If your Android browser homepage or search queries are being redirected through Yahoo Search, then you may have a browser hijacker installed that is causing these redirects.
What is Yahoo Search?
Yahoo Search is a legitimate search engine, however, there are plenty of browser hijackers which will redirect the user’s search queries to search.yahoo.com.
Let’s be clear about something, Yahoo 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 Yahoo Search will be displayed. Cybercriminals use Yahoo Search to generate revenue from each search you perform.
When the Yahoo Search browser hijacker is installed on a Android phone, common symptoms include:
- Your browser’s search queries are redirected through https://search.yahoo.com
- A malicious app is installed on your Android phone
Why is my browser redirected to Yahoo Search?
Your browser is being redirected to Yahoo 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 Yahoo Search browser hijacker and check your Android phone for other malicious apps, please use the free malware removal guide below.
Remove Yahoo 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 malicious apps
- STEP 2: Reset browsers back to default settings
- STEP 3: Use Malwarebytes for Android to remove malicious apps
STEP 1: Uninstall malicious apps
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.
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Open the “Settings” menu.
Tap on the “Settings” app from your phone menu or home screen.
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Tap on “Apps”.
When the “Settings” menu opens, tap on “Apps” (or “App Manager”) to see all the installed applications on your phone.
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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 and 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 video or photo editing apps, weather apps, and camera apps. -
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: Reset browsers back to default settings
In this second step, we will reset your browser to its default settings to remove spam notifications, unwated search redirects, and restore its factory settings
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.
Remove malware from Chrome for Android
To reset Chrome for Android to its default settings, follow the below steps:
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Open the “Settings” menu.
Tap on the “Settings” app from your phone menu or home screen.
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Tap on “Apps”.
When the “Settings” menu opens, tap on “Apps” (or “App Manager”) to see all the installed applications on your phone.
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Find and tap on Chrome.
The “Apps” screen will be displayed with a list of all the apps installed on your phone. Scroll through the list until you find the Chrome app, then tap on it to open the app’s details.
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Tap “Storage”.
When Chrome’s app info menu is displayed, tap on “Storage“.
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Tap “Manage Space”.
Under the storage settings, you will get two options — Manage Space and Clear Cache. Tap on “Manage Space“.
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Tap “Clear all data”.
Tap “Clear all data” to delete all Chrome’s data including accounts, bookmarks, and your settings to reset the default settings.
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Confirm by tapping “Ok”.
A confirmation dialog should now be displayed, detailing the components that will be restored to their default state should you continue with the reset process. To complete the restoration process, tap “Ok“.
Remove malware from Firefox for Android
To reset Firefox for Android to its default settings, follow the below steps:
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Open the “Settings” menu.
Tap on the “Settings” app from your phone menu or home screen.
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Tap on “Apps”.
When the “Settings” menu opens, tap on “Apps” (or “App Manager”) to see all the installed applications on your phone.
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Find and tap on Firefox.
The “Apps” screen will be displayed with a list of all the apps installed on your phone. Scroll through the list until you find the Firefox app, then tap on it to open the app’s details.
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Tap “Storage”.
When Firefox’s app info menu is displayed, tap on “Storage“.
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Tap “Manage Space”.
Under the storage settings, you will get two options — Manage Space and Clear Cache. Tap on “Manage Space“.
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Tap “Clear all data”.
Tap “Clear all data” to delete all Firefox data including accounts, bookmarks, and your settings to reset the default settings.
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Confirm by tapping “Ok”.
A confirmation dialog should now be displayed, detailing the components that will be restored to their default state should you continue with the reset process. To complete the restoration process, tap “Ok“.
Remove malware from the Opera browser
To reset the Opera browser to its default settings, follow the below steps:
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Open the “Settings” menu.
Tap on the “Settings” app from your phone menu or home screen.
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Tap on “Apps”.
When the “Settings” menu opens, tap on “Apps” (or “App Manager”) to see all the installed applications on your phone.
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Find and tap on Opera.
The “Apps” screen will be displayed with a list of all the apps installed on your phone. Scroll through the list until you find the Opera app, then tap on it to open the app’s details.
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Tap “Storage”.
When Opera’s app info menu is displayed, tap on “Storage“.
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Tap “Manage Space”.
Under the storage settings, you will get two options — Manage Space and Clear Cache. Tap on “Manage Space“.
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Tap “Clear all data”.
Tap “Clear all data” to delete all Opera’s data including accounts, bookmarks, and your settings to reset the default settings.
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Confirm by tapping “Ok”.
A confirmation dialog should now be displayed, detailing the components that will be restored to their default state should you continue with the reset process. To complete the restoration process, tap “Ok“.
Remove malware from Samsung Internet Browser
To reset the Samsung Internet Browser to its default settings, follow the below steps:
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Open the “Settings” menu.
Tap on the “Settings” app from your phone menu or home screen.
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Tap on “Apps”.
When the “Settings” menu opens, tap on “Apps” (or “App Manager”) to see all the installed applications on your phone.
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Find and tap on Samsung Internet Browser.
The “Apps” screen will be displayed with a list of all the apps installed on your phone. Scroll through the list until you find the Samsung Internet Browser app, then tap on it to open the app’s details.
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Tap “Storage”.
When the Samsung Internet Browser’s app info menu is displayed, tap on “Storage“.
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Tap “Manage Space”.
Under the storage settings, you will get two options — Manage Space and Clear Cache. Tap on “Manage Space“.
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Tap “Clear all data”.
Tap “Clear all data” to delete all Samsung Internet Browser’s data including accounts, bookmarks, and your settings to reset the default settings.
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Confirm by tapping “Ok”.
A confirmation dialog should now be displayed, detailing the components that will be restored to their default state should you continue with the reset process. To complete the restoration process, tap “Ok“.
Remove malware from Microsoft Edge for Android
To reset the Microsoft Edge for Android to its default settings, follow the below steps:
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Open the “Settings” menu.
Tap on the “Settings” app from your phone menu or home screen.
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Tap on “Apps”.
When the “Settings” menu opens, tap on “Apps” (or “App Manager”) to see all the installed applications on your phone.
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Find and tap on Microsoft Edge.
The “Apps” screen will be displayed with a list of all the apps installed on your phone. Scroll through the list until you find the Microsoft Edge app, then tap on it to open the app’s details.
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Tap “Storage”.
When the Microsoft Edge’s app info menu is displayed, tap on “Storage“.
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Tap “Manage Space”.
Under the storage settings, you will get two options — Manage Space and Clear Cache. Tap on “Manage Space“.
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Tap “Clear all data”.
Tap “Clear all data” to delete all Microsoft Edge’s data including accounts, bookmarks, and your settings to reset the default settings.
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Confirm by tapping “Ok”.
A confirmation dialog should now be displayed, detailing the components that will be restored to their default state should you continue with the reset process. To complete the restoration process, tap “Ok“.
STEP 3: Use Malwarebytes for Android to remove malicious apps
In this final step, we will install Malwarebytes for Android to scan and remove malicious apps from your phone or tablet.
Malwarebytes for Android automatically detects and removes dangerous threats like malware and ransomware so you don’t have to worry about your most-used device being compromised. Aggressive detection of adware and potentially unwanted programs keeps your Android phone or tablet running smooth.
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Download Malwarebytes for Android.
You can download Malwarebytes for Android by clicking the link below.
MALWAREBYTES FOR ANDROID DOWNLOAD LINK
(The above link will open a new page from where you can download Malwarebytes for Android) -
Install Malwarebytes for Android on your phone.
In the Google Play Store, tap “Install” to install Malwarebytes for Android 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.
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Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup process
When 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 that explain the difference between the Premium and Free versions. 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 permit Malwarebytes to access the files on your phone. -
Update database and run a scan with Malwarebytes for Android
You will now be prompted to update the Malwarebytes database and run a full system scan.
Click on “Update database” to update the Malwarebytes for Android definitions to the latest version, then click on “Run full scan” to perform a system scan.
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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.
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Click on “Remove Selected”.
When the scan has been completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes for Android has detected. To remove the malicious apps that Malwarebytes has found, tap on the “Remove Selected” button.
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Restart your phone.
Malwarebytes for Android 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.
Your phone should now be free of the Yahoo Search redirect virus and other malware.
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.
