StreamSearchApp browser hijacker removal

StreamSearchApp is a generic browser hijacker that may suddenly hijack your browser and make unwanted changes. More specifically, it would set portal.streamsearchapp.com as the homepage and searchlee.com as the default search engine. These changes are done in order to redirect you to sponsored websites, which is the main purpose of such infections. It should not directly harm your computer but there are no benefits to having a browser hijacker installed.

 

 

 

Browser hijackers are rather minor computer infections that mainly focus on redirecting users to sponsored websites in order to generate revenue and traffic. In order to redirect users, hijackers first make unwanted changes to the browser’s settings. This hijacker is particular will change the homepage to portal.streamsearchapp.com and the default search engine to searchlee.com. The same questionable search engine is promoted by other hijackers that are practically identical to StreamSearchApp. VIPSportSearch, DigitalPDFConverterSearch, and ProStreamSearch are a few examples. These changes can affect all popular browsers, including Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. They are also irreversible while the hijacker remains installed. So until you remove StreamSearchApp from your computer, you won’t be able to make certain changes to your browser’s settings.

The portal.streamsearchapp.com website that gets set as your homepage is pretty generic. It has shortcuts to a PDF converter, a cryptocurrency and currency converter, and a calculator. But the main thing the site is promoting is the searchlee.com search engine. If you do a search using the search box or your browser’s address bar, you’ll be shown results generated by searchlee.com. Keep in mind that search results will be altered to contain sponsored content, mostly unrelated to what you were searching for. The results are altered in order to redirect you to sponsored websites.

We strongly recommend against interacting with any of the sponsored search results because you could be redirected to potentially dangerous websites that promote scams or contain malware. And since the results will have little to do with what you were searching for, there’s no reason to click on them.

A browser hijacker’s data collection practices are one of the reasons why hijackers are so problematic. If StreamSearchApp is installed on your computer, in addition to unwanted changes, it will also track your browsing. It will collect information such as what sites you visit, what you search for, what content you interact with, your IP address, etc. This information is collected for advertisement purposes and is often shared with third parties. While it does not collect personal information, there’s really no reason to put up with this kind of intrusive data collection, particularly because you get nothing in return.

Lastly, StreamSearchApp’s installation likely took you by surprise and you did not install it knowingly. These kinds of infections are distributed via software bundling, which essentially means they install without permission. The method, and how to avoid unwanted installations, will be explained in more detail below. But in short, you need to pay attention when installing freeware to prevent anything added from installing.

Overall, the hijacker was installed without your explicit permission, then made unwanted changes to your browser’s settings, and now alters search results to contain sponsored content and tracks your browsing. It also disrupts your regular browsing. The sooner you delete StreamSearchApp from your computer the better, and using anti-virus software is recommended because the program would take care of everything.

How do browser hijackers install?

Infections like browser hijackers, adware and potentially unwanted programs use a method known as software bundling to install on users’ computers. The method essentially allows them to install without explicit permission because they come attached to free software as extra offers. When a program comes with an offer attached to it, that offers is permitted to install alongside without requiring explicit permission from users. The offers are optional but users need to opt out of installing them manually. Many do not do that simply because they are not aware of the offers in the first place, as they’re hidden initially. It’s a pretty sneaky installation method and programs that use it are often detected as potential threats by anti-virus programs.

If you want to install free software correctly and avoid any unwanted installations, you need to pay attention to the installation process. Most importantly, you need to use Advanced or Custom settings during installation. While the installation window may say that Default settings are the recommended option, choosing those settings will allow all added offers to install automatically without informing you. Advanced settings, on the other hand, will make all added offers visible and give you the option to deselect everything. Simply unchecking the boxes is enough. Make sure to always deselect offers when installing free programs, particularly if you download them from non-official websites. Otherwise, you’ll end up filling your computer with all kinds of useless extensions and programs that can be difficult to get rid of later on.

Because StreamSearchApp is supposed to be a useful extension, it’s possible to download it intentionally. However, if you did choose to install it, we suggest being more careful in the future. It’s a good idea to research programs with a search engine before installing them. A search of StreamSearchApp with Google would have given plenty of results recommending its removal, indicating it should not be installed.

StreamSearchApp removal

When it comes to browser hijackers, the easiest way to get rid of them is to use anti-virus software. A program like WiperSoft would not only remove StreamSearchApp from the computer but also undo all setting changes. When the hijacker is no longer present, you will be able to change the browser’s settings yourself. Despite the fact that browser hijackers can be pretty persistent, you should be able to delete StreamSearchApp manually without any issues. The redirects will stop and your browsing will return to normal when the hijacker is no longer present on your computer.