Searchonymous

Prevents Google from tracking your searches.

What is Searchonymous?

The Chrome extension 'Searchonymous' is a privacy tool to protect your Google searches. It stops Google from sending tracking cookies, hence it can't link searches to your account or build a search history. Despite tampering with Google search, the extension keeps other Google services intact. It also lets you alter your search settings by enabling the 'Search Preferences Cookie'. However, it can't secure against IP or browser fingerprint tracking.

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Extension stats

By: Merten Peetz

View on Chrome Web Store

Users: 2,000+

Rating: 4.29 (17)

Version: 1.1.2 (Last updated: 2023-07-20)

Creation date: 2019-02-27

Risk impact: Very high risk impact

Risk likelihood: Low risk likelihood

Manifest version: 2

Permissions:

webRequest
webRequestBlocking
storage
*://*.google.com/*
*://*.google.ad/*
*://*.google.ae/*
*://*.google.com.af/*
*://*.google.com.ag/*
*://*.google.com.ai/*
*://*.google.al/*

Size: 27.95K

Email: ch*****@mpeetz.de

Ranking

# 20852 ▼ 87

Other rankings

#1751 in Tools ▲ 4

Other platforms

Searchonymous (v1.1.2)

4.21

(24) 1,661+

Not available on Edge

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Extension summary

Analyze keywords

Searchonymous helps to keep your Google searches private: When installed no tracking cookies are sent to Google while searching. That way Google will not be able to connect searches with your account or create a search history. Also you will not receive customized search results.

When the add-on is active it seems to Google that are logged out of your Google account during searches (see the the "Sign in" button at the top right). However you stay logged in on other Google services such as Youtube or Gmail.

If you want to change your Google search settings, make sure to allow the "Search Preferences Cookie" in the add-on settings. By default the preferences-cookie will be blocked which effectively discards any changes to your search settings.

Please note that there are other means of tracking this add-on can't protect you against, such as using your IP address or browser fingerprint.

User reviews

These summaries are automatically generated weekly using AI based on recent user reviews. Chrome Web Store does not verify user reviews, so some user reviews may be inaccurate, spammy, or outdated.

Pros

Useful for privacy
Effective in bypassing captcha
Allows searching Google without an account
Generally easy to test functionality
Simple codebase for developers

Cons

Recently stopped working for some users
Redirects to cookie settings page
Not functioning on Opera browser
Repeated reports of similar issues
Uncertainty about effectiveness

Most mentioned

Stopped working recently
Works great for privacy
Not functioning on Opera
Logged out of Google during searches
Questions about how to test effectiveness

Recent reviews

Stopped working recently now Big Bad Google will redirect your search to a cookie settings page so there goes any hope for privacy.

Bogdan S, 2023-10-10

Fantastic extension. Very useful for privacy and getting rid of captcha while using vpn.

Max Payne, 2023-07-29

So far it's working great, letting me search google without an account but not signing me out of other google sites. also I haven't encountered captcha or agreeing the google terms pop-up. Will update my rating if anything changes...