Google is already the default search engine in Chrome, but you can change it if you want something else

When you open a new tab in Chrome and type in the search box, Google handles your search by default. You do not have to do anything to make this happen — it is built in. If you have switched to a different search engine (Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, or another) and want to go back to Google, you can change it in Chrome's settings in about 30 seconds.

This matters because your choice of search engine affects where your search history lives and who can see it. If you came here from the article on search history storage, you know that different search engines keep different records and have different privacy policies. Switching your default search engine is one of the few choices you actually control in this process.

Key Takeaways

  • Chrome's search box (the address bar) uses Google by default, but you can change it to Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, or others in Chrome settings.
  • Your choice of search engine determines which company stores your search history and for how long, so it is worth understanding what each one does.
  • You can change your default search engine in under a minute by going to Settings > Search Engine and picking from the list.
  • Changing your default search engine in Chrome does not delete your old search history — that stays with Google or whichever engine you used before.

Where to find the search engine settings in Chrome

Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. This opens a menu. Click Settings. On the left side, you will see a list of options — click Search engine.

You are now looking at the "Search engine" page. At the top, you will see a section called "Search engine used in the address bar" with a dropdown menu. This dropdown shows your current default search engine. Click it to see all the options Chrome offers.

What search engines Chrome offers as defaults

Chrome gives you several built-in options: Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, and Ecosia. You can also add a custom search engine if you want to use something else entirely, though that is less common.

Each one stores your search history differently. Google keeps searches tied to your Google account and stores them for a long time unless you delete them manually. Bing does the same with your Microsoft account. DuckDuckGo says it does not store search history at all, though it does store some information for a short time. Yahoo uses Bing's search results but has its own privacy policy. Ecosia is a search engine that donates its profits to tree-planting projects. If you came from the article on search history, you already know which one matches what you want to happen to your searches.

How to change your default search engine

In the "Search engine used in the address bar" dropdown, click the search engine you want. That is it. Chrome switches when ready. The next time you click the search box in a new tab and type something, that search engine will handle it.

If you want to use a search engine that is not in the list, you can add it manually. Scroll down on the same page to a section called "Other search engines." Click the Add button, then enter the name of the search engine, a short keyword (like "g" or "d"), and the search URL. Most search engines publish this information on their website. Once you add it, you can set it as your default the same way.

What happens to your old search history

Changing your default search engine does not erase the searches you did with the old one. If you searched with Google for the past year and then switch to DuckDuckGo, Google still has all those old searches in your account. They stay there until you delete them.

To delete your Google search history, go to myactivity.google.com, sign in with your Google account, and look for the option to delete activity. You can delete it by date range, by product (so you could delete only search history and keep YouTube history, for example), or all at once. The same process applies to other search engines — each one has its own history page where you can see and delete what you have searched.

Why you might want to change your default search engine

The main reason is privacy. If you do not want Google storing your searches, switching to DuckDuckGo or another privacy-focused engine means your new searches go somewhere else. But understand that this only affects searches going forward — it does not hide the ones you already did.

Some people switch because they prefer the search results from a different engine, or because they want to support a company with a different business model (like Ecosia, which plants trees). Some switch because they use a different browser on their phone and want consistency. The technical reason does not matter — the point is that you can change it whenever you want, and Chrome makes it straightforward to do so.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing my default search engine in Chrome affect other browsers?

No. Each browser has its own settings. If you use Firefox, Safari, or Edge, you have to change the default search engine in each one separately. Chrome's settings only control what happens inside Chrome.

Can I use a different search engine for some searches and keep Google for others?

Yes. You can type a keyword into Chrome's search box to trigger a different search engine for that one search. For example, if you set up DuckDuckGo as a custom search engine with the keyword "d", you can type "d [your search]" in the address bar and it will search DuckDuckGo instead of your default.

If I switch search engines, will my bookmarks or passwords be affected?

No. Your bookmarks, passwords, and all other Chrome data stay the same. Changing the default search engine only changes where your searches go — nothing else in your browser changes.

What if I want to go back to Google after switching?

Go back to Settings > Search engine and click the dropdown. Select Google. That is all. You can switch back and forth as many times as you want.