Surfshark pulls the plug on Search as it shifts focus to fighting scams

Date:
Mon, 03 Aug 2026 14:15:45 +0000

Description:
Surfshark is phasing out its private Search tool due to low adoption,
starting with mobile, and says a brand new anti-scam feature is coming to iOS and Android.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Surfshark is retiring its private Search tool, blaming a lack of usage Already begun on mobile, the
full shutdown is expected by the end of 2026 The company says the move frees up resources for its Antiscam Hub Surfshark is preparing to shut down Search, its built-in private search engine, for the simple reason that not enough people were using it.

In a note to TechRadar, the company confirmed that the tool, which is bundled with its One and One+ plans , will be wound down over the coming months. Surfshark framed the decision as a way to free up resources for the areas its customers care more about, chiefly its Antiscam Hub .

The move is a notable trim for one of the best VPN providers around, a
company that has spent recent years bolting extra privacy tools onto its app. Search was one of them, offering ad-free, tracker-free results with the
option to switch regions.

Surfshark the best cheap VPN Surfshark is a fast, easy-to-use VPN that seriously beats the competition when it comes to subscription pricing. Its two-year Starter plan works out at $2.49 a month (plus tax), but we think Surfshark One is the best value plan as it adds an antivirus, data breach monitor, and alternative ID tool starting from the equivalent of $2.79 a month. View Deal Why Surfshark is retiring Search The problem, by Surfshark's own admission, is that hardly anyone used it. The company told TechRadar that adoption stayed limited to a very small slice of its user base, and that retiring the tool lets it pour resources into higher-demand areas instead. Chief among those is the Antiscam Hub. You may like Surfshark launches new Antiscam Hub for iOS users, rolling 5 security features into a single in-app experience Surfsharks FastTrack now covers more than 2.000 servers your city might be on the list too I had my data removed from company databases with this little-known VPN feature

It's a pragmatic call. Standalone private search engines face stiff competition from established names like DuckDuckGo , Startpage , and Brave Search , and a search tool tucked inside a VPN app was always going to be a hard sell against them.

The wind-down is staggered rather than immediate. Search has already been pulled from iOS, and it will disappear from Android with the next app release in early August. For now, it survives on Surfshark's web app, so anyone who relies on it there has some time to choose their new alternative.

Surfshark says it will retire Search everywhere else by the end of the year, and tidy up any lingering mentions of it across its website. Where the resources are going: the Antiscam Hub Surfshark's new Antiscam hub combines a number of its existing features into one easily navigated location (Image credit: Surfshark) In May, the company launched its Antiscam Hub for iOS , a dedicated section of the app that pulls five existing tools into a single interface: Personal Email Masking, Alternative Number, Dark Web Monitoring, Unsafe Site Blocking, and Identity Theft Coverage.

At launch, the hub didn't so much add new features as reorganize existing ones, and Surfshark billed it as the starting point for a roadmap of increasingly sophisticated security features. What to read next No more beating around the bush Arc Search puts AI at the center of your browser experience 'They will renew your subscription even if you turn off the auto-renewal' Which VPN has the most price complaints on the Play Store? Surfshark joins forces with Amnesty International to train digital human rights defenders

That roadmap is now taking shape: the company told TechRadar it will soon reveal a completely new addition to the Antiscam Hub for both iOS and Android users.

It won't reach everyone, though. The new feature "will be part of the Surfshark One and One+ bundles," Gabriele Sinkeviciute, Head of Product at Surfshark, told TechRadar, adding that the company will assess future
releases individually.

"The VPN is our foundation, but our focus is on building an all-in-one security product," Sinkeviciute said.

That tracks. Rivals including NordVPN have been consolidating their security tools into unified suites, as VPN providers push beyond simple traffic encryption. It also reflects a grim reality: US consumers reported losing about $15.9 billion to fraud in 2025, the highest on record and up roughly
27% from $12.5 billion in 2024, according to the FTC.

For now, the takeaway is straightforward Search is on its way out, scam protection is the priority, and Surfshark says there's more to come. Today's best Surfshark deals +3 months free Surfshark 24 Months 1.79 /mth View at Surfshark Surfshark 12 Months 2.49 /mth View at Surfshark Surfshark 1 Month 11.99 /mth View at Surfshark Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-services/surfshark-pulls-the-plug-on-search- as-it-shifts-focus-to-fighting-scams


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