To change your browser’s default search engine, open its search settings and choose the provider used by the address bar. This is separate from changing your homepage, default browser or the search box built into a new-tab page. Test by typing a fresh search into the address bar after making the change.
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Quick settings for each browser
| Browser | Where to look on a computer |
|---|---|
| Chrome | Settings > Search engine. |
| Edge | Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Search and connected services > Address bar and search. |
| Firefox | Settings > Search > Default Search Engine. |
| Safari on Mac | Safari > Settings > Search. |
| Opera | Settings, then search within settings for Search engine. |
Menu wording can vary with the version and device. These are desktop instructions; a phone’s app may use a shorter menu.
Google Chrome
Open the three-dot menu, choose Settings and select Search engine. Use the change control or provider menu shown there. If you need a custom provider, look for Manage search engines and site search.
Google’s search-engine help explains the available controls. A site-search shortcut and the default provider are different settings. Our Chrome internal-URL guide explains opening chrome://settings/searchEngines directly.
Microsoft Edge
Go to the Edge settings path in the table, then choose the search engine used in the address bar. If your provider is missing, visit its website, perform a search, and check the list again. Microsoft describes supported search providers in its Edge search guide.
Also check any setting controlling whether new-tab searches use the search box or address bar. Changing the address-bar provider does not mean every Microsoft search surface changes with it.
Firefox, Safari and Opera
- Firefox: open Settings > Search and choose a Default Search Engine. Mozilla’s search settings guide also explains adding providers and extension changes.
- Safari: on a Mac, open Safari > Settings > Search. Review the regular and private-browsing search options shown in your version. Apple documents them in Safari Search settings.
- Opera: search its Settings page for Search engine and choose the address-bar provider. Use the controls available in your installed version rather than assuming every custom shortcut can be made the default.
If you wanted a visible Google box instead, our Google search-bar guide compares the address bar, homepage, startup page and Firefox‘s separate search box.
Why does the old search engine keep appearing?
First identify where you searched: the address bar, a website, a new-tab search box or a taskbar search. They may be separate. Then check whether an extension, another browser profile or your organization’s policy controls the setting.
If the page itself is crashing, changing provider may hide the symptom without fixing it. See our STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION troubleshooting guide for that separate problem. For startup behavior, use our homepage guide.