QSearch
Qsearch, a/k/a Adware.MacOS.QSearch, is a browser hijacker targeting MacOS-based machines in particular. You can either get it from a software bundle or install the plugin from its official website. Regardless, QSearch sports some dubious features that turn it into a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA) whose place should not belong on your Mac.
Like any other PUA, QSearch can be quite stealthy when executing its code onto your machine. Granted, you can get the plugin at your will from its official site. However, when QSearch comes uninvited, chances are it arrived hidden in a software package with other programs you searched for in the first place. If that’s the case and QSearch has already found shelter in your PC, you may start experiencing the associated symptoms.
Speaking of symptoms, the first thing adware such as QSearch will do is change your default browser settings — you will no longer be opening your then-current home page, nor will you be using your default search engine. Instead, QSearch will replace them both, redirecting you through sponsored links. As a result, you will see different search results to your queries accompanied by an ocean of unwanted ads, popups, and banners. Moreover, this type of behavior will affect every web browser installed on your machine, so toggling between them would be useless. In the end, paid advertisers will earn a dime for every click on any of the QSearch-generated adverts. After all, that’s the main reason why PUPs such as QSearch exist.
Getting rid of QSearch is highly recommended unless the endless stream of popups and the potentially malicious redirects don’t bother you. However, QSearch can be a tough nut if you try to remove it manually. Even if you were to reset all of your browsers to their factory settings and remove any suspicious entries on your Applications folder, you might still leave some hidden QSearch files. That's why a reputable anti-malware solution should do a better job. It will erase any residual QSearch files and free your system from other potential threats that may have infected you in the meantime.
