Do you know what Searchsio is?
Searchsio does not sound like a great tool and it does not work like one. According to the description found at chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/searchsio/blmfnanbhmeikmkjgielnmeemifbgcia, this PUP (potentially unwanted program) was created to help you “browse the web and get easy access to search, images, videos and news.” Well, this kind of service can be provided to you by any legitimate search provider, such as Google Search, Bing Search, or Yahoo Search. Speaking of Yahoo, the PUP exploits it to deliver you search results, but they are not the results you can trust. Do you know why? You will find the answer in this report, but let us warn you that Yahoo has nothing to do with it. Needless to say, we advise removing Searchsio from Google Chrome, but if you are not yet ready to delete this PUP, continue reading.
Google Chrome users can download Searchsio from the Chrome web store (the link mentioned in the first paragraph), but it is officially introduced via searchsio.com by webcoapps. Of course, just like most PUPs, this extension could also be distributed by third parties operating bundled downloaders. In that case, the extension could be packaged along with other threats or useless programs/extensions. All in all, regardless of how you install the PUP, it changes the default search provider to feed.searchsio.com. Due to this, whenever you enter keywords into the address bar of your browser, you are redirected to Yahoo Search. Of course, if this is your normal search provider, you might not even notice that anything strange has happened; however, the results are modified by Searchsio. Can you trust these results? Most likely, you cannot.
Searchsio screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
Did you know that Searchsio reads your browsing history? It does that with the help of cookies and other data-tracking tools. This can help the PUP expose you to ads that are more suited to you. That might sound like a great feature, but it is not. For all we know, unreliable advertisers could use this information to create irresistible ads that, in reality, hide scams or maybe even malware installers. So, are you bound to be exposed to scams and malware if you use Searchsio? We cannot know for sure, but you have to think if that is the kind of risk you want to take. Obviously, we do not recommend taking risks, where that is unnecessary. Can the PUP offer you better search results? Most likely, it cannot. Now that you have this information, you have to decide what you want to do. Do you want to stick with the PUP or do you want to remove it? If you want to remove it, we have a few options to share with you.
Just like most PUPs, Searchsio can be eliminated automatically or manually. If you install anti-malware software, you will not only have the PUP erased but your system will gain reliable protection also. Without a doubt, this is the option we recommend. If you decide to delete Searchsio manually, we have prepared a guide that shows how to eliminate the unwanted extension and also clear browsing data. Clearing this data might be inconvenient, but virtual security is not always convenient. If you do not want anyone tracking you, we advise clearing web cookies at the very least. Of course, if you find it hard following the steps below, consider going with the automatic removal option, or post a comment below so that we could assist you.
Remove Searchsio from Google Chrome
- Open the browser.
- Tap Alt+F keys simultaneously.
- Open More Tools and click Extensions.
- Remove the undesirable extension.
- Tap Ctrl+Shift+Delete to access the Clear browsing data menu.
- Select a time range, pick the boxes you want, and click Clear data.
In non-techie terms:
Searchsio is one of those extensions that appear to have been created for the sole purpose of collecting user data. The PUP claims to offer enhanced web browsing services, but it cannot deliver on that promise. All it can do is show you Yahoo Search results, but unfortunately, they are modified, and so we cannot advise interacting with them. Unfortunately, there is a risk that you could be exposed to unreliable links and ads. To delete Searchsio, either follow the guide above or install anti-malware software. We recommend the latter option because legitimate anti-malware software does much more than erase existing threats. It also ensures full-time Windows protection, which you need to keep ransomware, trojans, and, of course, other PUPs away.