Safari and DuckDuckGo

[Barrygou]

How do I remove DuckDuckGo from Safari? I went to Safari > Extensions and unchecked it. I deleted it from the Applications folder. I uninstalled it using the DuckDuckGo uninstaller. BUT, it still appears in the Safari > Prefs > Extensions > Search engine drop down and when I change this drop down to Google the drop down jumps back to DuckDuckGo. And occasionally Google searches in Safari bring up DuckDuckGo results.

 

[RadDave]

How do I remove DuckDuckGo from Safari? I went to Safari > Extensions and unchecked it. I deleted it from the Applications folder. I uninstalled it using the DuckDuckGo uninstaller. BUT, it still appears in the Safari > Prefs > Extensions > Search engine drop down and when I change this drop down to Google the drop down jumps back to DuckDuckGo. And occasionally Google searches in Safari bring up DuckDuckGo results.

Hello Barry... - appears that DuckDuckGo has hijacked your Safari search engine - I brought up Safari Preferences -> Search, and opened my search options (defaulted to Google, as shown below) - selected DuckDuckGo and their website opened and I did a search, then defaulted back to Google w/o a problem. Next, checked in my Extensions and just have AdBlock & Ghostery, i.e. no D..D..Go.

Just curious if you got DuckDuckGo from using the 'Safari Extensions' selection in the Safari menu options or elsewhere - if the latter, could some type of malware have been loaded? Have you run Malwarebytes - worth a try? Also, check this SITE, which I found by googling - to go the Safari entry - please read carefully because I've not used this information and assume the site is 'safe' but cannot offer a guarantee - maybe others will 'chime in' w/ advice - good luck. Dave
.

 

[IWT]

Hi Barry

Dave is correct.

Extensions have nothing directly to do with your Search Engine.

As you have shown yourself, and Dave has duplicated, you open Safari > Preferences, click on "Search" from the top menu, and in the "Search Engine" box, click on the up/down arrows; from the drop down select your search engine of choice - Google is almost always the first listed.

This sets Google (or whatever you choose) as your default Search Engine.

At the same time, you may, or may not, wish to change your Home Page to Google so that when you open Safari, it always opens with the Google search page - that is an option, not essential. (Found in Safari > Preferences > General > Homepage).

Ian

 

[ferrarr]

@Barygou, the DuckDuckGo, that is in Safari Preferences, can not be removed. What you may need to do is delete your Safari list file.

I have DuckDuckGo as my default search engine. And I have google as a bookmark.

 

[Barrygou]

@Barygou, the DuckDuckGo, that is in Safari Preferences, can not be removed. What you may need to do is delete your Safari list file.

I have DuckDuckGo as my default search engine. And I have google as a bookmark.

ferrarr - how do I remove the "Safari list file"?

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Are you suggesting that choose Google as your default search engine doesn't stick? As others have suggested, the list of 4 default search engines cannot be changed, but you should be able to choose which one you want as your default.

 

[ferrarr]

ferrarr - how do I remove the "Safari list file"?

Sorry, that should have been, "plist file".

To delete (or move) your plist file, you need to go into your user library folder, see this, https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3110, help letter for instructions to remove the Safari plist file. It is for an older version of Mac OS X, but the procedures are the same.

 

[Barrygou]

I moved the plist to the Desktop and restarted. This did not remove DuckDuckGo from being locked in the Prefs / Search Engine drop down. And occasionally DuckDuck takes over Internet searches

 

[Raz0rEdge]

As has been mentioned a few times in this thread, you cannot modify the 4 search engines that are listed in that dropdown. However, when you select a particular search engine, that should be the only one used. How are determining that DuckDuckGo is taking over when say Google is your default?

 

[Barrygou]

Solved - When in a DuckDuckGo search window I choose Google from the dropdown and then when I went back to Safari > Prefs > Search engine tab > that dropdown had changed to Google. Prior to that I could not change the Safari > Prefs > Search engine tab > to Google. It would keep reverting back to DDG. I have and ran MalwareBytes Premium but DDG is not adware so MalwareBytes does not find it. I guess DDG is still lingering somewhere on my system. The next thing I would like to learn how to do is delete some of the search engines that appear in the Safari > Prefs > Search engine tab > dropdown list. But for now it's not an issue.

 

[ferrarr]

Excellent, glad you got it sorted out. Thanks for posting your solution, it will help someone else out along the way.

 

[pm-r]

The next thing I would like to learn how to do is delete some of the search engines that appear in the Safari > Prefs > Search engine tab > dropdown list. But for now it's not an issue.

Why??? That's a Safari.app Preference and is part of the application.

Unless you have more than four there, as has been mentioned, they cannot normally be removed or changed.





- Patrick
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[Dittoman1]

I had the same problem trying to switch back DuckDuckGo to Google and it wont let me. I tried everything and found one that works is to be on Safe Mode then switch back to Google.

A friend who is an iT warn me not to use Google Search engine, they collects lots of informations inside your MAC and sells it abroad . Bing and Yahoo does but not as bad as Google, DuckDuckGo dont do any of that. Thats what I heard... Want to hear from others

 

[pm-r]

I had the same problem trying to switch back DuckDuckGo to Google and it wont let me. I tried everything and found one that works is to be on Safe Mode then switch back to Google.

Are you actually logged in as an admin user and/or do you have something else restricting you to change things???

A friend who is an iT warn me not to use Google Search engine, they collects lots of informations inside your MAC and sells it abroad . Bing and Yahoo does but not as bad as Google, DuckDuckGo dont do any of that. Thats what I heard... Want to hear from others

I don't know what information you don't want them collecting and they sure don't sell anything because that would be their competition.
Of course they collect some information, and they have to when you are doing a search. Otherwise how would they know what you are searching for and what info to send back to you??

To calm any or most of your apparent paranoia as to what they are actually doing, you might want to do some searching at some legitimate reputable informative sites and get some correct answers, or just keep asking your IT friend for more details if you believe what he says!!! ;D





- Patrick
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[MacInWin]

Google definitely keeps track of what you search for and uses that data to target you with advertising and sells that information to others for that same purpose (That's their financial model). I suspect Bing and Yahoo do that, too, but don't know. DDG supposedly does not do that at all.

 

[Barrygou]

I quit using Google a couple of years ago because they got involved in politics and often the top 5 or more search results they return are from links that are all biased in the same political slant You can prove it to yourself. Facts are facts, not my opinion.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

I had the same problem trying to switch back DuckDuckGo to Google and it wont let me. I tried everything and found one that works is to be on Safe Mode then switch back to Google.

A friend who is an iT warn me not to use Google Search engine, they collects lots of informations inside your MAC and sells it abroad . Bing and Yahoo does but not as bad as Google, DuckDuckGo dont do any of that. Thats what I heard... Want to hear from others

No, Google does NOT search inside your Mac for anything. What is definitely tracked is what you are searching for and your location. This is the data that is useful to people who want to sell you stuff and as such can target you with ads. The more specific the information, the more the ads costs and the more money Google makes. It is NO secret that Google was built on selling ads, and that's the reason that you can use the bulk of their services for free.

Do you know that GMail tracks EVERY email you get for content and then shows your ads based on your email content? That's part of the agreement you sign when you choose to open a GMail account. Don't like it? Don't use GMail.

- - - Updated - - -

I quit using Google a couple of years ago because they got involved in politics and often the top 5 or more search results they return are from links that are all biased in the same political slant You can prove it to yourself. Facts are facts, not my opinion.

Politics is inherently a polarizing thing, so search for that content and you will get stuff that either you agree with or is totally the opposite of you. But if you are searching for non-political stuff then I hardly believe that you will get random politically slanted search results.

 

[pm-r]

What is definitely tracked is what you are searching for and your location. This is the data that is useful to people who want to sell you stuff and as such can target you with ads. The more specific the information, the more the ads costs and the more money Google makes.

This is one of the main reason I use a Google search for an item I am looking for, and then wait for the ads or e-mail to come in. Basically I let my Google and Amazon etc. searches do my comparative shopping for me and so far it has worked well and also has saved me a lot of money and oftentimes, even a better product at a better price.





- Patrick
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