Change your default search engine in Chrome's settings in under a minute

When you type a question into Chrome's address bar, it searches using Google by default. You can change this to Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, or several others. The setting lives in Chrome's search engine menu, and the change takes effect immediately — no restart needed.

This guide walks you through finding that menu, picking a new search engine, and removing the old one if you want to clean things up.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Chrome's settings, go to Search engine, and pick a new default from the dropdown menu.
  • Chrome comes with several search engines built in — Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Yahoo are ready to use without installing anything.
  • You can add a search engine that is not on the list by visiting its website and letting Chrome detect it.
  • Removing an old search engine from the list does not affect your browsing history or saved passwords.
  • The change applies only to searches typed in the address bar, not to search boxes inside websites.

Open Chrome's search engine settings

Start by opening Google Chrome. In the top right corner, click the three vertical dots (the menu button). A dropdown list appears.

Click Settings from that menu. A new tab opens showing Chrome's settings page. On the left side, you will see a column of options. Click Search engine from that list.

The Search engine page shows a dropdown menu labeled "Search engine used in the address bar." This is where you make the change.

Pick a new default search engine from the list

Click the dropdown menu next to "Search engine used in the address bar." Chrome shows you the search engines it already knows about. The most common ones are Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Yahoo.

Click whichever one you want to use. The change happens immediately. The next time you type a question into the address bar, Chrome will search using your new choice instead of Google.

If you do not see the search engine you want in this list, you can add it — see the section below on adding a custom search engine.

Add a search engine that is not on the list

If your preferred search engine does not appear in the dropdown, you can add it yourself. Go to that search engine's website in Chrome — for example, visit ecosia.org if you want to use Ecosia.

Use the search box on that website to search for something. Chrome detects that the site has a search function and remembers it. Go back to Chrome's Search engine settings page. Click the dropdown menu again, and your new search engine should now appear in the list. Click it to make it your default.

If the search engine still does not show up after you have searched on its site, you can add it manually. On the Search engine settings page, scroll down to "Other search engines." Click the Add button. A small form appears asking for the search engine's name, the shortcut you want to type, and the search URL. You can find the search URL by visiting the site, searching for a test word, and copying the URL from your address bar — then replace that test word with %s in the URL you paste.

Remove a search engine you no longer want

If you have added search engines over time and want to clean up the list, you can remove them. Go back to the Search engine settings page. Scroll down to "Other search engines."

Find the search engine you want to remove. Hover your mouse over it, and three vertical dots appear on the right side. Click those dots, and a menu shows Remove from list. Click it. The search engine disappears from your list immediately.

You can only remove search engines you added yourself. The ones Chrome comes with (Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo) cannot be deleted, but you can stop using them by choosing a different default.

What happens to your old search engine

Changing your default search engine does not delete your search history, saved passwords, bookmarks, or any other data. Chrome keeps all of that exactly as it was. The change only affects which search engine handles new searches you type into the address bar.

If you removed an old search engine from your list, that does not erase the searches you did with it in the past. Your history stays in Chrome's history page, and you can still see those old searches if you look at your browsing history.

Troubleshooting: Your search engine keeps changing back

Sometimes after you change your default search engine, it switches back to Google on its own. This usually happens because a browser extension or a website has changed your settings without asking.

Check your extensions first. In the top right corner of Chrome, click the puzzle piece icon (Extensions). Look through the list for anything you do not recognize or anything related to search. Click the three dots next to any suspicious extension and choose Remove from Chrome.

If removing extensions does not fix it, your computer may have unwanted software installed outside of Chrome. Run a full scan with Windows Defender (on Windows) or the built-in security tools on your Mac. If you find anything, remove it and then change your search engine again in Chrome.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing my search engine affect Google Maps or Gmail?

No. Your default search engine only controls what happens when you type a question into Chrome's address bar. Google Maps, Gmail, Google Drive, and other Google services work the same way regardless of which search engine you choose as your default.

Can I use a different search engine on different devices?

Yes. Each device's Chrome has its own settings. If you sign into Chrome with the same Google account on multiple devices, most settings sync across them — but you can change your search engine on one device without affecting the others if you want to.

What if I want to search with Google sometimes and a different engine other times?

You can type the search engine's shortcut into the address bar. For example, if you set DuckDuckGo as your default but want to search Google once, type "g " (the letter g and a space) into the address bar, then type your search. Chrome will search Google just for that one query. You can see all available shortcuts in the Search engine settings page.

Will changing my search engine make Chrome faster or slower?

No. The speed of your searches depends on your internet connection and the search engine's servers, not on Chrome itself. Switching from Google to another search engine will not make Chrome run faster or slower overall.

Can I set different search engines for different Chrome profiles?

Yes. If you have multiple Chrome profiles (for example, one for work and one for personal use), each profile has its own search engine setting. Change the setting in one profile, and it does not affect the others.