How to uninstall Giphy Search adware?
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
(updated)
Giphy Search redirect removal instructions
What is Giphy Search?
Giphy Search is advertised as a search engine for GIF images. However, this app is classified as adware and a browser hijacker: it serves advertisements, collects certain information related to user's browsing activities and changes certain browser settings to giphy-search.best. It is common that users download and install adware unkniwingly, unintentionally, for this reason Giphy Search is categorized as a potentially unwanted application.
As a rule, apps that are classified as adware serve coupons, banners, surveys, pop-ups and/or other types of ads. It is common that those ads, if clicked, open questionable websites or even cause unwanted downloads and/or installations of unwanted apps by executing certain scripts. Also, Giphy Search is designed to promote giphy-search.best (a fake search engine) by changing certain browser settings. Typically, apps of this type change settings such as address of a homepage, default search engine and homepage. Such search engines are called fake because most of them do not generate any unique results. When used, they provide results generated by some other, legitimate search engine (like Yahoo, Google, Bing). However, some fake search engines can generate results that would include links to questionable websites. Usually users who have apps like Giphy Search installed on browsers and/or computers can remove address that was assigned by it from settings only when that app is no longer installed. One more reason to to never download apps like Giphy Search is that thy often are designed to collect various browsing-related data. For example, IP addresses, addresses of visited sites, entered search queries, geolocations. Nevertheless, they can be designed to collect sensitive data as well. What is worse, collected information could be misused to generate revenue by selling it to third parties (potentially cyber criminals) or in some other ways. This could lead to problems related to browsing safety, online privacy, some users may even have their identities stolen.
| Name | Ads by Giphy Search |
| Threat Type | Adware |
| Symptoms | Computer becomes slower than normal, appearing unwanted pop-up ads, redirects to dubious websites.. |
| Distribution Methods | Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers, torrent file downloads. |
| Damage | Decreased computer performance, browser tracking - privacy issues, possible additional malware infections. |
| Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Malwarebytes. |
PopBlock+, WebNavigatorBrowser and The Rocket Arcade are a couple of examples of other apps that are classified as adware too. More often than not such apps are useless, they are designed to perform actions that would help their developers to generate in one or another way. If Giphy Search or any other app of this type is already installed on a browser and/or operating system, then it should be uninstalled as soon as possible.
How did adware install on my computer?
Typically, users download and /or install apps of this type together with other programs - when those apps are included in download or installation setups as additional offers and users do not decline them. In most cases offers to download and/or install PUAs can be declined in "Custom", "Advanced" and settings of setups. When users download and/or install programs that have PUAs included in their setups without checking and changing those settings, they download and/or install those apps too. This distribution method of potentially unwanted apps is called "bundling". Also, unwanted downloads and installations can be caused by clicking deceptive advertisements that are designed to run certain scripts.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?
All software should be downloaded from official websites (and through direct download links). Any other download and installation tools, sources like third party downloaders, installers, unofficial websites, Peer-to-Peer networks (like torrent clients, eMule) should not be used. Also, download and installation setups that have settings like "Custom", "Advanced" should be checked for offers to download and/or install additional (unwanted) software. It is common that unwanted downloads and/or installations are caused when users leave those settings unchanged. Additionally, it is advised not to click ads that are displayed on questionable pages. Such ads can be deigned to open shady pages or cause unwanted downloads, installations. If there are any unwanted, unknown or suspicious extensions, add-ons or plug-ins installed on a browser or programs of this kind installed on the operating system, then they should be uninstalled right away. If your computer is already infected with rogue applications, we recommend running a scan with Malwarebytes for Windows to automatically eliminate them.
Deceptive website used to promote Giphy Search:
Notification saying that Giphy Search can read and change certain data:
Instant automatic malware removal:
Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced computer skills. Malwarebytes is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
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By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Malwarebytes. 14 days free trial available.
Quick menu:
- What is Giphy Search?
- STEP 1. Uninstall adware applications using Control Panel.
- STEP 2. Remove rogue plug-ins from Google Chrome.
- STEP 3. Remove adware-type extensions from Mozilla Firefox.
- STEP 4. Remove malicious extensions from Safari.
- STEP 5. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
- STEP 6. Remove adware from Internet Explorer.
Adware removal:
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.
Windows XP users:
Click Start, choose Settings and click Control Panel. Locate and click Add or Remove Programs.
Windows 10 and Windows 8 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.
Mac 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 potentially unwanted applications, select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".
After uninstalling the potentially unwanted application that causes Giphy Search redirects, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components or possible malware infections. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.
Remove adware from Internet browsers:
Video showing how to remove potentially unwanted browser add-ons:
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 "Giphy Search" and remove it.
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the ads by giphy search, 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 "Extensions", in the opened window, remove all recently-installed suspicious browser plug-ins.
Optional method:
Computer users who have problems with ads by giphy search 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, click Safari menu, and select Preferences....
In the opened window click Extensions, locate any recently installed suspicious extension, select it and click Uninstall.
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 upper-right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons and click "Remove" below their names.
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the ads by giphy search, 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.
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 browser extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the ads by giphy search, 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.
Summary:
Commonly, adware or potentially unwanted applications infiltrate Internet browsers through free software downloads. Note that the safest source for downloading free software is via developers' websites only. To avoid installation of adware, be very attentive when downloading and installing free software. When installing previously-downloaded free programs, choose the custom or advanced installation options – this step will reveal any potentially unwanted applications listed for installation together with your chosen free program.
Removal assistance:
If you are experiencing problems while trying to remove ads by giphy search from your computer, please ask for assistance in our malware support forum.
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Outstanding!