, and it’s the default search engine for Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer browsers on Windows computers.

Let’s be clear about something, Bing Search is not a browser hijacker and is not malicious in any way. However, occasionally, malware will explicitly mess with your web browser settings and Bing Search will be displayed. Cybercriminals use Bing Search to generate revenue from each search you perform.

When the Bing Search browser hijacker is installed on a Android phone, common symptoms include:

• Your browser’s search queries are redirected through https://bing.com
• A malicious app is installed on your Android phone

Why is my browser redirected to Bing Search?

Your browser is being redirected to Bing Search because a browser hijacker is installed on your Android phone. Often, this type of app is offered through advertisements, leaving the user puzzled about where this software came from.

To remove the Bing Search browser hijacker and check your Android phone for other malicious apps, please use the free malware removal guide below.

Remove Bing Search from Android phone (Virus Removal Guide)

This malware removal guide may appear overwhelming due to the number of steps that are being used. We have only written it this way to provide clear, detailed, and easy-to-understand instructions that anyone can use to remove malware for free.
Please perform all the steps in the correct order. If you have any questions or doubts at any point, stop and ask for our assistance.

• STEP 1: Uninstall the malicious apps from your Android phone
• STEP 2: Use Malwarebytes for Android to remove Bing browser hijacker
• STEP 3: Reset your browser settings to remove Bing Search redirect

STEP 1: Uninstall the malicious apps from your Android phone

In this first step, we will check if any malicious apps are installed on your phone. Sometimes browser hijackers or adware apps can have usable Uninstall entries that can be used to remove these apps.

1. Open the “Settings” menu.

   Tap on the “Settings” app from your phone menu or home screen.
   

2. Tap on “Apps”.

   When the “Settings” menu opens, tap on “Apps” (or “App Manager”) to see all the installed applications on your phone.
   

3. Find the malicious app.

   The “Apps” screen will be displayed with a list of all the applications that are installed on your phone. Scroll through the list until you find the unknown or malicious app. Look out for any suspicious app that could be behind all the drama – anything you don’t remember downloading or that doesn’t sound like a genuine program.
   Most often, cyber criminals hide malware inside the video or photo editing apps, weather apps, and camera apps.

   Here are some known malicious apps: ES File Explorer, Xender, Amber Weather Widget, GO Weather Forecast & Widgets, Kitty Play, Touchpal, Z Camera.

   

4. Uninstall the malicious app

   When you find a suspicious or malicious app, tap on it to uninstall it. This won’t start the app but will open up the app details screen. If the app is currently running press the “Force stop” button, then tap on “Uninstall”.
   

   A confirmation dialog should be displayed to confirm you want to uninstall the app, tap on “OK” to remove the malicious app from your phone.

   

STEP 2: Use Malwarebytes for Android to remove Bing browser hijacker

In this next step, we will install Malwarebytes to scan and remove from your phone malicious apps and files.

Malwarebytes for Android searches all files and apps quickly and effectively for malware or potentially unwanted programs such as screen lockers or adware, freeing your Android device from bloatware.

1. Download Malwarebytes.

   You can download Malwarebytes by clicking the link below.

   

   Malwarebytes for AndroidScans your phone and removes malware

   Get Malwarebytes for AndroidOpens the download page in a new tab.

2. Install Malwarebytes on your phone

   In the Google Play Store, tap “Install” to install Malwarebytes on your device.

   

   When the installation process has finished, tap “Open” to begin using Malwarebytes for Android. You can also open Malwarebytes by tapping on its icon in your phone menu or home screen.
   

3. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup process

   When the Malwarebytes will open, you will see the Malwarebytes Setup Wizard which will guide you through a series of permissions and other setup options.
   This is the first of two screens which explain the difference between the Premium and Free version. Swipe this screen to continue.
   
   Tap on “Got it” to proceed to the next step.
   
   Malwarebytes for Android will now ask for a set of permissions that are required to scan your device and protect it from malware. Tap on “Give permission” to continue.
   
   Tap on “Allow” to give permission to Malwarebytes to access the files on your phone.
   

4. Update database and run a scan with Malwarebytes

   You will now be prompted to update the Malwarebytes database and run a full system scan.

   

   Click on “Update database” to update the Malwarebytes definitions to the latest version, then click on “Run full scan” to perform a system scan.

   

5. Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.

   Malwarebytes will now start scanning your phone for adware and other malicious apps. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
   

6. Click on “Remove Selected”.

   When the scan has completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes has detected. To remove the malicious apps that Malwarebytes has found, tap on the “Remove Selected” button.
   

7. Restart your phone.

   Malwarebytes will now remove all the malicious apps that it has found. To complete the malware removal process, Malwarebytes may ask you to restart your device.

STEP 3: Reset your browser settings to remove Bing Search redirect

In this final step, if your phone is still redirected to unwanted sites or you see pop-up ads, we will need to reset the web browser settings to their original defaults. This step should be performed only if the issues have not been solved by the previous steps.

Resetting the browser settings to their default it’s an easy task on Windows or Mac computers; however, when it comes to Android, this can’t be done directly because it’s not an option built-in into the browser settings. Restoring the browser settings on Android can be done by clearing the application data. This will remove all the cookies, cache, and other site settings that may have been saved. So let’s see how we can restore your browser to its factory settings.

Your phone should now be free of the Bing Search browser hijacker. If your current antivirus allowed a malicious app on your phone, you may want to consider purchasing the full-featured version of Malwarebytes to protect against these types of threats in the future.
If you are still having problems with your phone after completing these instructions, then please follow one of the steps:

• Restore your phone to factory settings by going to Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset.
• Ask for help in our Mobile Malware Removal Help & Support forum.