Add Google as a favorite in three steps

Open Safari on your iPhone and go to google.com. Tap the share button (the square with an arrow pointing up) at the bottom of the screen. Scroll down and tap Add to Favorites, then confirm. Google now appears in your Favorites folder whenever you open a new tab.

If you use Chrome instead of Safari, the process is slightly different. Open Chrome, navigate to google.com, tap the three dots in the bottom right corner, and select Add to Bookmarks. Chrome saves it to your bookmarks rather than a dedicated Favorites folder, but you can access it the same way — by opening a new tab and looking for your bookmarks.

Both browsers let you rearrange your favorites after you add them. In Safari, tap Edit in the Favorites section of a new tab, then drag Google higher or lower in the list. In Chrome, long-press the bookmark and select Edit to change its name or folder location.

Key Takeaways

  • Safari stores favorites in a dedicated folder that appears when you open a new tab, while Chrome saves bookmarks in a separate bookmarks menu.
  • Adding Google to Safari Favorites takes three taps: share button, scroll, and confirm.
  • You can rename or move your Google favorite after adding it by using the Edit option in either browser.
  • Setting Google as a favorite is different from setting it as your default search engine, which you change in Settings instead.

The difference between Safari Favorites and Chrome Bookmarks

Safari's Favorites folder is designed for quick access. When you open a new tab in Safari, your Favorites appear as large icons at the top of the screen. This makes them faster to tap than hunting through a menu. Google in your Favorites means you can reach it with one tap from any new tab.

Chrome's bookmarks work differently. They live in a bookmarks menu that you access by tapping the three dots and selecting Bookmarks. This takes an extra step compared to Safari, but Chrome lets you organize bookmarks into folders, which is useful if you have many saved sites. If you use Chrome across multiple devices (iPhone, Mac, Android), your bookmarks sync automatically.

If you want Google to load automatically every time you open Safari or Chrome, adding it to Favorites or Bookmarks is not the same as setting it as your default search engine. You change the default search engine in Settings, not in the browser itself. That controls what happens when you type in the address bar, while Favorites control what appears on your new tab page.

Why you might want Google as a favorite instead of a bookmark

Favorites are faster to reach than bookmarks because they display as icons on your new tab page. If you search the web multiple times a day, having Google one tap away saves time. You do not have to open a menu or type anything — just open a new tab and tap the Google icon.

Bookmarks are better if you want to organize multiple sites into folders. Chrome's bookmark system lets you create folders like "News Sites" or "Shopping" and sort your saved pages. Safari's Favorites are simpler but less flexible — they are meant for your most-used sites, not a large collection.

How to remove Google from Favorites if you change your mind

In Safari, open a new tab and look at your Favorites. Tap Edit in the bottom right corner. Find Google in the list and tap the red minus sign next to it, then tap Delete. Tap Done when you finish.

In Chrome, long-press the Google bookmark and select Delete. The bookmark disappears when ready. If you change your mind, you can add it back the same way you added it the first time.

Setting Google as your default search engine on iPhone

Adding Google to Favorites is different from making it your default search engine. The default search engine controls what happens when you type a question in the address bar. Google is already the default in both Safari and Chrome on most iPhones, but you can check or change it in Settings.

For Safari: Open Settings, scroll down and tap Safari, then tap Search Engine. You will see Google, Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo as options. Google is usually already selected. For Chrome: Open the Chrome app, tap the three dots, go to Settings, tap Search Engine, and select Google if it is not already chosen.

Your default search engine and your Favorites are independent. You can have Google as a favorite without it being your default search engine, or vice versa. Most people set them the same way for consistency, but the choice is yours.

Organizing multiple favorites on your iPhone

If you add several sites to Favorites, Safari displays them as a grid of icons on your new tab page. You can rearrange them by tapping Edit, then dragging each icon to a new position. Put the sites you use most often at the top left, where they are easiest to reach.

Safari also lets you create folders within Favorites. Tap Edit, then tap the folder icon at the bottom of the screen to create a new folder. You can name it and move Favorites into it. This is useful if you have favorites for work, shopping, news, and other categories. Google usually stays in the main Favorites grid since you use it frequently, but you can move it into a folder if you prefer.

Chrome does not have a Favorites grid like Safari. Instead, you access all bookmarks through the menu. If you use Chrome and want quick access to Google, you can add it to your Bookmarks Bar, which appears at the top of the screen when you are browsing. Long-press the Google bookmark, select Edit, and choose Bookmarks Bar as the folder.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add Google to my home screen instead of Favorites?

Yes. Long-press on your home screen, tap the plus sign, search for Safari or Chrome, and select "Add Widget". You can add a web clip widget that opens google.com when you tap it. This is faster than opening Safari and tapping a Favorite, but it takes up home screen space.

Will Google appear in Favorites on all my Apple devices?

If you use iCloud to sync Safari across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, your Favorites will appear on all of them. Go to Settings, tap your name, select iCloud, and make sure Safari is toggled on. Chrome syncs bookmarks across devices if you are signed into your Google account in Chrome.

What if I want Google to open automatically when I open Safari?

You cannot make Safari open to a specific website automatically. Safari always opens to your new tab page, which shows your Favorites. Adding Google to Favorites is the closest option — it puts Google one tap away. Alternatively, you can set your home page in Settings by going to Safari and selecting Home Page, but this only affects the home page button, not the new tab page.

Is there a difference between adding Google and adding google.com?

No. When you add google.com to Favorites, Safari displays it as "Google" with the Google icon. The name and icon are automatic — you cannot customize them. If you want to rename it to something else, you can edit it after adding it, but most people leave it as Google.