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Using Surfshark Search can supercharge your internet browsing – here's how
Virtual private network companies are increasingly expanding beyond the parameters of the VPN uses that are considered the mainstay of the technology when aimed at the general consumer. Market-leading providers are now offering far more than the usual suite of encrypted tunnels, IP masking, and circumventing geo-blocks on certain online content.
None more so than Surfshark.
What is Surfshark Search?
Surfshark Search is a premium feature that comes with all packages except the entry-level Starter tier (e.g. Surfshark One) and is an internet search tool that will give you cleaner results.
The state of Google search results isn't getting any less muddled. With AI Overview taking over, as well as sponsored slots, related videos, and the like, there's a lot of garbage users have to scroll through to get to the results they've actually searched for in the first place.
That's where Surfshark Search comes in, offering a safer, more private and secure search experience.
The search engine utilizes Surfshark's privacy expertise to ensure you leave no trace behind, while also tidying away the ads and preventing activity from being tracked. That means your such results won't be tailored to your previous online activity, but nor will it be infiltrated with ads paid to be pushed to the top of search that don't necessarily meet your needs.
Surfshark Search also allows you to change your location so you can get search results for different countries. This could be handy, for instance, if you're travelling somewhere and want to find places to eat in the neighbourhood you're staying in before you go. Or, perhaps, to get the local news from back at home.
Do I really need a secure search tool?
Surfshark Search is probably only absolutely necessary for the uber privacy-conscious, or those often carrying out sensitive search queries for work.
That said, if you're particularly frustrated by tailored ads and the thought of your tech 'listening' to you, there's nothing to lose by making use of Surfshark Search. Particularly as Surfshark Starter Plus, as a whole, has a lot of other great features (see below) that are certainly more useful for the everyday user.
On the flipside, though, you might quite like that Google, say, has tabs on the websites you regularly visit and serves them up high on your search results. Or that you can have information condensed down into AI Overview (just make sure you double check its sources). In which case, Surfshark Search isn't going to deliver that with its purely organic results.
And if its ability to change your search results by country is of particular appeal, it's worth noting that you can replicate a similar experience with the standard VPN tool by connecting to a server in your desired location and then searching your query on your chosen search engine.
How to get and use Surfshark Search?
The first thing you'll need to do is subscribe to at least Surfshark's Starter+ plan to get Surfshark Search. Its Starter plan doesn't include the feature.
- Sign up to either Surfshark Starter+, Surfshark One or Surfshark One+
- Choose between a 1-month, 12-month or 24-month subscription
- Download the Surfshark client or app to your chosen device
- Launch the app
- Go to the Search tab
- Start typing you query
Note on Android, Surfshark Search can be found under the Products tab, while on iOS it's under the One tab.
There is also the option of accessing Surfshark Search like you would a traditional search engine, by visiting https://search.surfshark.com/. If you like this idea, we'd suggest bookmarking and/or setting it as your default search engine.
You can then set it as your default by doing the following steps.
In Chrome:
- Right click in your address bar and click 'Manage search engines and site search'
- Scroll down to find 'Site Search'
- Click 'Add'
- A window will pop up where you need to fill in the following:
- Search engine: Surfshark
- Shortcut: Surfsearch
- URL: https://search.surfshark.com/results?query=%s
- Click 'Add'
- Then click on the three dots by Surfshark Search
- Click 'Make default'
In Edge:
- Click on the three dots in the top right hand corner
- Click on 'Settings'
- Click on 'Privacy, search, and services'
- Scroll down to 'Services'
- Click on 'Address bar and search'
- Click on 'Manage search engines'
- Click 'Add'
- A window will pop up where you need to fill in the following:
- Search engine: Surfshark
- Shortcut: Surfsearch
- URL: https://search.surfshark.com/results?query=%s
- Click 'Add'
- Then click on the three dots by Surfshark Search
- Click 'Make default'
What other privacy features does Surfshark offer?
Alongside Surfshark's VPN, the provider has expanded its security suite to tackle all the different points in which an online privacy attack can occur, and the different pieces of information said attacks will target.
For instance, Alternative ID (which like Search, comes with Surfshark Starter+ and above) allows you to create a proxy email that is attached to your real email address, preventing you from having an inbox full of spam and potential phishing emails.
Or, if you opt for a more comprehensive Surfshark One plan, you'll get access to the firm's own antivirus product. It monitors your device for any viruses that might have got through, scanning your files and isolating any dangers detected.
Also with One you'll get Surfshark Alert, which checks for data leaks where anything from your name and email address to passwords or payment details might be listed, and notifies you so you can take action promptly.
Read our full Surfshark One review to learn more about the product and what else it includes.
