For quick removals, use the
Removals tool to remove a page hosted on your site from Google's search results within a day. Protect or remove all variations of the URL for the content that you want to remove. In many cases, different URLs can point to the same page. For example: Requests made in the Removals tool last for about 6 months. To permanently block a page from Google Search results, take one of the following actions: Learn how to remove images that are hosted on your site from search results. To remove content from other Google properties, search the help documentation for your product to learn how to remove it. For example: See the help article on how to Remove your personal information from Google. Except as otherwise noted, the content of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, and code samples are licensed under the Apache 2.0 License. For details, see the Google Developers Site Policies. Java is a registered trademark of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Last updated 2022-09-16 UTC. [{ "type": "thumb-down", "id": "missingTheInformationINeed", "label":"Missing the information I need" },{ "type": "thumb-down", "id": "tooComplicatedTooManySteps", "label":"Too complicated / too many steps" },{ "type": "thumb-down", "id": "outOfDate", "label":"Out of date" },{ "type": "thumb-down", "id": "samplesCodeIssue", "label":"Samples / code issue" },{ "type": "thumb-down", "id": "otherDown", "label":"Other" }] [{ "type": "thumb-up", "id": "easyToUnderstand", "label":"Easy to understand" },{ "type": "thumb-up", "id": "solvedMyProblem", "label":"Solved my problem" },{ "type": "thumb-up", "id": "otherUp", "label":"Other" }] Chrome and Google Search are both powered by the same company, Google. So, as you might expect, Google is Chrome's default search engine. However, due to the presence of potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) on your computer, your Chrome browser may automatically switch to other search engines like Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, and a few others. Changing settings every time this occurs can be time-consuming and annoying. So, here we'll look at eight fixes that will help you resolve this issue. 1. Changing the Search Engine From Chrome’s SettingsChrome allows users to use different search engines. The list includes Bing, DuckDuckGo, Ecosia, Secure Search, and Yahoo. First of all, check what search engine your browser is using as its default. You can change Chrome's default search engine, if that's Yahoo, and return it to Google. Here's how:
By switching the default search engine to Google, this should temporarily fix the issue. It may, however, automatically revert to its previous state after a few days. So, to make this change foolproof, you'll have to implement some other fixes. 2. Remove Yahoo's Search Engine From ChromeIn Chrome, you can remove Yahoo from the list of default search engines available to minimize further the chance that your browser will default to Yahoo again. Here's how:
Additionally, you can remove all other search engines, except Chrome, from the list if they become defaults. Thanks to this fix, you can expect Yahoo to stay out of your web browser for many days. 3. Set Google to Open at Startup in Your BrowserWhile this isn't a perfect solution, it can help you quickly search in the Google search engine, even if your default search engine is Yahoo. You can do this by setting Google to open automatically upon startup. To do so, follow these steps:
This fix will only work when you start up the browser. Every new tab will open in your default search engine. Hence, this fix is also limited. Let's move on to a more complex but permanent solution. 4. Disable Any Extensions and Programs Powered by YahooOutdated extensions, which the developer does not properly maintain, can get infected. Using such extensions may result in redirecting you to the Yahoo search engine while browsing in Chrome. Although reviews and active users can help us identify shady extensions, filtering them out can be difficult. So, to make things easier, first of all, uninstall all extensions that are powered by Yahoo. In case the problem persists, disable the rest of the extensions for a minute to confirm if it's some extension causing the problem. If extensions aren't the culprit, uninstall any search-related program powered by Yahoo on your system. Go to Control Panel and navigate to Programs and Features to uninstall such programs. Then type Yahooin the search bar and press Enter. Right-click on Search the Web (Yahoo) and tap Uninstall.
Depending on what type of device you have, this program might be called something else. Search Provided by Yahoo is another popular name under which this type of program is available. It is, however, backed by Yahoo. 5. Run Security Checkup in Windows and ChromeIf none of the above fixes did the trick, it's time to check your computer for browser hijackers or bogus files that need to be removed. Simply use the Microsoft Windows Scanner to get rid of hidden files that are potentially harmful. The process is as follows:
Microsoft will take a while to automatically scan your system for any potential threats, depending on the size of data you have on your system. The scanner will detect the threats and let you know how severe they are. You can then choose whether to remove them. You simply have to tap Take Action, and the threat will be removed. If the problem doesn't go away, or you don't use a Windows device, you can also run Chrome's internal PC cleanup tool to identify programs that may be interfering with your browser's performance. Here is how you can run the cleanup:
6. Delete Any Temporary FilesAnother important but often neglected fix that works most of the time is to delete all temporary files. Those files have no purpose except to take up space on your computer. It is, therefore, safe to delete them entirely. To delete these temporary files, open up the Run command by pressing Win + R. Type %temp% and hit OK.
This will take you to the temporary files folder. Press CTRL + A and delete them all. To prevent them from coming back, you should also empty your trash once.
7. Reset Chrome and Clear the CacheGoogle Chrome might be misconfigured, causing it to redirect you to the Yahoo search engine. Cached data can also cause the problem. If none of the above fixes have worked, you can reset Chrome to its default settings and clear its cache. Here is how you can clear the cache:
To restore Chrome, open Chrome settings. Navigate to the Advanced menu on the left sidebar, then tap Reset and clean up. Tap on the first option, Restore settings to their original defaults and hit Reset Settings.
8. None of the Fixes Have Worked Yet? Reinstall ChromeAs a last resort, you can try to reinstall Chrome if none of the fixes above work. However, you must uninstall it and its associated files before proceeding with a fresh installation. Windows users can refer to this article explaining how to uninstall programs in Windows, while macOS users can refer to this guide explaining how to uninstall programs on a Mac. After you uninstall Chrome by following these articles, delete all associated Chrome files that might have been left behind. Make sure not to keep any junk data. Remove Yahoo as Default Search EngineThe fixes above allow Chrome to keep using Google as its default search engine. You can also consider switching to another browser like Firefox if the problem persists. Despite not having the edge over Chrome, it uses less memory when processing, is more private and offers better customization. So, give it a try! |