What is Smart Search Assistant?

Smart Search Assistant extension may appear in your browser without your permission. In reality, it’s yet another browser hijacker designed for macOS devices. As a rule, the Smart Search Assistant spreads silently together with freeware programs, pirated software, or fake updates. Once inside, it immediately alters browser settings to prevent removal and integrate commercial content. Soon you might notice a huge uptick in unwanted tab pop-ups opening up with advertisements while browsing the Internet. This is actually very annoying, and the only way to stop such activity – remove Smart Search Assistant from your Mac. You can perform a removal procedure with the help of our guide that contains both manual and automatic ways.

Recommended Anti-malware tools:

The easiest and most modern way of removing hijackers, pop-ups, Trojans, ransomware or other viruses is to use automatic removal tools. See our Anti-malware tools below for further instructions.

Also, you can try to remove Smart Search Assistant manually.

Alternative solution. Step 1: Remove Smart Search Assistant from Mac

Smart Search Assistant may not have the app associated with it in Applications. However, we recommend you to inspect the list of installed applications and remove unknown or suspicious ones. Look for Smart Search Assistant or Smart Search Assistant.app.

Mac OSX:

1. Open Finder
2. In the Finder sidebar, click Applications
3. If you see Uninstall Smart Search Assistant or Smart Search Assistant Uninstaller, double-click it and follow instructions
4. Drag unwanted application Smart Search Assistant from the Applications folder to the Trash (located on the right side of the Dock)

Learn more about uninstallation of programs in Mac OSX

Step 2: Remove malicious entries from Profiles (Mac)

1. Open System Preferences.
2. Click on Profiles.
3. Click on unsigned and suspicious profiles on the left panel.
4. Click the minus button below to delete rogue settings.

Step 3: Get rid of Smart Search Assistant using Terminal (only for Google Chrome)

1. Open Terminal
2. Copy and paste the following entries one by one each time by pressing “ENTER”:
   defaults write com.google.Chrome HomepageIsNewTabPage -bool false
   defaults write com.google.Chrome NewTabPageLocation -string “https://www.google.com/”
   defaults write com.google.Chrome HomepageLocation -string “https://www.google.com/”
   defaults delete com.google.Chrome DefaultSearchProviderSearchURL
   defaults delete com.google.Chrome DefaultSearchProviderNewTabURL
   defaults delete com.google.Chrome DefaultSearchProviderName
3. Relaunch Chrome

Step 4: Delete Smart Search Assistant from browsers

Safari:

1. Open Safari
2. Click Safari menu.
3. Choose Extensions.
4. Find Smart Search Assistant or other suspicious extensions.
5. Click Uninstall button to remove it.

Learn more about removing extensions from Safari.

Google Chrome:

1. Open Google Chrome
2. Click the Chrome menu (3-dots icon) in the top right corner.
3. Click Tools.
4. Choose Extensions.
5. Find Smart Search Assistant or other suspicious extensions.
6. Click the trash can icon to remove it.

Learn more about removing extensions from Chrome.

Mozilla Firefox:

1. Open Firefox.
2. Push Shift + Ctrl + A.
3. Choose Smart Search Assistant or other suspicious extensions.
4. Click Disable or Remove button.

Learn more about removing extensions from Firefox.

Step 5: Resetting your browser search and homepage settings

Reset browser setting in Safari:

1. Open Safari.
2. Click on the Safari menu.
3. Choose Reset Safari….
4. Click Reset button.

Learn more about resetting browser settings in Safari.

Reset browser setting in Google Chrome:

1. Click the Chrome menu (3 bar button) in the top right corner.
2. Choose Settings.
3. Click Show advanced settings.
4. Go to Reset browser settings section.
5. Click Reset browser settings.
6. In the dialog that appears, click Reset.

Learn more about resetting browser settings in Google Chrome.

Reset browser setting in Mozilla Firefox:

1. Open Mozilla Firefox.
2. Go to Help.
3. Go to Troubleshooting information.
4. Click Reset Firefox… button.

Learn more about resetting browser settings in Mozilla Firefox.