Remove Charming Tab browser hijacker
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is Charming Tab?
Charming Tab hijacks browsers by changing certain settings to charming-tab.com, the address of a fake search engine. Most apps of this type also collect various data. Commonly, users download and install browser hijackers unintentionally and, therefore, they are categorized as potentially unwanted applications (PUAs).
Charming Tab browser hijacker overview
After installation, Charming Tab changes settings such as the address of the default search engine, homepage, and new tab to charming-tab.com so that users are forced to visit this address when they open a browser, new tab or enter search queries into the URL bar.
Note that charming-tab.com redirects to google.com, and simply provides results generated by Google. Therefore, this search engine is redundant and useless. To remove charming-tab.com from browser settings, Charming Tab must first be uninstalled, since these apps prevent users from modifying the settings.
Furthermore, it is possible that Charming Tab will gather various data such as geolocations, entered search queries, addresses of visited pages, IP addresses and other browsing data. It might also be capable of accessing private, sensitive information. The developers can misuse collected data to generate revenue by selling it to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals).
Therefore, remove Charming Tab and other apps of this type from browsers and operating systems immediately, since they can cause problems relating to browsing safety, online privacy, identity theft and other issues.
| Name | Charming Tab |
| Threat Type | Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab. |
| Browser Extension(s) | Charming Tab |
| Supposed Functionality | This app supposed provide users with a customized homepage/new tab. |
| Promoted URL | charming-tab.com |
| Serving IP Address (charming-tab.com) | 104.27.184.67 |
| Affected Browser Settings | Homepage, new tab URL, default search engine. |
| Symptoms | Manipulated Internet browser settings (homepage, default Internet search engine, new tab settings). Users are forced to visit the hijacker's website and search the Internet using their search engines. |
| Distribution methods | Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers. |
| Damage | Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites. |
| Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
Browser hijacker examples
More examples of apps classified as browser hijackers are Translations Instant, Search Sherpa and GameSearch. They often promote fake search engine addresses and collect data. Advertised as useful, legitimate apps, they supposedly deliver various features, improve the browsing experience, etc.
In fact, browser hijackers are useless and can cause serious problems. Therefore, remove History Hide and other apps of this type from the browser and computer immediately.
How did Charming Tab install on my computer?
Typically, people download and install browser hijackers when they are included into software set-ups as 'additional offers'. In most cases, these offers can be found in "Advanced", "Custom", "Manual" and other settings, however, many users fail to check and change these.
By leaving default settings unchanged, they often allow PUAs to infiltrate. This software distribution method is known as "bundling". PUAs are also downloaded and installed when people click deceptive advertisements that execute certain scripts.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications
Do not download or install programs or files via third party downloaders, installers, torrents clients, eMule or other Peer-to-Peer networks, unofficial websites, etc. Use official websites and direct links. Check all "Custom", "Advanced" and similar settings that are included in the set-ups of other software, especially free programs.
Decline any offers to download or install additional software. Do not click intrusive advertisements that appear on dubious websites, since they can open untrusted websites and, in some cases, cause unwanted downloads and installations.
Remove all suspicious, unwanted extensions, add-ons and plug-ins already installed on the browser, and programs of this kind are installed on the operating system. If your computer is already infected with Charming Tab, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.
charming-tab.com redirects to google.com (GIF):
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Quick menu:
- What is Charming Tab?
- STEP 1. Uninstall Charming Tab application using Control Panel.
- STEP 2. Remove charming-tab.com redirect from Internet Explorer.
- STEP 3. Remove Charming Tab browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove charming-tab.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
- STEP 5. Remove charming-tab.com redirect from Safari.
- STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
Charming Tab browser hijacker removal:
Windows 11 users:
Right-click on the Start icon, select Apps and Features. In the opened window search for the application you want to uninstall, after locating it, click on the three vertical dots and select Uninstall.
Windows 10 users:
Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.
Windows 7 users:
Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.
macOS (OSX) users:
Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.
In the uninstall programs window: look for any recently installed suspicious applications (for example, "Charming Tab"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".
After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications that cause browser redirects to the charming-tab.com website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.
Charming Tab browser hijacker removal from Internet browsers:
Video showing how to remove browser redirects:
Remove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:
Click the "gear" icon 
(at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".
Change your homepage:
Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Internet Options", in the opened window remove hxxp://charming-tab.com and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you launch Internet Explorer. You can also enter about: blank to open a blank page when you start Internet Explorer.
Change your default search engine:
Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". In the opened window, select "Search Providers", set "Google", "Bing", or any other preferred search engine as your default and then remove "Charming Tab".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the charming-tab.com redirect, reset your Internet Explorer settings to default.
Windows XP users: Click Start, click Run, in the opened window type inetcpl.cpl In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.
Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: Click the Windows logo, in the start search box type inetcpl.cpl and click enter. In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.
Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.
In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.
Click the Reset button.
Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
Click the Chrome menu icon 
(at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More tools" and click "Extensions". Locate "Charming Tab" and other recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.
Change your homepage:
Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable "Charming Tab", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.charming-tab.com) below the “Open a specific or set of pages” option. If present, click on the three vertical dots icon and select “Remove”.
Change your default search engine:
To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings", in the "Search engine" section, click "Manage search engines...", in the opened list look for "charming-tab.com", when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Remove from list".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the charming-tab.com redirect, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.
After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.
In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:
Click the Firefox menu 
(at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions" and remove "Charming Tab", as well as all other recently installed browser plug-ins.
Change your homepage:
To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Options", in the opened window disable "Charming Tab", remove hxxp://charming-tab.com and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you start Mozilla Firefox.
Change your default search engine:
In the URL address bar, type about:config and press Enter.
Click "I'll be careful, I promise!".
In the search filter at the top, type: "extensionControlled"
Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the 
button.
Optional method:
Computer users who have problems with charming-tab.com redirect removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.
Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.
Select Troubleshooting Information.
In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.
In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.
Remove malicious extensions from Safari:
Make sure your Safari browser is active and click Safari menu, then select Preferences...
In the preferences window select the Extensions tab. Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions and uninstall them.
In the preferences window select General tab and make sure that your homepage is set to a preferred URL, if its altered by a browser hijacker - change it.
In the preferences window select Search tab and make sure that your preferred Internet search engine is selected.
Optional method:
Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...
In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.
Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:
Click the Edge menu icon 
(at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate any recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.
Change your homepage and new tab settings:
Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section look for the name of the browser hijacker and click "Disable".
Change your default Internet search engine:
To change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge: Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Privacy and services", scroll to bottom of the page and select "Address bar". In the "Search engines used in address bar" section look for the name of the unwanted Internet search engine, when located click the "Disable" button near it. Alternatively you can click on "Manage search engines", in the opened menu look for unwanted Internet search engine. Click on the puzzle icon 
near it and select "Disable".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the charming-tab.com redirect, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.
In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.
Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
- If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.
Summary:
A browser hijacker is a type of adware infection that modifies Internet browser settings by assigning the homepage and default Internet search engine settings to some other (unwanted) website URL. Commonly, this type of adware infiltrates operating systems through free software downloads. If your download is managed by a download client, ensure that you decline offers to install advertised toolbars or applications that seek to change your homepage and default Internet search engine settings.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the purpose of forcing users to visit charming-tab.com website?
Redirects to sites like charming-tab.com are caused because cyber criminals (e.g., developers of fake search engines and browser hijackers, etc.) generate revenue through them.
Is visiting charming-tab.com a threat to my privacy?
To a certain extent, yes. Websites like charming-tab.com typically gather (and sell) visitor data.
How did a browser hijacker infiltrate my computer?
Browser hijackers are primarily proliferated via bundled installers, online scams, deceptive promotional webpages, freeware and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, spam browser notifications, and intrusive ads.
Will Combo Cleaner help me remove Charming Tab browser hijacker?
Yes, Combo Cleaner will scan your computer and eliminate installed browser-hijacking apps. Note that manual removal (unaided by security software) might be ineffective, particularly in cases where multiple browser hijackers are present. Since after one browser hijacker is removed – the others might reinstall it. Furthermore, browser-hijacking software may render removal-related settings inaccessible. Therefore, browser hijackers must be eliminated thoroughly and all at once.
Outstanding!
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