It's a common belief that Macs are less vulnerable to security threats, such as viruses and spyware. While it may be true, we cannot say Mac users are 100% safe from threats. The PUP we're about to discuss here is a great example: Search Marquis.

Search Marquis is designed so that most people do not recognize the presence of this unwanted malware. Therefore, it makes sense to know more about Search Marquis and understand how to remove Search Marquis from your Mac.

What Is Search Marquis?

Search Marquis malware, better known as Search Marquis, is a browser hijacker malware that affects Mac computers, especially web browsers. You can put Search Marquis into several categories, such as browser hijacker, PUP, and adware.

search marquis malware on mac

While Search Marquis may not have a noticeable impact on your Mac's system performance or speed, the malware can make your internet experience a nightmare. It does so in multiple ways as well. Therefore, you may have trouble tracing the issue back to a single application or extension.

What Does Search Marquis Do to Your Mac?

Once Search Marquis has infected your Mac, it may do multiple things in the background. As we mentioned, Search Marquis is a browser hijacker malware, meaning you would lose control of the browser.

You can expect to see the following changes made by Search Marquis.

  • The Search Marquis malware will change the default search engine of your web browser from Google or Bing to Searchmarquis.com.
  • The malware will also display an increasing number of annoying ads whenever you use the browser. Unlike typical ads on the web, these malicious ads will lead you to unsafe websites/products.
  • Because the Search Marquis malware has control over your web browser, it can install other add-ons and extensions. As you can guess, these add-ons may bring further security issues.
  • The Search Marquis malware on Mac will often redirect you to inappropriate or unsafe websites when you browse the web.
  • You cannot predict what Search Marquis malware will do in the background. Therefore, it may be causing security issues as well.

It is clear that the Search Marquis malware can do many harmful things to your privacy. It is another reason you should get rid of Search Marquis as soon as possible.

How Does Search Marquis Infect Your Mac?

corona wash and vax game on a Mac

Are you wondering how your Mac got infected by Search Marquis in the first place? Well, you may have got it from a bundle.

Search Marquis is often bundled with some other tools that seem helpful at first look. However, once you install these tools, you will find that they are not effective. By then, the Search Marquis malware would have been installed on your Mac. The worst part? Even if you delete the main piece of software, Search Marquis may remain on your Mac.

Alternatively, Search Marquis malware can disguise itself as a helpful tool. For example, it may claim to enhance the web browsing experience and download speeds. In reality, however, these 'good' things would not happen. Instead, the issues we mentioned earlier will wreak havoc on your Mac.

So, if you think your Mac is infected with a Search Marquis, you should see how you can remove it.

How to Manually Remove Search Marquis From Mac

You can use many methods to remove Search Marquis from Mac, but manually removing it is a three-step process. So, let's take a look at all of them:

Remove Unwanted Apps

In the first step, you must find and remove malicious or unwanted applications from your Mac. To do this, open Finder and choose Go > Applications.

go to applications

Now, you can check for applications whose names you do not recognize. Once you find them, you can move them to the Bin (or Trash).

move application to bin

Alternatively, you can empty the Trash or remove these apps permanently from your system.

Remove Background Items

You should also remove background items the Search Marquis malware may have installed on your Mac. To do this, go to System Settings > General > Login Items.

open login items

Here, you can remove the Login items that you do not recognize by clicking on the minus (-) icon

edit login items

On the same page, you can select which apps are allowed to run in the background.

Reset Your Web Browser

Once you have cleaned your Mac from Search Marquis, you should reverse the changes on the web browser. Restoring a browser is the easiest way to do it, as it will reset everything to factory settings. But if you sync your web browser with a Google or iCloud account, some extensions may be installed when you log in.

To prevent such an issue, you must go to the Extensions page for your respective browser and remove malicious-looking extensions. Similarly, if you find an extension you cannot recognize, it is better to remove it. Once you've done this, you can reset the browser.

Please note that some browsers may not have a dedicated Reset button. For instance, Safari does not have one, but you can follow our guide to reset Safari to default settings on Mac.

reset settings on brave

But if there is an option for Reset, you can open Settings on your browser and scroll down until you see the "Reset Settings" option.

In a second or two, the browser will relaunch with factory settings. These three steps will help remove Marquis from Mac when correctly followed.

How to Remove Search Marquis From Mac With a Malware Removal Tool

If you think the manual way of Search Marquis removal on Mac is difficult, you can use this method.

In this method, you can use a dedicated malware removal tool to remove Search Marquis from a Mac. It comes with the following advantages:

  • It will remove every single aspect of the Search Marquis malware.
  • You do not have to worry about leftover files or other traces.
  • It will also eliminate other PUPs and malware from your Mac.
  • As these tools are optimized, you do not face the risk of accidentally deleting system files.
  • You can save a lot of time.

While you can choose from a wide range of malware removal tools, some also include other features. For instance, CleanMyMac X is an app for optimizing your Mac, but it comes with a built-in malware removal tool. However, we recommend checking out Malwarebytes if you want a dedicated program.

cleanmymac malware removal

In addition, you can check our coverage of the best free antivirus software for Mac if you want a way to stay safe from Search Marquis and other malware-based threats.

Protect Your Mac From Search Marquis

Once you have removed Search Marquis from your Mac, you need to take extra steps not to install malware again. Also, don't forget that Search Marquis is one of the many malware that may infect your Mac.

So, always avoid installing unidentified software bundles on your Mac, which may contain malware like Search Marquis. It is also a good idea to regularly check your Mac for malware infection.