Set Google as your default search engine in three steps

Your default search provider is the search engine that runs when you type a question into your browser's address bar without visiting a search site first. To make Google your default, you open your browser settings, find the search engine section, and select Google from the list. The exact steps depend on which browser you use — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge — but the process takes less than a minute on any of them.

Most browsers come with a default search engine already chosen. Chrome uses Google by default. Firefox uses Google in the United States but may use a different engine in other countries. Safari uses Google on most devices. Edge uses Bing. If you want to change from whatever your browser chose to Google instead, the setting lives in the same place you would change any other browser preference.

Key Takeaways

  • Your default search provider is the engine that runs when you type into your browser's address bar, separate from which search site you visit directly.
  • Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge all let you change this setting in their preferences or settings menu within two minutes.
  • Changing your default search engine does not affect your search history storage — that depends on whether you are signed into a Google account and what privacy settings you have chosen.
  • You can set a different default search engine on each browser you use, so you might use Google in Chrome and a different engine in Firefox.

How to change your default search engine in Chrome

Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select Settings from the menu that appears. On the left side, click Search engine. You will see a list of search engines Chrome knows about, with one marked as "Default".

Find Google in that list and click the three dots next to it, then select Make default. If Google is not in the list, click the Manage search engines button, scroll to the bottom, and add Google manually by entering "Google" as the name, "google.com" as the URL, and "https://www.google.com/search?q=%s" as the search URL. Once you have added it, use the three dots to make it default.

How to change your default search engine in Firefox

Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top right corner. Select Settings. On the left side, click Search. Under "Default Search Engine," you will see a dropdown menu showing your current default.

Click the dropdown and select Google from the list. Firefox will when ready switch to Google as your default. If you do not see Google in the dropdown, it means Firefox has not detected it yet — in that case, scroll down to "One-Click Search Engines," find Google in that section, and click the star icon next to it to add it to your default options, then select it from the dropdown above.

How to change your default search engine in Safari

On Mac, open Safari and click Safari in the top menu bar, then select Settings. Click the Search tab. You will see a dropdown labeled "Search engine" with your current default selected.

Click the dropdown and select Google. The change takes effect when ready. On iPhone or iPad, open Settings, scroll down and tap Safari, then tap Search Engine and select Google.

How to change your default search engine in Edge

Open Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top right corner. Select Settings. On the left side, click Privacy, search, and services. Scroll down to the "Search engine" section.

Under "Search engine used in the address bar," click the dropdown showing your current default and select Google. If Google does not appear in the dropdown, click Manage search engines, find Google in the list, click the three dots next to it, and select Make default.

What happens after you change your default search engine

Once you set Google as your default, typing a question into your address bar will search Google instead of whatever engine was there before. This does not change where your search history is stored or who can see it — that depends on whether you are signed into a Google account and what privacy settings you have turned on. Changing your default search engine is purely about which engine runs the search, not about privacy or data collection.

If you use multiple browsers, you can set a different default in each one. You might use Google in Chrome and a privacy-focused engine in Firefox, for example. Each browser keeps its own settings separate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my default search engine affect my existing search history?

No. Your search history is stored based on whether you are signed into a Google account and your privacy settings, not based on which engine is your default. Changing your default search engine does not move, delete, or change how your old searches are stored.

Can I set different default search engines on different devices?

Yes. Each device has its own browser settings. You can set Google as default on your laptop and a different engine on your phone. If you sign into the same browser account on multiple devices, some browsers will sync your settings across them — check your browser's sync settings if you want them to match.

What if Google does not appear in my search engine list?

Most browsers include Google by default, but if it is missing, you can add it manually through the "Manage search engines" option in your browser settings. You will need to enter Google's name and search URL, which your browser will provide a template for.

Does my default search engine choice affect which search results I see?

No. Google returns the same results whether you visit google.com directly or use Google as your default search engine. The default setting only controls which engine runs when you search from your address bar.