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If Safari switches back to Yahoo after you select Google, DuckDuckGo, or another provider, changing the setting once is unlikely to solve the problem. The usual causes are a Safari extension, an unwanted Mac application, a configuration profile, or a browser setting that was never fully cleared.
Work through these fixes in order. After each one, quit and reopen Safari, then run a search from the address bar to check whether the change holds.
1. Select your preferred search engine again
Start by checking whether Safari is simply using Yahoo as its saved default.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
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- Choose Safari in the menu bar, then select Settings. On older macOS versions, this may be called Preferences.
- Open the Search tab.
- Use the Search engine menu to choose Google, DuckDuckGo, Ecosia, Bing, or another listed provider.
On an iPhone or iPad, open Settings → Apps → Safari → Search Engine. On older iOS and iPadOS releases, open Settings → Safari → Search Engine.
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Test Safari again. If Yahoo returns only after you restart Safari, continue with the next fixes rather than repeatedly changing this menu.
2. Disable suspicious Safari extensions
An extension can redirect searches or rewrite Safari preferences. Extensions installed alongside shopping tools, coupon finders, PDF utilities, video downloaders, “security” products, or unfamiliar search tools deserve particular scrutiny.
- In Safari, choose Safari → Settings → Extensions.
- Click an extension you do not recognize.
- Clear its checkbox to disable it.
- Quit Safari completely with Command-Q, reopen it, and test a search.
Disable extensions one at a time if you want to identify the culprit. If Yahoo stops appearing, leave the responsible extension disabled and remove the application that supplied it from the Applications folder. Some Safari extensions are packaged inside a normal Mac application, so removing the extension from Safari alone may not remove the underlying software.
On iPhone and iPad, check Settings → Apps → Safari → Extensions, or Settings → Safari → Extensions on older releases.
3. Uninstall an unwanted Mac application
If the search engine changes again after you remove an extension, look for a recently installed application that may be restoring it.
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- Open Finder.
- Select Applications in the sidebar.
- Sort the list by date added if that view is available.
- Move unfamiliar or unwanted applications to the Trash.
- Right-click the Trash and choose Empty Trash.
- Restart the Mac.
Do not remove a program merely because its name is unfamiliar. Search for the developer and verify that it is not a driver, corporate security tool, printer utility, or software you intentionally installed. Pay attention to applications added shortly before the Yahoo redirects began.
4. Check for a configuration profile controlling Safari
A configuration profile can enforce browser-related settings. This is common on company- or school-managed Macs, but an unwanted profile can also be installed by dubious software.
- Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
- Select General → Device Management or Profiles, if that option appears.
- Review the installed profiles.
- Remove a profile only if you know it is unwanted and the Mac is not managed by your employer or school.
On older macOS versions, open System Preferences and look for Profiles. If the Mac is managed, contact the administrator instead of deleting the profile. A managed profile may deliberately enforce a particular search provider.
5. Remove suspicious login items and background processes
Some unwanted programs do not appear as Safari extensions. They run each time you log in and change browser settings in the background.
- Open System Settings from the Apple menu.
- Choose General → Login Items & Extensions.
- Review both the applications that open at login and the items allowed to run in the background.
- Turn off an unfamiliar item, then restart the Mac and test Safari.
On older macOS versions, use System Preferences → Users & Groups → your account → Login Items. Removing the associated application is preferable to disabling only its startup entry.
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6. Clear Safari history, website data, and caches
Stored redirect data can make Safari appear to keep changing its search engine, especially if a search or new-tab page is being redirected through a saved website session.
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- Set the period to all history, then click Clear History.
- Return to Safari → Settings → Privacy.
- Click Manage Website Data.
- Choose Remove All, then confirm.
This signs you out of websites and removes cookies and local site data. It does not normally delete bookmarks, reading-list items, or saved passwords. If you use iCloud Safari, the effects of clearing history or website data may be reflected on other Apple devices.
7. Check the homepage and new-window settings
A hijacked homepage can look like a search-engine problem even when Safari’s actual search-engine setting is unchanged.
- Choose Safari → Settings → General.
- Check Homepage and remove any unfamiliar address.
- Set New windows open with and New tabs open with to Start Page or another trusted option.
- Check Safari opens with and remove unwanted startup behavior.
Do not accept a homepage address that contains a long, unfamiliar domain or multiple tracking parameters. A legitimate search provider normally does not need to replace Safari’s homepage to perform searches.
8. Check network settings for a redirect
If Safari’s search-engine menu stays correct but searches still pass through Yahoo, the redirect may be caused by the network rather than Safari.
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First test another network. Connect the Mac to a phone’s personal hotspot and search again. If the problem disappears on the hotspot, inspect the router or the original network.
On the Mac, check System Settings → Network → select your connection → Details:
- Under DNS, remove unknown DNS servers unless your organization intentionally uses them.
- Under Proxies, make sure an unfamiliar proxy is not enabled.
Also restart the router and change its administrator password if you suspect it has been tampered with. On a work or school network, DNS and proxy settings may be required; ask the administrator before changing them.
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Repeated redirects across clean Safari settings are a reason to check the Mac for unwanted software. Update macOS first through System Settings → General → Software Update. Security updates can fix vulnerabilities used by malicious installers and extensions.
Then run a scan with a reputable, current Mac security tool if the problem continues. Remove detections according to the tool’s instructions, restart the Mac, and repeat the Safari test. Avoid “Mac cleaner” or “Safari protection” pop-ups that appear inside a redirected webpage; those messages are not proof that the Mac is infected and may be advertisements for more unwanted software.
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What if Yahoo is not listed as a Safari search engine?
That is normal on some Safari versions. Safari offers a fixed set of search providers rather than allowing every website to be added manually. A Yahoo redirect can therefore come from an extension, homepage, profile, DNS setting, or unwanted application even when Yahoo does not appear as a selectable item in Safari’s Search settings.
How to tell whether the issue is fixed
- Quit Safari with Command-Q, not just by closing the window.
- Reopen Safari.
- Confirm the selected provider under Safari → Settings → Search.
- Search for a neutral term from the address bar.
- Repeat the test after restarting the Mac.
If the setting changes only in a Safari profile or on one network, compare the result in a new macOS user account and on a different Wi-Fi connection. Those tests help distinguish a Safari installation problem from a system or network-level redirect.
FAQ
Is Yahoo search itself malware?
No. Yahoo is a legitimate search provider. The concern is an unauthorized redirect or a setting that keeps changing without your approval. That behavior can be caused by an extension, unwanted application, configuration profile, or network setting.
Why does Safari return to Yahoo after I choose Google?
The most likely explanations are a Safari extension, an application running in the background, a configuration profile, or a homepage and redirect setting. If Safari’s setting remains correct but search results still pass through Yahoo, check DNS and proxy settings too.
How do I reset Safari completely?
Safari does not have a single Windows-style reset button. Disable extensions, remove unwanted applications and profiles, clear history and website data, restore the homepage and new-tab settings, and then restart the Mac.
Will clearing Safari history delete my bookmarks or passwords?
Clearing history and website data removes browsing records, cookies, and site sessions. It does not normally remove bookmarks or saved passwords, although you may be signed out of websites.
What should I do if this is a work or school Mac?
Do not remove a configuration profile, DNS server, proxy, or security extension until you confirm it is not required by the organization. Contact the administrator if the search engine is deliberately managed.
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The Bottom Line
Set Safari’s search engine, then look for whatever changes it back: first extensions, then recently installed applications, profiles, login items, and network settings. Clear Safari’s stored data only after checking those causes. If Yahoo still returns after a restart, treat the problem as a system or network redirect rather than a simple Safari preference.
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