![\"Illustrated](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/mt-yb-nov-safari-extension-map-generated.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\nOverview<\/h2>\nWhy is Safari redirecting to Bing?<\/h3>\n
Bing is Microsoft’s search engine, the default in Microsoft Edge and one of the engines Safari offers in its own Search menu. Seeing it isn’t automatically a problem.<\/p>\n
Microsoft Rewards pays points for Bing searches, so you or someone in your household may have picked Bing on purpose. That’s a setting, not an infection.<\/p>\n
Microsoft also publishes Safari extensions on the Mac App Store, including Microsoft Bing for Safari and Microsoft Rewards for Safari. If you installed either, turn it off first and test.<\/p>\n
It’s a redirect when Safari is set to Google but searches still end on Bing. An extension you didn’t mean to install is the usual cause.<\/p>\n
Quick fix: stop Bing in four steps<\/h3>\n
Do these in order and stop once your searches go back to normal.<\/p>\n
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- In the menu bar, open Safari > Settings and click the Search tab. Pick your engine under Search engine, and set the Private Browsing search engine as well.<\/li>\n
- Open the Extensions tab and untick anything you don’t recognize, including Microsoft extensions you no longer use. Search again after each change.<\/li>\n
- Select the extension that was sending you to Bing and click Uninstall. If Safari says it belongs to an app, remove that app too.<\/li>\n
- Open the General tab. If Homepage points to Bing or an odd address you didn’t choose, replace it, then quit and reopen Safari.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Your setting or a hijacker? How to tell<\/h3>\n
Open Safari > Settings > Search. If it says Bing, Safari is simply set that way. Switch it, quit Safari, and if your choice holds, there’s nothing to remove.<\/p>\n
Signs of a hijacker: your choice keeps flipping back, another site appears before Bing, or a new extension or app showed up around the time it started.<\/p>\n
In 2018, some Mac adware installed configuration profiles that locked Safari’s homepage so it couldn’t be changed back. If your setting won’t budge, see the advanced checks below.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
These fixes handle hijacked search settings, unwanted extensions and adware. A stolen account or locked files need a different kind of help.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
How to Stop Safari Redirecting to Bing on Mac<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
Go step by step. The moment Bing stops, jump to the final test instead of doing extra cleanup.<\/p>\n
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- Fix Safari’s Search setting<\/a><\/li>\n
- Run the final test<\/a><\/li>\n
- Bing returns or won’t change<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
Step 1: Choose the search engine you want<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
Safari’s windows change slightly from one macOS version to the next. Follow the menu names here rather than matching every detail of the drawings.<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\nSafari: fix the search engine first, the homepage second<\/h4>\n
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Open Safari Settings<\/p>\n
From the menu bar, pick Safari > Settings > Search. The drawing below is a guide to where things are, not a screenshot of macOS.<\/p>\n
![\"Illustrated](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/mt-yb-nov-safari-search-map-generated.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n- \n
Choose the search engine<\/p>\n
Click Search and open the Search engine menu. Choose the engine you actually want, then do the same for Private Browsing if that menu appears.<\/p>\n
Test from the address bar in a regular window. Private windows can be set to a different engine, and that’s allowed.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Check General only if a page opens automatically<\/p>\n
Does Bing load before you’ve typed anything? Click General and look at Homepage and what new windows open with. Replace only the address you didn’t choose.<\/p>\n
Searches working again? Go straight to the final check<\/a>. Still seeing Bing? Continue to the extensions step.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
<\/p>\n
Step 2: Test a search or new-tab extension<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
Safari: switch off extensions to find the one sending you to Bing<\/h4>\n
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Open the Extensions pane<\/p>\n
Go to Safari > Settings > Extensions. The illustration at the top of this guide shows the idea: switch off first, uninstall second.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Untick one extension at a time<\/p>\n
Untick one unfamiliar extension and search again from the address bar. When Bing stops appearing, select that extension and click Uninstall.<\/p>\n
The name in the illustration is made up. Test the extensions on your own Mac, and keep any you rely on.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Deal with the app behind the extension<\/p>\n
Some extensions come inside a Mac app, and Safari may tell you so. Find out what that app does, then remove it the way its developer recommends.<\/p>\n
No extensions listed, or Bing already gone? Skip the removal and check the result<\/a> after reopening Safari.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\n<\/p>\nWhen Bing or other pages open without a search<\/h4>\n
This applies only to pages or alerts that appear while you’re not searching. Those usually come from a website you allowed to notify you, not a hijacked search.<\/p>\n
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Go to Safari Settings, Websites, Notifications. Pick the site causing it and choose Deny. Blocking future requests won’t remove sites you already said yes to.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Never use the buttons inside a frightening alert. Once the pop-ups stop and Bing is gone from searches, you can skip the scan and resets.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Step 3: Scan only if unwanted software remains plausible<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
Did Step 1 or 2 fix it for good? Skip ahead. Scan if an extension keeps coming back, an app you don’t know appears, or Bing returns on its own.<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\nCheck your Mac with Malwarebytes when Bing keeps returning<\/h4>\n
This scan is for a stubborn app or extension that reinstalls itself. If Bing stayed gone after Step 1 or 2, you don’t need it.<\/p>\n
Our screenshots come from an earlier Malwarebytes for Mac release. Expect newer version numbers and a slightly different look.<\/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
Choose the Mac download. The Windows installer and AdwCleaner won’t run on a Mac, and a cleaner pushed by a redirect page should never be trusted.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Run the installer package<\/p>\n
Go to your Downloads folder in Finder and double-click the Malwarebytes installer. The version in your file name may be newer.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Malwarebytes-Mac-Installer.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\nConfirm it’s the real Malwarebytes package before going further. Don’t open anything with an odd name or an unexpected publisher.<\/p>\n
Click Continue on the first installer screen. The example is an older build, so don’t worry if your file name is different.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Malwarebytes-Mac-Installer-Step-1.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\nNext comes the software license. Accept it only if you agree. It has nothing to do with buying a subscription.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Malwarebytes-Mac-Installer-Step-2.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n- \n
Install it and grant permissions<\/p>\n
Move through the remaining screens and click Install once the install location looks correct.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Malwarebytes-Mac-Installer-Step-4.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\nmacOS will ask for your Mac password or Touch ID. That’s normal here, but no website or phone caller should ever ask for it.<\/p>\n
Asked for Full Disk Access? Go to System Settings, Privacy & Security, Full Disk Access and switch Malwarebytes on. On older macOS, it’s System Preferences.<\/p>\n
Then return to Malwarebytes. It may offer a trial or subscription, so say no to anything you didn’t plan to get.<\/p>\n
When asked about the computer type, pick Personal Computer if the Mac is yours. If your employer owns it, follow their instructions.<\/p>\n
![\"Malwarebytes](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Malwarebytes-Mac-Select-Personal-Computer.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n- \n
Pick a free scan<\/p>\n
On the dashboard, click the Scanner tile, not the Scan button inside it. Go to the Scan tab, then Advanced scans, then Custom scan.<\/p>\n
The free plan includes Quick and Custom scans. Threat Scan can require a trial or subscription, whatever the older picture suggests.<\/p>\n
![\"Malwarebytes](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/mt-yb-nov-vendor-mac-scanner-card.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\nIn the Finder window, choose a folder, an app or a whole directory and click Open. Malwarebytes starts the custom scan on it.<\/p>\n
Pressing the dashboard’s Scan button may run a Threat Scan. Stick with Custom scan if you want to stay on the free plan.<\/p>\n
Wait for the scan to complete. Don’t close Malwarebytes or uninstall it in the middle.<\/p>\n
The next picture is an older Threat Scan in progress. Whichever scan you chose, let it reach the results screen.<\/p>\n
![\"Malwarebytes](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Malwarebytes-Mac-Scanning-for-malware.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\n<\/li>\n- \n
Review results and quarantine<\/p>\n
Read through each detection and where it sits on your Mac before you quarantine it. Keep the report if you’re unsure about an item.<\/p>\n
Older versions remove selected items with a Confirm button, shown below. Your version may label its quarantine button differently.<\/p>\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Malwarebytes-Mac-Click-Confirm.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\nThose detections are only an example. Go by your own results.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Restart if Malwarebytes asks<\/p>\n
Malwarebytes may need a restart to finish. Save your open files, approve it, then open Malwarebytes and keep the report.<\/p>\n
![\"Malwarebytes](\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Malwarebytes-Mac-Restart.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\nNow search in Safari once more and see whether any extension or profile reappeared. A clean result doesn’t mean every setting is back to normal.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Write down what still brings Bing back<\/p>\n
Still landing on Bing? Note what triggers it, such as opening Safari or logging in. Save extension and profile details plus the scan report, with personal info removed.<\/p>\n
Resist deleting all profiles or launch folders. Work out what an item is and what installed it before making system changes.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
<\/p>\n
Step 4: Repair remaining browser settings if necessary<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
Searches fine now? Go to the final check. If one Safari setting is still wrong after the earlier steps, fix just that one.<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\nFix leftover website data or notifications<\/h4>\n
You can skip this if Bing is already gone. Safari doesn’t have a one-click reset, so this part targets only what’s left.<\/p>\n
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Clear data for one website<\/p>\n
Go to Safari Settings, Privacy and click Manage Website Data. Only do this when one particular website seems linked to what’s still happening.<\/p>\n
Pick that website’s entry, click Remove, then Done. Expect to be signed out of that site.<\/p>\n
Skip Remove All. Cookies have nothing to do with installed apps or Mac profiles, so wiping them all won’t stop a Bing redirect.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Stop pages that open on their own<\/p>\n
If pages pop open without a search, look in Settings, Websites, Notifications. Set the responsible site to Deny, since the search menu can’t stop notifications.<\/p>\n
Don’t switch off the fraudulent website warning or other safety features. If Safari blocks a page, there’s usually a reason.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\n<\/p>\nStep 5: Test the original symptom, then stop<\/h3>\n
Repeat the search that used to land on Bing. Start with the address bar, then try the search box on your start page or homepage if you use one.<\/p>\n
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Quit Safari completely and open it again. Your chosen engine should still be selected.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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If Bing used to come back after a restart, save open work, restart your Mac and test again.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Turn synced settings back on slowly if you paused them. You’re finished when searches stay right after whatever used to bring Bing back.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
All good? Stop here. Open the advanced section only if Bing returns, a setting is locked, or an extension refuses to uninstall.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Advanced Fixes When Bing Won’t Stay Gone<\/h2>\n
\nShow fixes for a Bing redirect that returns, locked settings and login items<\/summary>\n
<\/p>\n
Only needed if Bing keeps coming back. If the Mac belongs to your work or school, contact IT before changing profiles or startup settings.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Look for profiles and login items that bring Bing back<\/h3>\n
Open System Settings, General, Device Management if your Mac has it. On older versions, configuration profiles appear in a Profiles pane instead.<\/p>\n
Click each profile to see who issued it and what it controls. A profile alone isn’t proof of malware. Look for a clear link to Safari or a suspect app.<\/p>\n
Before you remove an unwanted profile, note what it set up. Removing it can also take away accounts, certificates, VPN and network settings.<\/p>\n
A managed Mac is IT’s call. Don’t bypass enrollment or wipe every profile to change one search setting.<\/p>\n
In Finder, open Applications and look for an app tied to the Bing problem. Check who made it and when it was installed, not just its name.<\/p>\n
Then open Login Items & Extensions and see whether that app runs in the background. Turn off only an item you’ve traced to the unwanted app.<\/p>\n
If Bing returns every time you log in, a technician can check for a specific LaunchAgent or LaunchDaemon. Back it up before making any change you might need to undo.<\/p>\n
Don’t empty system launch folders or stop services you don’t know. An odd file name needs explaining before it’s removed.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Don’t confuse Safari profiles with Mac profiles<\/h4>\n
Recent Safari versions support separate browsing profiles. Trying a clean one is a useful comparison, as long as you don’t bring every old extension along.<\/p>\n
A Safari profile just keeps browsing separate. A Device Management profile can configure the whole Mac, including accounts, certificates and networks.<\/p>\n
Starting a new Safari profile won’t remove a Mac app. If Bing follows you into the new profile, look outside Safari.<\/p>\n
Turn syncing and shared extensions back on slowly. Add trusted items one by one and note the first one that brings Bing back.<\/p>\n
Protect your bookmarks and logins. Deleting Safari’s Library folders or all its preference files is not a reset and can lose data.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Test Which Search Goes to Bing<\/h3>\n
In a regular Safari window, press Command+L and search for something ordinary. Notice whether another site’s name appears before Bing loads.<\/p>\n
Now search on your preferred engine’s own homepage. Then try a private window and a brand-new regular window.<\/p>\n
Note each result separately. A website whose own search box uses Bing doesn’t mean Safari’s address bar has been hijacked.<\/p>\n
If a strange site appears, write its name down. Don’t post private searches, login links or full account addresses publicly.<\/p>\n
Back up bookmarks and save your work before bigger changes. A normal search fix never requires deleting Safari’s data folders.<\/p>\n
Cookies, Network Settings and Your Accounts<\/h3>\n
Compare results with the same simple search on the same trusted network. A different Wi-Fi or search box can make an old problem look like it’s back.<\/p>\n
Cookies only affect a site’s own settings and sign-ins. Clearing them won’t uninstall an extension’s app or remove a configuration profile.<\/p>\n
Look at proxy and DNS settings only if several browsers show the same odd site, or the problem follows one network.<\/p>\n
Keep your current network settings and any VPN you need. Resetting every network service can break your connection and still leave the extension in place.<\/p>\n
If a new window opens from a website notification, change that site’s notification permission. Switching search engines won’t stop it.<\/p>\n
If you typed a password into a strange page along the way, change it on the real website. Fixing Safari doesn’t sign anyone else out.<\/p>\n
Never let someone connect to your Mac remotely because a warning page told you to call. A “Bing virus” alert doesn’t make the caller real support.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n
What to Do If Safari Still Goes to Bing<\/h2>\n
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Note which search fails: the address bar, a private window or a new window. Add the name of any site that loads before Bing.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Gather extension and app names, profile details, scan reports and copies of any settings you changed.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Post in the MalwareTips Mac help forum<\/a> for advice on your specific Mac, or ask IT about managed settings.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Share only what helpers need. A full browser backup or profile export can hold personal information you don’t want to post.<\/p>\n
If you typed a password into a page that appeared during the redirect, change it on the real website. Fixing Safari doesn’t undo that.<\/p>\n
Using more than one browser? Our complete Bing redirect guide<\/a> covers Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari on Windows and Mac.<\/p>\n
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- Run the final test<\/a><\/li>\n
- Fix Safari’s Search setting<\/a><\/li>\n