Short on time? Here’s how to fix the Bing redirect issue in Chrome in 2023:
- Uninstall Applications and Extensions. Open Chrome, navigate into the settings, and remove any extensions you don’t recognize. Then, go into your computer’s settings, and uninstall any apps you installed recently.
- Scan Your Device. Run a full system scan with a high-quality antivirus (Norton is the best).
- Remove Malware. Once the scan has finished, let your antivirus safely remove all the malware it finds.
- Stay Safe. Protect your device from getting infected again by choosing a reliable internet security suite. Norton is the best, because it includes an advanced malware scanner, real-time protection, anti-phishing protection, a VPN with unlimited data, and much more. All Norton plans come with a generous 60-day money-back guarantee.
If Google Chrome is redirecting to Bing, then you may have a browser hijacker interfering with Chrome’s settings. Browser hijackers are typically hidden inside potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) that come packaged with freeware downloads or pirated content. Some Chrome extensions are actually browser hijackers that are disguised as useful extensions.
You need to uninstall browser hijackers as soon as possible. While they don’t harm your PC, they’re probably collecting your personal information (such as your browsing history) and selling it to advertisers. They can also redirect your browser to unsafe sites that contain malware downloads and exploit attacks.
Remove any suspicious extensions and uninstall any recently installed applications. Then, reset Chrome back to its default settings. Once you’ve done that, run a full system scan of your PC using your chosen antivirus. Many of the top antiviruses can flag PUPs and browser hijackers in addition to more dangerous malware threats like rootkits, ransomware, and trojans. There’s no way of knowing how many other malware infections you have without running a full scan.
I recommend using Norton, which is our best antivirus software in 2023. Norton’s plans start at a very affordable $54.99 / year, plus there’s a 60-day money-back guarantee on all purchases.
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Preliminary Step — Remove Recently Installed Extensions and Applications
Here’s how to remove suspicious extensions from Chrome, uninstall recently installed applications on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and reset Chrome to its default settings:
- Remove Suspicious Extensions From Chrome.
- Uninstall Recently Installed Applications on Windows 11.
- Uninstall Recently Installed Applications on Windows 10.
- Uninstall Recently Installed Applications on Windows 8.
- Uninstall Recently Installed Applications on Mac.
- Uninstall Recently Installed Applications on Linux (Ubuntu).
- Reset Chrome to Its Default Settings.
Remove Suspicious Extensions From Chrome
First, determine which extensions are installed on your browser:
- At the top right corner of your Chrome browser, click the 3 dot symbol.
- Select More tools and then Extensions.
- Click Remove on any extension that could be a browser hijacker.
- Confirm by clicking Remove again.
You’re only getting started, though. Many malware files can change the settings of your Chrome extensions to harvest your data or redirect your browser to unsafe sites. If you’re having Bing redirect issues with Chrome, you still need to remove unsafe applications on your device. You can then run a malware scan to clean any malware from your system.
Uninstall Recently Installed Applications on Windows 11
Click the Start button on your taskbar, then type Uninstall into the search field.
Click Add or remove programs.
Sort the App list by Install date.
Then, click the 3 dots to the right of any recently installed programs you don’t trust and click Uninstall.
Follow any uninstallation wizards, then reset Chrome to its default settings.
Uninstall Recently Installed Applications on Windows 10
Click on your Start menu, then click Settings.
In the next window, click Apps. Then click Sort by and choose Install Date.
Scroll through the list of installed apps, and click Uninstall on any apps you don’t trust. Wait for the uninstallations to finish, and then reset Chrome to its default settings.
Uninstall Recently Installed Applications on Windows 8
Bring up Windows 8’s Live Tile view by pressing the Start key on your keyboard.
Without clicking any tiles, type Control Panel and click the Control Panel button on the right side of your screen.
In the next window, click Uninstall a program.
Note: If you can’t see Uninstall a program, chances are you don’t have the control panel set to Category. Click the dropdown list next to View by and set the control panel to Category.
Click the Organize button, and arrange the installed app list by Install Date.
Scroll down your list of installed programs and click Uninstall on any suspicious programs. Wait for the uninstallations to finish, then reset Chrome to its default settings.
Uninstall Recently Installed Applications on Mac
Go to your Mac’s dock, and open Finder.
Click Applications in the new window — it’s usually under Favorites.
Make sure you’re in List view.
Open the View drop-down menu and click Show View Options.
Check the option Date Modified, then click on the top of the new column in the main window to arrange your apps by install date.
Scroll down your list of apps and drag any you don’t trust over the trash icon on your Mac’s dock. Drop them in.
When done, hold the dock icon and click on Empty Trash when it appears.
You’re now ready to reset Chrome to its default settings.
Uninstall Recently Installed Applications on Linux (Ubuntu)
Open Ubuntu Software Center and click on the Installed tab.
Scroll through the list of installed applications, looking for any applications you don’t trust. If you know the app by name, you can also search for it.
Click on any suspicious apps, then click the Remove button. Enter your account password to confirm the action, then open Chrome to begin restoring it to its default settings.
Reset Chrome to Its Default Settings
Open Google Chrome. Click the 3 vertical dots in the top right corner, then click Settings.
Click Advanced, then click Reset and clean up.
Next, click Restore settings to their original defaults.
Doing this will completely reset Chrome, including the search settings that the web hijacker changed. It will also disable any extensions, but it won’t remove extensions, bookmarks, search history, or saved passwords. This is why it’s important to remove any unsafe or suspicious extensions beforehand.
Once this is done, scan your computer to make sure you have no malware infections.
Step 1. Identify Potential Malware With Your Antivirus
First, you need to get a good antivirus program. I recommend Norton for most users, but you can safely run any of the antivirus programs on our top 10 list for malware removal.
Unplug any USB devices, as malware may replicate onto them. Then, in your chosen antivirus, initiate a full-system scan. The full-system scan will go through your computer and quarantine any instances of malware it detects (including whatever may have been hijacking Google Chrome).
The scan can take a long time, so you’ll have to be patient until it completes. Some cloud-based scanners (like Bitdefender) won’t slow your computer down while scanning. However, if you’re worried about system slowdown, you should schedule the scan for when you won’t be using CPU-intensive apps on your computer.
If you see any malware appear in the list, don’t cancel the scan thinking you’re safe, because there could be other infections on your computer. When the scan is finished, you’re ready for step 2.
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Step 2. Remove the Malware and Delete Any Other Infected Files
Scroll through the infected file list and remove the flagged malware files. There might be false positives in the list (safe files your antivirus has wrongly flagged as malware). If you’re an advanced user, you’ll recognise these and can whitelist them. If not, ask your antivirus’s support team before deciding on whether to keep a file.
Restart your computer, then run a second full disk scan. The second full disk scan will complete much more quickly than the first, and it shouldn’t find any threats. If it does, you need to repeat steps 1 and 2 until you can scan your computer without any threats appearing in the infected file list. When no more threats appear, you can move on to step 3.
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Step 3. Keep Your Device Protected From Other Unwanted Programs
Your device is now malware-free, but you need to take the necessary precautions so you don’t get reinfected. Here’s what you should do.
- Keep Your Software, OS, and Drivers Up-To-Date: Hackers are great at exploiting any weaknesses and vulnerabilities in out-of-date software. An antivirus solution like TotalAV includes a vulnerability scanner that can detect these vulnerabilities for you. You should also make sure any system updates are completed. This includes optional updates, which often contain security fixes to prevent exploit attacks. Also, make sure applications have their auto-update option enabled for your OS. Windows and macOS both have an auto-update option, and you can turn automatic updates on in most applications’ settings. Mac users can also enable all apps to auto-update in Apple’s App Store.
- Don’t Download Suspicious Files: Only download files from websites you trust and avoid pirating because illegal content is a good avenue for a malware attack. Also, be careful when clicking on links or opening email attachments — emails are one of the most common ways that viruses spread. That’s why you should always make sure you recognize an email sender, and if you don’t, mark the email as spam. If you recognize the sender but weren’t expecting an attachment from them, get in touch to ask them if they sent the file in question — they may be a victim of a cyber attack. This means their email has been hacked to send out phishing links or malware files to trusted contacts. Legitimate-seeming emails from businesses are another source of danger. Many cybercriminals disguise themselves as businesses to try to trick you into giving away personal information or downloading malware. Whenever you download files online, make sure you’re running a secure and trustworthy antivirus with real-time protection, such as Norton. A trustworthy antivirus can intercept malware in real-time before it has the chance to damage your computer.
- Secure Your Wireless Network: Hackers can steal your bandwidth, hack into your wireless-connected devices, or run cryptojackers and botnets off hacked networks. You can check if a network is secured or not by looking in your wireless network list. An unsecured network will have a warning next to it. To secure it, log into your router through your desktop or mobile device and make a secure password for your network. If you’re not sure how to do this, contact your router’s customer support team or look up the model number online. For help with creating a strong password, use a secure password manager like 1Password, which can generate a password that is hard for hackers to crack. To be even more secure, you can use a VPN like ExpressVPN to mask your location and protect your data from trackers. You should always use a VPN if connecting to public networks.
- Secure Your IoT devices: IoT devices you might have in your home include smart speakers, doorbell cameras, baby monitors, CCTV, smoke detectors, and door locks. If these devices aren’t secured, then hackers can take control of them just as easily as you can. To ensure they are secure, look up the model number of your IoT device online and find out how to add a password to it. Once you know how to secure the IoT device, you can use one of our top password managers of 2023 to set a password.
- Download a Secure Antivirus Program: A good antivirus program will protect you from malware and provide a ton of additional security features for all your devices. Norton 360 is a great example of a secure and trustworthy antivirus program. It comes with all of the most important internet security features in 2023, including a real-time scanner, firewall, secure VPN, parental controls, cloud backup, and ID protection (US only).
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Best Antivirus Program to Fix Bing Redirect Issue in Chrome
Quick summary of the best antivirus to fix Bing redirect issue in Chrome:
- 1. 🥇 Norton — Best overall antivirus to fix Bing redirect issue in Chrome.
- 2. 🥈 Bitdefender — Feature-rich, fast, and lightweight antivirus.
- 3. 🥉McAfee — Best to fix Bing redirect issue on multiple devices (great for families).
🥇1. Norton — Best Overall Antivirus to Fix Bing Redirect Issue in Chrome
Norton offers top-notch protection against malware, including browser hijackers that cause redirect issues on Google Chrome. It also includes a comprehensive range of cybersecurity tools that go above and beyond simply fixing minor issues, such as real-time protection and a great firewall.
Norton’s scanner uses cutting-edge heuristic analysis and machine learning, allowing it to effectively detect and eliminate the latest and most advanced malware. In my tests, Norton achieved a 100% protection rate and consistently outperformed built-in antivirus solutions like Windows Defender.
Norton 360 comes packed with user-friendly additional features, such as:
- Smart Firewall.
- Password manager.
- Webcam protection.
- VPN (unlimited data).
- Dark web monitoring.
- Cloud storage.
- Ransomware protection.
Norton’s VPN is one of the best antivirus-bundled VPNs that I’ve tested. It encrypts all of your data so you get an extra layer of security against online threats, and it offers pretty fast speeds. It also has a strict no-logs policy, a kill switch, and it comes with unlimited data on all Norton 360 plans.
Norton offers excellent value across its plans. The entry-level AntiVirus Plus plan costs $19.99 / year and includes real-time malware protection, a firewall, a password manager, and 2 GB of secure cloud storage on 1 device. The Norton 360 Standard plan ($39.99 / year) adds unlimited VPN access, 10 GB of secure cloud storage, dark web monitoring, and coverage for 3 devices. The best value plan, Norton 360 Deluxe, covers up to 5 devices, increases the amount of available cloud storage to 50 GB, and includes great parental controls for $49.99 / year. All of these plans come with a generous 60-day money-back guarantee.
🥈2. Bitdefender — Feature-Rich, Fast, and Lightweight Antivirus
Bitdefender is another top pick for fixing redirect issues you’re having on Chrome. Bitdefender uses a vast malware database, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to detect and protect against malware more effectively than most competitors. It successfully detected and removed all malicious threats to my system during my tests.
What’s more, its cloud-based engine minimizes the impact on your device. I observed almost zero system impact on my Windows and Mac laptops, even during full-disk scans. This makes it perfect for low-end PCs that are experiencing Bing redirect issues.
Like Norton, Bitdefender is more than just an anti-malware scanner; it’s a comprehensive security suite that provides top-notch protection for computers and mobile devices, featuring:
- Firewall.
- File shredder.
- VPN (200 MB/daily).
- Parental controls.
- Anti-tracking capabilities.
- Ransomware protection.
Bitdefender’s web protection is outstanding: it effectively blocks phishing scams and provides you with a great safe browser, Safepay, which protects your online payment information, offering another layer of defense against thieves or ransomware attacks.
I like how Bitdefender also has advanced settings to customize your antivirus protection. You can set custom scan settings for specific areas of your computer, schedule scans, run automatic scans, and customize real-time protection to include or exclude applications, scripts, and archives, among other options.
Bitdefender offers a range of affordable plans to suit various needs. Bitdefender AntiVirus Plus, priced at $19.99 / year, includes malware, ransomware, adware, and spyware protection (but not the firewall) and is available for Windows users. There’s also Bitdefender Internet Security ($32.99 / year), which can protect 3 Windows devices and, in addition to all the features on the AntiVirus Plus plan, offers parental controls and firewall protection. My favorite plan is Bitdefender Total Security, which gives most of Bitdefender’s features and provides up to 5 licenses for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices for $35.99 / year. All plans come backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Bitdefender review
🥉3. McAfee — Best to Fix Bing Redirect Issue on Multiple Devices (Great for Families)
McAfee is another excellent choice for removing the malware causing your redirect issues. It not only includes a flawless malware scanner (that scored 100% in all of my tests), but it also has great real-time protection, which guards against a wide variety of threats such as ransomware, adware, and zero-day exploits.
However, McAfee may impact system performance during full scans. Although not a deal-breaker, users with older or less powerful devices should be aware of potential slowdowns during in-depth system checks. If your system is older, I’d recommend Bitdefender instead.
McAfee’s bundled firewall is both efficient and unobtrusive. The intelligent, two-way firewall monitors incoming and outgoing traffic, detecting and blocking suspicious activities without generating excessive notifications. Its adaptive design learns your habits, minimizing disruptions while maximizing your online security.
The performance optimization tools McAfee offers are also pretty good. The tracker remover tool declutters your system by deleting unnecessary files, while the vulnerability scanner identifies outdated software and potential security gaps. These tools help maintain optimal performance and reduce the risk of exploitation.
McAfee offers a range of affordable plans for individuals and families, starting with the Plus plan, which costs $39.99 / year and provides coverage for 5 devices. The Premium Family plan is my favorite one – it covers an unlimited number of devices (making it a good fit for large families) and also adds parental controls for $64.99 / year. All of McAfee’s plans come backed by a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Google Chrome keep redirecting to Bing?
You probably have a web hijacker infecting your computer and altering Google Chrome’s settings. You need to uninstall recently installed extensions and apps, then scan your PC with a secure antivirus scanner like Norton.
How do I fix Bing redirect in Chrome?
You need to uninstall recently installed extensions and apps, then scan your PC using a secure antivirus scanner. This will remove any PUPs that may contain the browser hijacker interfering with Chrome. It will also remove any other malware that is affecting your PC. I recommend checking out our top 3 antiviruses for fixing the Bing redirect issue in Chrome to find a trustworthy and secure antivirus suite.
How do I stop browser hijacking?
Start using a secure browser and avoid unsafe online activities. Also, consider getting a reliable antivirus that can shield you from the latest malware. If you’re currently dealing with a browser hijacker, follow the steps I mentioned earlier for cleaning up your browser. Then, install a trustworthy antivirus program to eliminate the malware on your device and guard against future browser hijacker attacks.
