How to Remove SearchMine From Your Mac

SearchMine is a browser hijacker that can affect Macs. It is a type of malware that changes the default homepage and search engine of your browser to searchmine.net without your permission. It can display unwanted ads in your browser, and it may even track your browsing activity. In this article, we will tell you how you can remove SearchMine from your Mac.

Where Did SearchMine Come From?

SearchMine could’ve been accidentally installed on your Mac through a variety of ways, such as clicking on a malicious link, downloading a file from an unknown source, or installing an app that is bundled with SearchMine. This can generally be avoided by only downloading files from legitimate sources and not clicking on any suspicious links.

How to Remove SearchMine From Your Mac

If your browser is automatically redirecting you to searchmine.net, it is likely that your Mac has been infected with SearchMine. There are several methods to remove SearchMine from your Mac, depending on how it was installed in the first place.

Check for Any Malicious Profiles

System administrators use configuration profiles to manage computer settings remotely and centrally. These profiles can also be used by malware to give the attacker full control over a user’s Mac. If you think your Mac has been infected with SearchMine via a malicious configuration profile, you can remove it by following these steps:

1. Open System Settings on your Mac and click on Privacy and Security.
2. Scroll down and click on select Profiles to view all the installed profiles.
3. Select any suspicious profiles that might’ve been installed accidentally by clicking on it.
4. Click on the – button to remove the profile.

   

Remove Any Unwanted Login Items

There is a chance that SearchMine might be automatically loading up when you boot up your Mac. This can be fixed by disabling any suspicious Login Items that might be opening on startup. To remove any unwanted login items, follow these steps:

1. Open System Settings on your Mac and click on General.
2. Scroll down and select Login Items.
3. Look for any suspicious Login Items and disable them by clicking on the – button.

   

Delete Any Traces of SearchMine

To prevent SearchMine from running in the background, it is essential to remove any related processes by using the Finder to delete the files. You can do so by following these steps:

1. Open Finder on your Mac and select Go > Go to Folder in the Menu Bar.
2. Copy and paste the following locations in the text box.
   • /Library/LaunchDaemons
   • /Library/LaunchAgents
3. Delete any files and folders that start with com.searchmine or have any traces of SearchMine.

   

Clear SearchMine From Your Safari Settings

SearchMine can also change your Safari settings, redirect your search queries to its own search engine, and install adware on your Mac. To remove SearchMine from your Safari settings, you can follow these steps:

1. Open Safari, and select Safari > Settings from the Menu Bar.
2. Under the Advanced tab, check the box next to Show features for web developers.

   

3. Select the Develop option in the Menu Bar and click on Empty Caches for All Profiles.

   

This will clear Safari’s cache, but this might also log you out of some websites since login information is usually stored in the browser’s cache.

SearchMine could also be redirecting your search results by altering Safari’s Homepage settings and through malicious extensions. You can revert this by following these steps:

1. Select Safari > Settings from the Menu Bar.
2. Under the General tab, have a look at the Homepage option and make sure it’s set to a trusted URL.

   

3. Head over to the Extensions tab and uninstall any suspicious extensions by clicking on them and selecting Uninstall.

   

If SearchMine has infected Chrome on your Mac, you can fix it by removing malicious extensions and resetting the browser. You can reset Chrome by typing chrome://settings/ in the address bar and clicking on the Reset button.

Remove SearchMine From Your Mac and Start Browsing the Web Securely

If you do download a file that contains SearchMine, it is important to remove it immediately. It is important to be cautious about what you download. Only download files from legitimate sources, such as the App Store or websites that you trust. If you are not sure if a file is safe, don’t download it.