How to remove Ask search engine from Chrome, Edge and Firefox

Applies to: Windows 11 and Windows 10 with Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Mozilla Firefox.

What the Ask search engine is

Ask.com is a real search site, but for years the Ask Toolbar was bundled with free software installers. Click through an installer too quickly and it changed your browser’s search engine and home page to Ask, often with a helper program that set them back if you changed them. It isn’t a virus, but it’s unwanted, and the same tricks are used by more aggressive adware.

Work through the steps in order. Removing the program first stops it from undoing your browser changes.

Step 1: Uninstall Ask programs

1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps (Windows 10: Settings > Apps > Apps & features).
2. Sort by Install date and look for Ask Toolbar, Ask App, Ask Toolbar Updater, APN or anything from Ask Partner Network. Also look at free programs installed on the same day you first saw Ask.
3. Click the three dots next to each one and choose Uninstall. If an uninstaller asks whether to keep your search settings, choose to restore the original ones.
4. Restart the PC.

Step 2: Remove Ask from Chrome

1. Go to chrome://extensions and click Remove on any Ask extension or one you don’t recognize.
2. Open Settings > Search engine and set Search engine used in the address bar to Google or another engine you trust.
3. Click Manage search engines and site search, find Ask in the list, click the three dots and choose Delete.
4. Under On startup, select Open the New Tab page or remove the Ask address from Open a specific page or set of pages.
5. If the setting is greyed out or comes back, use Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults. This keeps bookmarks and saved passwords.

If Chrome shows Managed by your organization on a home PC, a policy is forcing the search engine. That’s a sign of a more persistent hijacker; follow how to get rid of an unwanted search engine for the policy cleanup.

Step 3: Remove Ask from Edge

1. Go to edge://extensions and remove any Ask extension.
2. Open Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Address bar and search (on some versions Search and connected experiences), and set Search engine used in the address bar to Bing or Google.
3. Click Manage search engines, then remove Ask with the three-dot menu.
4. Under Settings > Start, home, and new tabs, remove Ask from the startup pages.
5. If it returns, use Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their default values.

Step 4: Remove Ask from Firefox

1. Open Menu > Add-ons and themes > Extensions and remove any Ask add-on.
2. Go to Settings > Search, choose a new Default Search Engine, then select Ask under Search Shortcuts and click Remove.
3. Under Settings > Home, set Homepage and new windows to Firefox Home (Default).
4. If Ask still loads, use Refresh Firefox (type about:support in the address bar and click Refresh Firefox). It keeps bookmarks and passwords but removes add-ons and customizations.

Step 5: Check browser shortcuts and scan

Some installers add the Ask address to the browser shortcut itself, so the search page opens even after every setting is fixed. Right-click the browser shortcut on the desktop or taskbar (on the taskbar, right-click again on the browser name), choose Properties and look at the Target box. It should end with the program’s file name, such as chrome.exe" or msedge.exe". Delete anything after the closing quote, such as an ask.com address, and click OK.

Finally, run a full scan with Microsoft Defender to catch any leftover helper; see how to scan for malware on Windows. If Ask arrived alongside other unwanted programs, the Babylon removal guide covers a very similar cleanup.

Related guides

• How to get rid of an unwanted search engine in Chrome, Edge and Firefox
• How to uninstall Babylon search engine
• Adware removal: how to get rid of adware on Windows
• How to scan for malware on Windows 11 and 10

Official sources: for more detail, see the vendors’ own pages:

• Microsoft Support: Uninstall or remove apps and programs in Windows
• Google Chrome Help: Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups and malware
• Mozilla Support: Refresh Firefox

Frequently asked questions

Is Ask.com a virus?

No. Ask.com is a legitimate search site. The problem is the bundled toolbar and helper software that changed your settings without a clear choice. Removing them is enough; you don’t need to reinstall Windows.

Why does Ask come back after I change the search engine?

A program or extension is still resetting it, or the browser shortcut opens the Ask page. Uninstall the program first (step 1), then check extensions and the shortcut target (step 5).

Will resetting my browser delete my bookmarks?

No. Chrome, Edge and Firefox resets keep bookmarks and saved passwords. They turn off or remove extensions and reset the startup page and search settings; Chrome and Edge also clear cookies.