This wikiHow teaches you how to change the search engine used by your web browser. You can change the primary search engine on popular web browsers such as Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, and Safari. Keep in mind that this process is different from the process of changing your computer's main web browser. If your computer is infected with malware (malware), you may need to remove the malware before changing your browser's primary search engine.
Step
Method 1 of 8: Desktop Version of Google Chrome
Step 1. Open
Google Chrome.
Click or double-click the Chrome browser icon, which looks like a yellow, green, red, and blue ball.
Step 2. Click
It's in the upper-right corner of the Google Chrome window. Once clicked, a drop-down menu will appear.
Step 3. Click Settings
It's at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
Step 4. Scroll to the "Search engine" section
This segment is below the " Appearance " segment on Chrome's settings page.
Step 5. Click the search engine drop-down box
This box is to the right of the "Search engine used in the address bar" heading.
Step 6. Choose a search engine
Click one of the search engines shown in the drop-down box to set as the new search engine. After this, searches performed via the address bar at the top of the Chrome window will use the selected search engine.
Method 2 of 8: Google Chrome Mobile Version
Step 1. Open
Google Chrome.
Tap the Chrome app icon, which looks like a red, yellow, green, and blue ball.
Step 2. Touch
It's in the upper-right corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will be displayed.
Step 3. Touch Settings
It's at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
Step 4. Touch Search Engine
This option is under the " Basics " heading that appears at the top of the screen.
Step 5. Choose a search engine
Touch one of the search engines displayed on the page. A blue tick will be displayed on the right side of the currently active search engine.
Step 6. Touch DONE
It's in the upper-right corner of the screen. After this, Chrome will use the selected search engine when you type the search entry in the address bar.
On Android devices, touch the " Back " button
Method 3 of 8: Desktop Version of Firefox
Step 1. Open Firefox
Click or double-click the Firefox browser icon, which looks like a blue globe surrounded by orange foxes.
Step 2. Click
It's in the upper-right corner of the Firefox window. Once clicked, a drop-down menu will appear.
Step 3. Click Options
It's in the middle of the drop-down menu.
On a Mac computer, click “ Preferences… ”.
Step 4. Click the Search tab
It's in the upper-left corner of the “Options” (or “Preferences”) page.
Step 5. Click the search engine drop-down box
This box is below the " Default Search Engine " heading that appears at the top of the page. A drop-down menu will appear after that.
Most likely the search engine shown is Google
Step 6. Choose a search engine
Click the search engine in the drop-down menu to apply to Firefox. After this, Firefox will use the selected search engine every time you type information in the address bar.
Method 4 of 8: Firefox Mobile Version
Step 1. Open Firefox
Tap the Firefox app icon, which looks like a blue globe surrounded by orange foxes.
Step 2. Touch (iPhone) or (Android).
It's at the bottom of the screen or in the upper-right corner of the screen. Once touched, a menu will be displayed.
Step 3. Touch Settings
This option is at the bottom of the menu.
Step 4. Touch Search
It's at the top of the page.
Step 5. Touch the currently used search engine
Options are displayed at the top of the page. Usually, the preferred option is Google.
Skip this step on Android devices
Step 6. Choose a search engine
Touch the search engine you want to use to set as the new primary search engine. A blue tick will appear next to the selected search engine indicating that from now on, Firefox will use that engine when you search through the address bar.
Method 5 of 8: Microsoft Edge
Step 1. Open Microsoft Edge
Click or double-click the dark blue Microsoft Edge browser icon with a white “e” above it.
Sometimes, the Edge icon looks like a dark blue letter “e”
Step 2. Click
It's in the upper-right corner of the browser window.
Step 3. Click Settings
It's at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
Step 4. Scroll down and click View advanced settings
This option is at the bottom of the settings menu (“Settings”).
Step 5. Scroll down and click Change search engine
It's in the lower half of the screen.
Step 6. Choose a search engine
Click the search engine you want to use as your browser's primary option.
Step 7. Click Set as default
It's at the bottom of the window. After that, the selected option will be set as Microsoft Edge's primary search engine for future searches performed via the address bar.
Method 6 of 8: Internet Explorer
Step 1. Open Internet Explorer
Click or double-click the Internet Explorer browser icon, which looks like a light blue “e” with a gold ribbon.
Step 2. Click
This option is in the URL bar. Just to the right of the magnifying glass icon. Once clicked, a drop-down menu will appear.
Step 3. Click Add
It's in the lower-right corner of the drop-down menu.
Step 4. Choose a search engine
Scroll down and click Add ” next to the search engine.
Not all add-ons or add-ons on this page are search engines
Step 5. Click Add when prompted
The selected search engine will be added to the list of search engines available for Internet Explorer.
Step 6. Click “Settings”
It's a gear icon in the upper-right corner of the Internet Explorer window.
Step 7. Click Internet options
It's at the bottom of the drop-down menu. After that, the “Internet Options” window will be opened.
Step 8. Click the Programs tab
This tab is in the upper-right corner of the “Internet Options” window.
Step 9. Click Manage add-ons
It's in the "Manage add-ons" option group in the middle of the window.
Step 10. Click the Search Providers tab
It's in the upper-left corner of the "Internet Options" window.
Step 11. Select the search engine you want to use
Click the desired search engine to select it. This engine is an option that was previously added.
Step 12. Click Set as default
It's in the lower-right corner of the window.
Step 13. Click Close, then click OK.
Both options are at the bottom of the pop-up window. Now the selected option will be set as Internet Explorer's primary search engine.
Method 7 of 8: Desktop Version of Safari
Step 1. Open Safari
Click or double-click the Safari browser icon, which looks like a blue compass in the Mac's Dock.
Step 2. Click Safari
This menu option is in the upper-left corner of the screen. Once clicked, a drop-down menu will open.
Step 3. Click Preferences…
It's at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
Step 4. Click the Search tab
This tab is in the top-center of the “Preferences” window.
Step 5. Click the "Search engine" drop-down box
This box is at the top of the “Search” page.
Step 6. Choose a search engine
Click the search engine you want to use in Safari to set it as the browser's primary search engine.
Method 8 of 8: Safari Mobile Version
Step 1. Open iPhone settings menu
(“Settings”).
This option is indicated by a gray gear icon and is usually displayed on the home screen.
Step 2. Swipe the screen and touch Safari
This option is in the lower third of the settings page (“Settings”).
Step 3. Touch Search Engine
This option is the top option on the page.
Step 4. Choose a search engine
Touch the search engine service you want to use. A blue tick will appear to the right of the currently selected option.
Tips
- Popular search engines include Google, Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo.
- The terms "search engines" and "web browsers" are often used interchangeably, but they are two different things. A web browser is a program that is used to access the internet, while a search engine is a web service that is used in a web browser to perform online searches.
