Setting Google as your default search engine on Windows, Mac, and mobile
The steps to make Google your default search engine depend on which browser and device you use. On most browsers — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge — you can change this setting in under a minute through the browser's settings menu. On your phone, the process is similar but the menu locations differ between Android and iPhone. Once you change it, every search you type into the address bar will go through Google instead of whatever search engine came pre-installed.
Your browser remembers this choice even after you close it. If you use multiple browsers on the same device, you'll need to change the setting in each one separately — changing it in Chrome won't affect Firefox, for example.
Key Takeaways
- On Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, you change your default search engine through the browser settings, not through Google itself.
- On Android phones, the default search engine is usually set in your browser settings, though some phones also let you change it in system settings.
- On iPhones, Safari uses whatever search engine you pick in Settings > Safari > Search Engine, and other browsers like Chrome or Firefox have their own separate settings.
- Changing your default search engine does not delete your past search history — that requires a separate step in your browser's privacy settings.
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. On the left side, click Search engine. You'll see a list of search engines Chrome has detected. Click the radio button next to Google to select it as your default.
If Google doesn't appear in the list, click the dropdown that says Search engines used in address bar and look for Google there. If it still isn't listed, you can add it manually by clicking Manage search engines and site search, then clicking Add at the bottom. Type "Google" as the search engine name, "google.com" as the URL, and "https://www.google.com/search?q=%s" as the search URL.
How to change your default search engine in Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines (called a hamburger menu) in the top right corner. Select Settings. On the left, click Search. Under Default Search Engine, you'll see a dropdown menu. Click it and select Google.
Firefox also shows you a list of search engines you can use for quick searches. If you want to remove other search engines from that list, hover over them and click the X that appears. This doesn't change your default — it just cleans up the list of options you see when you click the search bar.
How to change your default search engine in Safari (Mac and iPhone)
On a Mac, open Safari and click Safari in the top menu bar. Select Settings (or Preferences on older versions). Click the Search tab. Under Search engine, click the dropdown and select Google.
On an iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app (not Safari). Scroll down and tap Safari. Tap Search Engine and select Google. This setting applies to Safari only — if you use Chrome or Firefox on your iPhone, each app has its own search engine setting that you change within that app's own settings.
How to change your default search engine in Edge
Open Edge and click the three dots in the top right corner. Select Settings. On the left, click Privacy, search, and services. Scroll down to the Search engine section. Under Search engine used in the address bar, click the dropdown and select Google.
Edge also lets you set a different search engine for private browsing if you want. Look for the Search engine used in InPrivate windows option in the same section and change it separately if needed.
How to change your default search engine on Android phones
The exact steps depend on which browser you use. In Chrome, tap the three dots in the bottom right (or top right, depending on your phone), select Settings, then Search engine, and choose Google. In Firefox, tap the three lines at the bottom, select Settings, tap Search, and pick Google from the dropdown.
Some Android phones also let you set a default search engine at the system level. Open Settings, search for "search engine," and look for an option like Default search engine or Web search. If you find it, you can set Google there, and it will explore to any browser that uses the system default. However, not all phones have this option, and individual browsers can override it with their own settings.
What happens to your search history when you change your default search engine
Changing your default search engine does not automatically delete the search history you built up using a different search engine. If you previously used Bing as your default and searched for "how to fix a leaky faucet," that search stays in your Bing history even after you switch to Google. Your new searches will go to Google and appear in your Google search history instead.
To delete old searches, you need to clear them separately in each search engine. For Google, go to myactivity.google.com, sign in, and you'll see all your Google searches. You can delete individual searches or clear everything from a specific date range. For Bing, go to account.microsoft.com/privacy and look for search history options there. Each search engine stores this information separately, so clearing one doesn't clear the other.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will changing my default search engine affect my bookmarks or passwords?
No. Your bookmarks, saved passwords, and browsing history stay exactly the same. Only new searches you type into the address bar will go to Google instead of your previous default search engine.
Can I use Google for some searches and a different search engine for others?
Yes. Most browsers let you set a default search engine for the address bar, but you can also add other search engines and use them by clicking on them in the search bar dropdown. You can also visit google.com directly and search there without changing your default.
What if Google doesn't show up in my search engine list?
Your browser may not have detected Google yet. You can add it manually through the "Manage search engines" option in your browser settings. You'll need to enter Google's name and the search URL, which your browser will provide instructions for.
Do I need a Google account to use Google as my default search engine?
No. You can use Google for searching without signing in to a Google account. However, if you do sign in, Google will store your searches in your account history, which you can view and delete at myactivity.google.com.
If I change my default search engine, will websites know what I searched for?
Websites can see that you came from a search engine, but they don't automatically see what you searched for — that information stays between you and Google. However, if you click a link from Google search results, Google may pass some information to the destination website. This happens regardless of whether Google is your default search engine.