What Is Chill Search Mac
Chill Search is the name of a potentially unwanted application, commonly referred to as a PUP. This particular application is known as a browser hijack your kind. These types of programs aim to change the settings of your web browser in order to display their own content, which is more ad-supported than objective. This is what makes the software risky as some of the advertisements that it may be displaying could be leading you to unsafe sites, like scams or malware.
Read this article to learn more about the activity that Chill Search may be involved in and how you can get rid of it from your Mac.
Chill Search Mac – Details
| Name | Chill Search |
| Type | Adware / PUP / Redirect for Mac |
| Short Description | Aims to modify the settings on your computer in order to get it to cause browser redirects and display different advertisements. |
| Symptoms | Your device begins to display various types of online advertisements, which results in slowing down of your machine. |
| Distribution Method | Bundled downloads. Web pages which may advertise it. |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your Mac Has Been Affected by Chill Search
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Malware Removal Tool
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Chill Search. |
Chill Search Virus – How Did I Get Infected
Chill Search is the type of software that is similar to other recently detected ad-supported applications, such as SelectorComponent, EdgeAdvanced and JumpSearch.
Typically, applications, like Chill Search can be bundled together with installations of some other free app that you could have recently downloaded from the web, such as media players, file conversion software and other. Usually, the install step that says that the software is included is often hidden, but it could look like the following:
Chill Search – What Does It Do?
The main activity of Chill Search involves displaying a lot of different advertisements to your Mac. To do this, the software may change the default search engine of your device and also it’s home in new tab webpages. The outcome is that you may begin to see the following types of promoted content:
- Pop-ups with video and/or sound.
- Interruptive banner ads.
- Redirects.
- Intrusive push notifications.
- Changed search results to show ads instead of relevant sites.
- Highlighted text on the pages you visit.
Furthermore, on its main webpage, Chill Search could be utilizing a number of different types of cookies:
Cookies are just one type of many different tracking technologies that are used by such applications and they could be utilised to obtain the following types of details about your browsing activity:
- What you have visited.
- Your mouse movements.
- The browsing history from your browser.
- What searches you have made.
- Your mouse clicks.
- IP and Mac addresses.
- Your bookmarked websites.
Is Chill Search a Virus?
Chill Search is not a virus, but rather a risky software, that could be just as dangerous, because it could lead to such. The main problem with the software is that its developers do not care to what sites you will land on as long as they get paid. This is often how victims may end up being redirected to one of the following risky webpages:
- URLs, containing a virus infection file or script.
- Tech support fraud pages.
- Rogue software sites.
- Web pages that contain scams.
- Redirects to dangerous sites via multiple pay-per-click redirects.
- Survey sites that are fraud.
- Phishing pages.
Keep reading this article in order to understand more about Chill Search and how you can get rid of it safely.
How to Remove Chill Search from Mac?
To be able to remove Chill Search, you do need a bit of experience and removing risky software from your Mac. To make it easier for you, we have created the removal manual below and we would strongly suggest that you take a look at it and use it to delete this application from your browsers and Mac. For the most effective removal, we would suggest going straight to the automatic removal method. It comprises of downloading and scanning your Mac by using a professional anti-malware software. Such a tool is often recommended by experts because it can scan your device and detect a lot of different malicious software and trackers and delete them
Ventsislav Krastev
Ventsislav is a cybersecurity expert at SensorsTechForum since 2015. He has been researching, covering, helping victims with the latest malware infections plus testing and reviewing software and the newest tech developments. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for learning new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management, Network Administration and Computer Administration of System Applications, he found his true calling within the cybersecrurity industry and is a strong believer in the education of every user towards online safety and security.
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Steps to Prepare Before Removal:
Before starting to follow the steps below, be advised that you should first do the following preparations:
- Backup your files in case the worst happens.
- Make sure to have a device with these instructions on standy.
- Arm yourself with patience.
- 1. Scan for Mac Malware
- 2. Uninstall Risky Apps
- 3. Clean Your Browsers
Step 1: Scan for and remove Chill Search files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as Chill Search, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.
Quick and Easy Mac Malware Video Removal Guide
Bonus Step: How to Make Your Mac Run Faster?
Mac machines maintain probably the fastest operating system out there. Still, Macs do become slow and sluggish sometimes. The video guide below examines all of the possible problems that may lead to your Mac being slower than usual as well as all of the steps that can help you to speed up your Mac.
Step 2: Uninstall Chill Search and remove related files and objects
1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:
2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it:
3. In the Activity Monitor look for any suspicious processes, belonging or related to Chill Search:
4. Click on the "Go" button again, but this time select Applications. Another way is with the ⇧+⌘+A buttons.
5. In the Applications menu, look for any suspicious app or an app with a name, similar or identical to Chill Search. If you find it, right-click on the app and select “Move to Trash”.
6. Select Accounts, after which click on the Login Items preference. Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to Chill Search. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
7. Remove any leftover files that might be related to this threat manually by following the sub-steps below:
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove Chill Search via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
1. Click on "Go" and Then "Go to Folder" as shown underneath:
2. Type in "/Library/LauchAgents/" and click Ok:
3. Delete all of the virus files that have similar or the same name as Chill Search. If you believe there is no such file, do not delete anything.
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 3: Remove Chill Search – related extensions from Safari / Chrome / Firefox
Chill Search-FAQ
What is Chill Search on your Mac?
The Chill Search threat is probably a potentially unwanted app. There is also a chance it could be related to Mac malware. If so, such apps tend to slow your Mac down significantly and display advertisements. They could also use cookies and other trackers to obtain browsing information from the installed web browsers on your Mac.
Can Macs Get Viruses?
Yes. As much as any other device, Apple computers do get malware. Apple devices may not be a frequent target by malware authors, but rest assured that almost all of the Apple devices can become infected with a threat.
What Types of Mac Threats Are There?
According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the types of threats that can currently infect your Mac can be rogue antivirus programs, adware or hijackers (PUPs), Trojan horses, ransomware and crypto-miner malware.
What To Do If I Have a Mac Virus, Like Chill Search?
Do not panic! You can easily get rid of most Mac threats by firstly isolating them and then removing them. One recommended way to do that is by using a reputable malware removal software that can take care of the removal automatically for you.
There are many Mac anti-malware apps out there that you can choose from. SpyHunter for Mac is one of the reccomended Mac anti-malware apps, that can scan for free and detect any viruses. This saves time for manual removal that you would otherwise have to do.
How to Secure My Data from Chill Search?
With few simple actions. First and foremost, it is imperative that you follow these steps:
Step 1: Find a safe computer and connect it to another network, not the one that your Mac was infected in.
Step 2: Change all of your passwords, starting from your e-mail passwords.
Step 3: Enable two-factor authentication for protection of your important accounts.
Step 4: Call your bank to change your credit card details (secret code, etc.) if you have saved your credit card for online shopping or have done online activiites with your card.
Step 5: Make sure to call your ISP (Internet provider or carrier) and ask them to change your IP address.
Step 6: Change your Wi-Fi password.
Step 7: (Optional): Make sure to scan all of the devices connected to your network for viruses and repeat these steps for them if they are affected.
Step 8: Install anti-malware software with real-time protection on every device you have.
Step 9: Try not to download software from sites you know nothing about and stay away from low-reputation websites in general.
If you follow these reccomendations, your network and Apple devices will become significantly more safe against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.
More tips you can find on our MacOS Virus section, where you can also ask any questions and comment about your Mac problems.
About the Chill Search Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Chill Search how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific macOS issue.
How did we conduct the research on Chill Search?
Please note that our research is based on an independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware definitions, including the various types of Mac threats, especially adware and potentially unwanted apps (PUAs).
Furthermore, the research behind the Chill Search threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand the threat posed by Mac malware, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.