![\"Illustrated](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/mt-yb-nov-safari-search-map-generated.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\nOverview<\/h2>\nWhy is my Safari search engine Yahoo?<\/h3>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The quick fix that works for most people<\/h3>\n
Try these checks in order, and stop as soon as your searches go where you want them to.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Choose Safari > Settings > Search. Set Search engine to Google or your favorite, and check the Private Browsing search engine menu too.<\/li>\n
- Click General. If Homepage shows Yahoo or an address you don’t know, replace it with a page you trust.<\/li>\n
- Click Extensions. Uncheck unfamiliar extensions one at a time, searching after each. Click Uninstall on the one that stops Yahoo.<\/li>\n
- Quit Safari with Command+Q, open it again, and search for something simple. If your chosen engine answers, you’re done.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
How to tell a real setting from a hijack<\/h3>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This guide covers search settings, unwanted extensions and Mac adware. It won’t recover a stolen password or unlock encrypted files.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
How to Remove Yahoo Search From Safari on Mac<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
Work through the steps in order. As soon as Yahoo is gone, skip ahead to the final check.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Change Safari’s search engine<\/a><\/li>\n
- Test the fix and stop<\/a><\/li>\n
- Yahoo came back or the setting is locked<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
Step 1: Choose the search engine you want<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\nSafari: set the search engine, then check the homepage<\/h4>\n
- \n
- \n
Open Safari Settings<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Choose the search engine<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Try a search from the address bar in a normal window. A private window can use a different engine on purpose, so test both.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Check General only if a page opens automatically<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
If your searches now work, jump to the final check<\/a>. If Yahoo still shows up, move on to extensions.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
<\/p>\n
Step 2: Test a search or new-tab extension<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
Safari: find the extension and the app it came with<\/h4>\n
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- \n
Open the Extensions pane<\/p>\n
Choose Safari > Settings > Extensions. The drawing below shows a safe test: turn an extension off before you uninstall anything.<\/p>\n
![\"Illustrated](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/mt-yb-nov-safari-extension-map-generated.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n- \n
Turn off one suspect before uninstalling it<\/p>\n
Uncheck one extension you don’t recognize, then search again from the address bar. If Yahoo stops, select that extension and click Uninstall.<\/p>\n
The extension name in the drawing is only an example. Look for your own suspect, and leave extensions you trust alone.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Remove the app that came with it<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
If the list is empty or Yahoo is already gone, skip this. Reopen Safari and check the result<\/a> instead.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\n<\/p>\nIf pages open by themselves<\/h4>\n
Only use this if pages or alerts pop up without you searching. That’s usually a website permission you granted, not a search hijack.<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Step 3: Scan only if unwanted software remains plausible<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\nScan your Mac with Malwarebytes if Yahoo keeps returning<\/h4>\n
Run this scan when an unwanted app or extension keeps coming back. If the setting change held, you can skip it.<\/p>\n
The installer pictures come from our older Mac guide, so version numbers and window styles may differ on your Mac.<\/p>\n
MalwareTips may receive a commission from optional purchases. You don’t need a paid protection plan to follow the manual browser checks.<\/p>\n
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Download Malwarebytes for Mac<\/p>\n
\n\nMalwarebytes for Mac<\/span>Mac-specific scan and threat review<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nDownload the Mac installer<\/a><\/p>\n
Mac download options<\/a><\/p>\n
Optional paid Mac protection<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Get 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.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Open the downloaded package<\/p>\n
Open Downloads in Finder and double-click the Malwarebytes package. Your version number may not match the example.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Malwarebytes-Mac-Installer.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\nMake sure the file really is Malwarebytes. If the name or publisher looks wrong, stop here.<\/p>\n
Click Continue in the installer to begin. The picture shows an older version, so your file name can differ.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Malwarebytes-Mac-Installer-Step-1.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\nRead the license screen and continue only if you agree. Agreeing to the license doesn’t sign you up for a paid plan.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Malwarebytes-Mac-Installer-Step-2.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n- \n
Finish installing and allow access<\/p>\n
Keep clicking through the installer screens. When you reach Install and the destination looks right, click it.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Malwarebytes-Mac-Installer-Step-4.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\nEnter 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Back in Malwarebytes, read any trial or subscription offers carefully. Decline anything you don’t want.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
![\"Malwarebytes](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Malwarebytes-Mac-Select-Personal-Computer.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n- \n
Update the app and choose an available scan<\/p>\n
Click the Scanner tile itself, not the Scan button on it. Then open the Scan tab, choose Advanced scans, and pick Custom scan.<\/p>\n
Quick and Custom scans are free. Threat Scan may need a trial or paid plan, even though the older picture shows one.<\/p>\n
![\"Malwarebytes](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/mt-yb-nov-vendor-mac-scanner-card.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\nPick the folder or app to check in Finder, then click Open. The custom scan starts right away.<\/p>\n
The big Scan button on the dashboard may start a Threat Scan instead. Use the Custom scan path for the free option.<\/p>\n
Let the scan finish. Don’t stop it or remove Malwarebytes while it’s working.<\/p>\n
The older picture below shows a Threat Scan, not a custom scan. Either way, wait for your results to appear.<\/p>\n
![\"Malwarebytes](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Malwarebytes-Mac-Scanning-for-malware.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n- \n
Check what it found and remove the threats<\/p>\n
Look at the names and locations Malwarebytes found before you quarantine them. Save the report if anything looks unclear.<\/p>\n
In the older version below, you click Confirm to remove what’s selected. Newer versions use a similar quarantine button.<\/p>\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Malwarebytes-Mac-Click-Confirm.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\nYour list will look different. Act on what your own scan found.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Restart only if requested<\/p>\n
If Malwarebytes asks to restart, save your work first. Afterward, open Malwarebytes again and keep its report.<\/p>\n
![\"Malwarebytes](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Malwarebytes-Mac-Restart.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\nSearch in Safari again and check whether the extension came back. A clean scan doesn’t promise that every changed setting is fixed.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Note what happens if Yahoo still returns<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Don’t start deleting every profile or startup folder. Find out what an item is before you remove anything at the system level.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
<\/p>\n
Step 4: Repair remaining browser settings if necessary<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
If searches work now, skip to the final check. Otherwise, fix only the Safari setting that is still wrong.<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\nClear one site’s data or a notification, if needed<\/h4>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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Remove one website’s data if it’s involved<\/p>\n
Open Safari Settings, Privacy, then click Manage Website Data. Do this only if one particular site seems tied to the problem.<\/p>\n
![\"Safari's](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Manage-Website-Data.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\nSelect that site, click Remove, then Done. You may be signed out of that site or lose its saved preferences.<\/p>\n
Avoid Remove All. Clearing cookies doesn’t uninstall an app or remove a Mac profile, so it rarely fixes Yahoo on its own.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Check notifications if pages open without a search<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Leave Safari’s fraud warning and other protections on. If Safari blocks a site, find out why instead of switching protection off.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\n<\/p>\nStep 5: Test the original symptom, then stop<\/h3>\n
Run the same search that went to Yahoo before. Try the address bar first, then any search box on your start page or homepage.<\/p>\n
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Quit Safari, open it again, and make sure your search engine is still selected.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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If Yahoo used to return after a restart, save your work, restart the Mac, and test once more.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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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.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Advanced Fixes if Yahoo Keeps Coming Back<\/h2>\n
\nShow fixes for a returning Yahoo redirect, locked settings and startup items<\/summary>\n
<\/p>\n
Skip this if the fix held. On a work or school Mac, talk to IT before you change profiles, system files or startup items.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Look for a configuration profile<\/h3>\n
On a work Mac, ask IT about locked Safari settings before touching them. Your employer may have set them on purpose.<\/p>\n
On your own Mac, open System Settings, General and look for Device Management. Older macOS versions call this pane Profiles.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Removing a profile can also remove accounts, certificates, VPN access and network settings it added. Note those details before you remove anything.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Safari’s own browsing profiles are something else. Making a new one won’t fix a Mac profile that’s changing settings.<\/p>\n
Find the Mac app that keeps switching Safari back<\/h3>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Use the app’s own uninstaller if it has one. Check the Trash before emptying it so you don’t lose anything you need.<\/p>\n
Open System Settings, General, Login Items & Extensions to see what runs in the background. Match each unknown item to the app it belongs to.<\/p>\n
Turn off only an item you’ve confirmed is unwanted. Updaters, backup tools and printer utilities often run legitimate background helpers.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Don’t delete whole launch folders, paste cleanup commands from the internet into Terminal, or remove system services because their names look unfamiliar.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Safari profiles and Mac profiles are different things<\/h4>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Safari profiles only organize your browsing. Mac configuration profiles, shown under Device Management, can change system settings, accounts, certificates and networks.<\/p>\n
A new Safari profile doesn’t uninstall a Mac app. If Yahoo shows up there too, the cause is probably outside Safari.<\/p>\n
Before turning sync and shared extensions back on, add trusted items one at a time. Note which one brings Yahoo back.<\/p>\n
Keep your bookmarks and passwords safe. Don’t delete Safari’s Library folders or preference files to fake a full reset.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Check Whether Safari Is Really Being Redirected to Yahoo<\/h3>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Next, search directly on your chosen engine’s website. If that works, the problem sits in Safari’s address bar search or its settings.<\/p>\n
Now open a new window without typing. If Yahoo loads straight away, check the homepage, the new-window setting and any tabs Safari restored.<\/p>\n
Don’t test only in a private window. It can use a different search engine and different extensions.<\/p>\n
Back up bookmarks and make sure you can get into important accounts before changing software. You won’t need to erase your Mac.<\/p>\n
If Chrome or Firefox Switch to Yahoo Too<\/h3>\n
Run your tests on the same trusted Wi-Fi. Note whether Yahoo follows Safari, one browser profile, or the network itself.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Only compare with Chrome or Firefox if they’re already installed. You don’t need a new browser to check one Safari extension.<\/p>\n
If several browsers pass through the same strange site, an app or Mac setting shared by all of them is the likely cause.<\/p>\n
Check proxy, DNS or VPN settings only when the evidence points there. Write down the current settings first and keep anything your network needs.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n
What to Do If Safari Still Opens Yahoo<\/h2>\n
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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.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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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.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Ask for help in the MalwareTips Mac malware-removal forum<\/a>, or ask your IT team if the Mac is managed.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Using more than one browser? Our complete Yahoo redirect guide<\/a> covers Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari on Windows and Mac.<\/p>\n
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- Test the fix and stop<\/a><\/li>\n
- Change Safari’s search engine<\/a><\/li>\n