Is your Safari search engine Yahoo, even though you never picked it? Maybe you typed a search and Yahoo answered, or it came back after you changed it.
This guide shows you how to tell a normal Safari setting from a hijack, set your own search engine back, and remove whatever keeps switching it.
Overview
Why is my Safari search engine Yahoo?
Safari offers a short built-in list of search engines, and Yahoo is on it, along with Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo and Ecosia. So Yahoo can simply be a setting.
It’s a problem when you chose Google and searches still land on Yahoo. Usually a Safari extension, or the Mac app that came with it, is sending them there.
Yahoo also offers a hosted search service to partner companies, which can earn money from the searches they send. That gives some free apps a reason to push Yahoo.
The quick fix that works for most people
Try these checks in order, and stop as soon as your searches go where you want them to.
- Choose Safari > Settings > Search. Set Search engine to Google or your favorite, and check the Private Browsing search engine menu too.
- Click General. If Homepage shows Yahoo or an address you don’t know, replace it with a page you trust.
- Click Extensions. Uncheck unfamiliar extensions one at a time, searching after each. Click Uninstall on the one that stops Yahoo.
- Quit Safari with Command+Q, open it again, and search for something simple. If your chosen engine answers, you’re done.
How to tell a real setting from a hijack
It’s just a setting if Safari’s Search menu shows Yahoo and your change sticks after you quit and reopen Safari. Nothing else needs removing.
It’s likely a hijack if the menu says Google but Yahoo still answers, or a strange site flashes in the address bar before Yahoo loads.
A Yahoo address containing “yhs” is another clue. That’s the short name of Yahoo Hosted Search, so a partner app or extension probably sent the search.
If Yahoo returns after a restart or won’t change, use Steps 2 and 3, then the advanced checks. They find the extension, app or profile behind it.
This guide covers search settings, unwanted extensions and Mac adware. It won’t recover a stolen password or unlock encrypted files.
How to Remove Yahoo Search From Safari on Mac
Work through the steps in order. As soon as Yahoo is gone, skip ahead to the final check.
Step 1: Choose the search engine you want
The Safari pictures in Steps 1 and 2 are illustrated maps, not screenshots. Your menus may look a little different on your version of macOS.
Safari: set the search engine, then check the homepage
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Open Safari Settings
In the menu bar, choose Safari > Settings > Search. The map at the top shows where these menus sit; it’s a drawing, not a real macOS window.
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Choose the search engine
Click Search, then pick the engine you want from the Search engine menu. If you also see a Private Browsing search engine menu, set that one too.
Try a search from the address bar in a normal window. A private window can use a different engine on purpose, so test both.
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Check General only if a page opens automatically
If Yahoo appears before you type anything, click General and look at Homepage and the new-window options. Change only the address you don’t want.
If your searches now work, jump to the final check. If Yahoo still shows up, move on to extensions.
Step 2: Test a search or new-tab extension
Safari: find the extension and the app it came with
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Open the Extensions pane
Choose Safari > Settings > Extensions. The drawing below shows a safe test: turn an extension off before you uninstall anything.
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Turn off one suspect before uninstalling it
Uncheck one extension you don’t recognize, then search again from the address bar. If Yahoo stops, select that extension and click Uninstall.
The extension name in the drawing is only an example. Look for your own suspect, and leave extensions you trust alone.
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Remove the app that came with it
Safari may tell you the extension belongs to a Mac app. Check what that app is, then remove it with its own uninstaller if it has one.
If the list is empty or Yahoo is already gone, skip this. Reopen Safari and check the result instead.
If pages open by themselves
Only use this if pages or alerts pop up without you searching. That’s usually a website permission you granted, not a search hijack.
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In Safari, open Settings, Websites, Notifications. Find the site you don’t want and set it to Deny. Turning off new requests doesn’t remove sites you already allowed.
Change these in Safari’s settings, never with buttons inside an alarming pop-up. If the alerts stop and search works, you can skip the scan.
Step 3: Scan only if unwanted software remains plausible
Skip this step if changing the setting fixed Yahoo for good. Scan when Yahoo keeps coming back, an extension reappears, or you find an app you didn’t install.
Scan your Mac with Malwarebytes if Yahoo keeps returning
Run this scan when an unwanted app or extension keeps coming back. If the setting change held, you can skip it.
The installer pictures come from our older Mac guide, so version numbers and window styles may differ on your Mac.
MalwareTips may receive a commission from optional purchases. You don’t need a paid protection plan to follow the manual browser checks.
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Download Malwarebytes for Mac
Malwarebytes for MacMac-specific scan and threat reviewGet the Mac version, not the Windows installer or AdwCleaner, which only runs on Windows. Never download a “cleaner” offered by the page that redirected you.
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Open the downloaded package
Open Downloads in Finder and double-click the Malwarebytes package. Your version number may not match the example.
Make sure the file really is Malwarebytes. If the name or publisher looks wrong, stop here.
Click Continue in the installer to begin. The picture shows an older version, so your file name can differ.
Read the license screen and continue only if you agree. Agreeing to the license doesn’t sign you up for a paid plan.
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Finish installing and allow access
Keep clicking through the installer screens. When you reach Install and the destination looks right, click it.
Enter your Mac password or use Touch ID when macOS asks. Never type that password into a website or give it to someone who calls you.
If Malwarebytes asks for Full Disk Access, open System Settings, Privacy & Security, Full Disk Access and turn it on for Malwarebytes. Older macOS versions call this System Preferences.
Back in Malwarebytes, read any trial or subscription offers carefully. Decline anything you don’t want.
If it asks what kind of computer this is, choose Personal Computer for your own Mac. On a work Mac, ask your IT team first.
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Update the app and choose an available scan
Click the Scanner tile itself, not the Scan button on it. Then open the Scan tab, choose Advanced scans, and pick Custom scan.
Quick and Custom scans are free. Threat Scan may need a trial or paid plan, even though the older picture shows one.
Pick the folder or app to check in Finder, then click Open. The custom scan starts right away.
The big Scan button on the dashboard may start a Threat Scan instead. Use the Custom scan path for the free option.
Let the scan finish. Don’t stop it or remove Malwarebytes while it’s working.
The older picture below shows a Threat Scan, not a custom scan. Either way, wait for your results to appear.
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Check what it found and remove the threats
Look at the names and locations Malwarebytes found before you quarantine them. Save the report if anything looks unclear.
In the older version below, you click Confirm to remove what’s selected. Newer versions use a similar quarantine button.
Your list will look different. Act on what your own scan found.
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Restart only if requested
If Malwarebytes asks to restart, save your work first. Afterward, open Malwarebytes again and keep its report.
Search in Safari again and check whether the extension came back. A clean scan doesn’t promise that every changed setting is fixed.
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Note what happens if Yahoo still returns
If Yahoo still returns, note exactly when: at Safari launch, after a restart, or after a certain app opens. Save the scan report with personal details removed.
Don’t start deleting every profile or startup folder. Find out what an item is before you remove anything at the system level.
Step 4: Repair remaining browser settings if necessary
If searches work now, skip to the final check. Otherwise, fix only the Safari setting that is still wrong.
Clear one site’s data or a notification, if needed
Skip this if Steps 1 and 2 got rid of Yahoo. Safari has no single reset button, so this only handles one website’s stored data or alerts.
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Remove one website’s data if it’s involved
Open Safari Settings, Privacy, then click Manage Website Data. Do this only if one particular site seems tied to the problem.
Select that site, click Remove, then Done. You may be signed out of that site or lose its saved preferences.
Avoid Remove All. Clearing cookies doesn’t uninstall an app or remove a Mac profile, so it rarely fixes Yahoo on its own.
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Check notifications if pages open without a search
Open Settings, Websites, Notifications and look for a site that opens pages on its own. Set it to Deny, because the search engine menu doesn’t control alerts.
Leave Safari’s fraud warning and other protections on. If Safari blocks a site, find out why instead of switching protection off.
Step 5: Test the original symptom, then stop
Run the same search that went to Yahoo before. Try the address bar first, then any search box on your start page or homepage.
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Quit Safari, open it again, and make sure your search engine is still selected.
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If Yahoo used to return after a restart, save your work, restart the Mac, and test once more.
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If you paused syncing, turn it back on a little at a time. You’re done when searches stay correct through whatever used to bring Yahoo back.
If that works, you can stop. The advanced section below is only for Yahoo coming back, a locked setting, or an extension you can’t remove.
Advanced Fixes if Yahoo Keeps Coming Back
Show fixes for a returning Yahoo redirect, locked settings and startup items
Skip this if the fix held. On a work or school Mac, talk to IT before you change profiles, system files or startup items.
Look for a configuration profile
On a work Mac, ask IT about locked Safari settings before touching them. Your employer may have set them on purpose.
On your own Mac, open System Settings, General and look for Device Management. Older macOS versions call this pane Profiles.
Click a profile you don’t recognize and read who issued it and what it changes. Treat it as unwanted only if it clearly relates to Safari or the suspect app.
Removing a profile can also remove accounts, certificates, VPN access and network settings it added. Note those details before you remove anything.
Don’t delete every profile or try to get around device enrollment. A name you don’t recognize is a reason to look closer, not proof it’s bad.
Safari’s own browsing profiles are something else. Making a new one won’t fix a Mac profile that’s changing settings.
Find the Mac app that keeps switching Safari back
Open Applications and look for an app you don’t remember installing, especially one that arrived with the extension. Check its maker and when it appeared.
Use the app’s own uninstaller if it has one. Check the Trash before emptying it so you don’t lose anything you need.
Open System Settings, General, Login Items & Extensions to see what runs in the background. Match each unknown item to the app it belongs to.
Turn off only an item you’ve confirmed is unwanted. Updaters, backup tools and printer utilities often run legitimate background helpers.
If Yahoo returns when you log in to your Mac rather than when Safari opens, note that. It suggests something outside Safari is switching it back.
A technician may look at a specific LaunchAgent or LaunchDaemon file. Keep a copy, and confirm what it runs and where it came from before changing it.
Don’t delete whole launch folders, paste cleanup commands from the internet into Terminal, or remove system services because their names look unfamiliar.
Safari profiles and Mac profiles are different things
Newer Safari versions let you create separate browsing profiles. A fresh one can help you compare, but don’t copy all your old extensions into it at once.
Safari profiles only organize your browsing. Mac configuration profiles, shown under Device Management, can change system settings, accounts, certificates and networks.
A new Safari profile doesn’t uninstall a Mac app. If Yahoo shows up there too, the cause is probably outside Safari.
Before turning sync and shared extensions back on, add trusted items one at a time. Note which one brings Yahoo back.
Keep your bookmarks and passwords safe. Don’t delete Safari’s Library folders or preference files to fake a full reset.
Check Whether Safari Is Really Being Redirected to Yahoo
Open a normal Safari window, press Command+L and search for something harmless. Watch the address bar for a strange site before search.yahoo.com appears.
Next, search directly on your chosen engine’s website. If that works, the problem sits in Safari’s address bar search or its settings.
Now open a new window without typing. If Yahoo loads straight away, check the homepage, the new-window setting and any tabs Safari restored.
Don’t test only in a private window. It can use a different search engine and different extensions.
Back up bookmarks and make sure you can get into important accounts before changing software. You won’t need to erase your Mac.
If Chrome or Firefox Switch to Yahoo Too
Run your tests on the same trusted Wi-Fi. Note whether Yahoo follows Safari, one browser profile, or the network itself.
A VPN or a hotel Wi-Fi login page can change where traffic goes for normal reasons. Ask whoever runs it before you remove anything.
Only compare with Chrome or Firefox if they’re already installed. You don’t need a new browser to check one Safari extension.
If several browsers pass through the same strange site, an app or Mac setting shared by all of them is the likely cause.
Check proxy, DNS or VPN settings only when the evidence points there. Write down the current settings first and keep anything your network needs.
Don’t switch off macOS security features or reset every network service to change a search engine. That can cut your connection without removing the cause.
Pop-up pages from a website you allowed to send notifications are a separate problem. Fix those in the notification settings, not the search menu.
What to Do If Safari Still Opens Yahoo
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Write down where the search fails, your Safari version, any site that flashes before Yahoo, extension names and when Yahoo comes back.
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Keep scan reports and screenshots of odd profiles or extensions. Remove private searches, account names and personal folder names before sharing.
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Ask for help in the MalwareTips Mac malware-removal forum, or ask your IT team if the Mac is managed.
If a strange page got you to type a password, change that password on the real site. Fixing Safari doesn’t undo a leaked password.
Using more than one browser? Our complete Yahoo redirect guide covers Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari on Windows and Mac.
Related: Bing redirects in Safari on Mac.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Yahoo search engine a virus on Safari?
No. Yahoo is a real search engine and one of Safari’s built-in choices. The trouble is the extension or app that switches Safari to Yahoo without asking.
They can ride along with free downloads or fake updates, such as fake Flash Player installers. Adobe ended Flash Player in 2020, so any Flash update prompt is fake.
How do I take Yahoo off Safari on my Mac?
Choose Safari > Settings > Search and pick another engine in the Search engine menu. Check the Private Browsing menu too, then quit and reopen Safari.
If Yahoo returns, look in the Extensions tab for something you didn’t install and uninstall it.
Why does my MacBook keep changing the search engine to Yahoo?
Something keeps resetting it. Usually that’s a Safari extension or the Mac app that installed it. Less often, it’s a configuration profile or a background login item.
Why does my Google search redirect to Yahoo in Safari?
If Safari is set to Google but results open on Yahoo, something is catching the search on the way. Look for a strange site flashing in the address bar first.
Turn off extensions one at a time in Safari > Settings > Extensions and search again after each. The one that stops the redirect is your culprit.
Why won’t Yahoo go away after I change the setting?
A setting that flips back has something rewriting it. Run the Mac scan in Step 3, then check Login Items & Extensions and Device Management for items you don’t recognize.
If Safari won’t let you change the setting at all, a configuration profile may be locking it. On a work Mac, ask IT before changing anything.
How do I block Yahoo search on my Mac permanently?
Safari won’t let you delete Yahoo from its list, but it only uses Yahoo when it’s selected or something forces it. Pick your engine and remove whatever keeps changing it.
To avoid a repeat, install apps from the App Store or the developer’s own site, and ignore “update” prompts that pop up on web pages.
The Bottom Line
Why is my Safari search engine Yahoo? Usually, either the Search setting was changed or an extension is pushing searches there. Fix the setting, and uninstall any extension behind it.
If Yahoo returns after a restart, run the Malwarebytes scan in Step 3, then check Device Management and Login Items for anything you didn’t add.
Still stuck? Post your notes in our Mac malware-removal forum. Someone there can look at your exact setup, which beats guessing at system files.
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