macOS Ventura control-click (right mouse click) shows a very wrong emetic search option

Question

macOS Ventura control-click (right mouse click) shows a very wrong emetic search option

DuckDuckGo was set as my default search engine on Safari as I was setting up my new Mac Studio in early June. It was updated twice since and is running Ventura 13.4.1 with no problems.

Right mouse click* on a screen item will produce a list menu that begins with:

Twice in Safari I did something in the last week that opened a new search tab with a Google Search page but I cannot remember exactly what I did. In retrospection I probable right-clicked on a phrase and selected "Search With ......" not aware that it was probable Google.

In the last 24-hours I have right-clicked on an item and seen "Search With Google" instead of "Search With DuckDuckGo"

Initially in Preview I was seeing "Search The Web" and then it changed to "Search With Google".

Initially in TextEdit I was seeing "Search With DuckDuckGo" and then it changed to "Search With Google".

If I could select text and right click "Search With Google" was nearly always there instead of "Search With DuckDuckGo".

As I tested other Apps "Search With Google" was always appearing in Calendar, Contacts, System Settings, User Guide for Mac, Calculator, Finder, Preview, Maps, CotEditor and SnipNotes, the last two are the only 3rd party App installed and both from the App Store. As I type this I can select and right-click outside this text box in Safari and see "Search With DuckDuckGo"

or select within this text box and see "Search With Google".

This occurred after I had download two common iPhone Apps as a trial (HotDoc & Chemist Warehouse), neither related to Alphabet and removing those Apps (including the Library/Containers) made no difference.

The other Apps I mentioned above I have tested again today and all constantly show "Search With Google" I also checked Apple TV, Music, Stickies - All "Search With Google". The only exception was Terminal which showed "Search the Web". Phew .. that's a relief but I don't know why.

I can find nothing in System Settings that could have this effect but Ventura is very different to Monterey, still running on my 2015 MacBook Pro, which shows "Search With DuckDuckGo" on any right-click.

I have not been able to find this happening anywhere but I am not taking it personally - yet.

Suggestions please!!! I feel like I have been violated

Footnotes:

*Logitech MX Master 3S for Mac - as advised by local Apple Store for the Mac Studio

Control-click has the same response.
I useDuckDuckGo as my Search Engine & Safari as my browser and Apple as my Hardware-Software because of an expressed interest in privacy.
The option that I buy a Chromebook and create a YouTube Channel: "My Mandroid" are not viable options.

Mac Studio

Posted on Jul 4, 2023 3:56 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

robertdownunder Author

Level 1

14 points

Jul 15, 2023 6:34 AM in response to dialabrain

SUCCESS!!!!

When I searched in Communities for "Services and Google" I found the answer at

Remove 'Search the web' / 'Search with Google' service

Once I followed the suggestion and set "Safari to always open on the same webpage" I went back to Service Settings to find:

It seems Ventura & Safari wanted to be really sure I wanted to changes my search engine - everywhere.

I have been madly running around right clicking where ever I go and all I see are 🦆🦆GO.

I'm glad that's over. My skin was getting all puffy from the number of showers I was having each day.

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Answer 2

dialabrain

Level 10

125,483 points

Jul 4, 2023 4:11 AM in response to robertdownunder

robertdownunder wrote:

3. The option that I buy a Chromebook and create a YouTube Channel: "My Mandroid" are not viable options.

Just curious, who suggested that? lol

Is the Safari search setting still listed as DuckDuckGo? It doesn't switch for me.

Try booting into Safe Mode, then restart normally. Sometimes that will fix anomalies.

How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support

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Answer 3

Jul 4, 2023 6:28 PM in response to dialabrain

The Chromebook option was merely a pre-emptive counterargument - I'm trying to maintain a sense of humour here.

Safari is firmly set to DuckDuckGo as the Search engine. Prior to my 15-inch PowerBook in 2005 I had been using a work laptop running a Microsoft OS and used a gmail account for iTunes. That gmail account subsequently evolved into Apple Music, Apple TV and App Store ID until I deleted it prior to setting up my Mac Studio with my @me.com as a unified Apple ID for everything including all that had existed before; iCloud, Mail, Calendar, Contacts ect.

Which is why my Mac Studio was set up as a fresh installation and the only 2 Apps have I added to it were new downloads with my unified Apple ID. I had meant to recreate my entire Keychain Access App from scratch before accessing iCloud.

But Sloth, Greed and several other Cardinal Sins saw me desperate to begin using this Monolith* of a Mac Studio and so the pre-existing Keychain Access App was kept in iCloud when the Studio connected. There are no Apps on this Mac Studio that use the old gmail account - it only exists as unused and now archaic logins. I did check my accounts in Calendar and Mail and they only have my Apple ID and no old gmail or work accounts - even though I have in Mail emails sent and received using those old accounts. Not sure what that means. The first time I checked my Mail Accounts it opened System Settings which crashed - not good. Nothing of those old accounts in the crash report and on rechecking my Apple ID it is the only account listed.

In Safe Mode the right mouse search is still "Search With Google" with the exception of Safari which remains as "Search With DuckDuckGo" (except in text boxes) and Terminal which remains as "Search the Web".

It would seem that the next step is to try something simple by loging in as a new user (my cat is an Administrator) and then just reinstall macOS to see if that solves then problem. But I will cull the dead gmail passwords and anything else Alphabet from Keychain first.

Otherwise it will be:

A manual backup of any existing passwords.
Deleting all emails from old accounts.
Backing up Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Notes, Documents and iCloud Photos separately and in multiple.
Wiping iCloud completely.
Logging out of iCloud from all devices.
A complete Reinstall of macOS.
Check the status of the right mouse search.
Repeat that as I reinstall each Backup until I isolate any problematic file.
Restore Wallet, Find My Mac, and Keychain from new.
Re-establish iCould & reconnect devices.
Take a long holiday.

Grateful for any other suggestions that might require less time.

Somewhere along this journey Apple Support will probably get a call. Unfortunately I wasn't able to set up this new Mac Studio within 90 days of buying it from Apple so no technical support or the ability to purchase Apple Care+. But they were helpful a few weeks ago as I planned my transition. Probably because I said I would throw out my Mac Studio and by a Chromebook if they didn't help me get rid of my old gmail account.

*Somewhat akin to our distant predecessors as portrayed in 2001: A Space Odyssey - although their Monolith was Space Black.

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Answer 4

Jul 15, 2023 5:58 AM in response to dialabrain

A new account didn't help. I thought I had found the problem in Keyboard ShortCuts in Services.

Under Search there is a default option for "Google" search

Deselecting "Search with Google" didn't help.

The settings for this appear to be System > Library Services.

Beyond that I am lost.

So I am going to post a new query and link this seems to be a Bug.

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Answer 5

dialabrain

Level 10

125,483 points

Jul 4, 2023 8:08 PM in response to robertdownunder

I don't have an answer for you but, I checked on both an iMac Pro and an M1 MacBook Air. If I switch the Safari search engine to DuckDuckGo, "Search" on all Apple apps reflect the change. So, trying a new account sounds like a good first step.

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