Set Google as your default search engine in three steps

Your default search engine is the one that runs when you type a question directly into your browser's address bar. Right now, your browser is probably set to Bing, Yahoo, or something else. Changing it to Google takes less than a minute and works the same way across Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge — you go into your browser settings, find the search engine menu, and pick Google from the list.

The exact steps depend on which browser you use, but the principle is identical: your browser has a settings area where search engines live, Google is almost always already installed as an option, and you just need to mark it as the default. You do not need to download anything or restart your computer.

Key Takeaways

  • Your default search engine is the one that runs when you type into the address bar, and you can change it in your browser settings in under a minute.
  • Google is already installed in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge — you just need to set it as the default rather than installing it.
  • The steps are slightly different for each browser, but all of them have a search engine menu in settings where you can pick Google.
  • Changing your default search engine does not affect which search engine you use when you click a search link or type into a search box on a website.

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 under "Search engines used in the address bar." Google should already be in that list. Click on Google, and it will become your default. That is it — the next time you type into the address bar, Google will run your search.

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 side, click Search.

Under "Default Search Engine," you will see a dropdown menu showing your current default. Click it and select Google. Firefox will switch immediately. If you do not see Google in the dropdown, scroll down to "One-Click Search Engines" and you will find it there — click the star icon next to Google to make it your default.

Change your default search engine in Safari

Open Safari and click Safari in the top menu bar (on the far left). Select Settings or Preferences depending on your macOS version. Click the Search tab.

You will see a dropdown menu labeled "Search engine." Click it and select Google. Close the settings window and you are done. Safari will use Google the next time you search from the address bar.

Change your default search engine in Edge

Open Edge and click the three dots in the top right corner. Select Settings. On the left side, click Privacy, search, and services.

Scroll down to the "Search engine" section. You will see your current default listed. Click the dropdown and select Google. Edge will update immediately. If Google is not showing in the dropdown, click "Manage search engines" below it, find Google in the full list, and click the three dots next to it, then select "Make default."

What happens after you change your default

Once you set Google as your default, typing a question into your browser's address bar will send that search to Google instead of wherever it was going before. This does not change what happens when you click a search link on a website or when you type into a search box on Google.com itself.

Your browser will remember this choice. If you ever want to switch back to a different search engine, you follow the same steps and pick a different default. You can also have multiple search engines installed and switch between them — your browser just needs to know which one to use when you type into the address bar without specifying a search engine first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my default search engine affect my search history?

No. Your search history is stored separately from your default search engine setting. Changing your default does not delete old searches or change where they are stored. If you want to clear your search history, that is a separate action in your browser settings.

Can I use different search engines for different things?

Yes. You can type a search engine name directly into your address bar — for example, typing "bing: weather" will search Bing instead of your default. You can also install multiple search engines and switch your default whenever you want. Your browser just needs one marked as the default for when you do not specify which one to use.

What if Google is not showing up in my search engine list?

Google is built into all major browsers, so it should always be there. If you cannot find it, try searching for "Google" in the search engine menu or look for an "Add search engine" option. You can also visit Google.com in your browser, and most browsers will offer to add it to your search engine list automatically.

Does my default search engine affect which results I see?

Yes. Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines return different results for the same question because they rank websites differently. Switching to Google means you will see Google's ranking of results instead of your previous search engine's ranking. The quality and relevance of results can vary between search engines.