Skip to main content

How to make Google your default search engine

Unless you need to be extra careful about your searches’ privacy, Google is still the most effective service. It’s useful for saving your past search queries for optimized performance and rarely lets you down, whether you’re searching for adorable cat videos or treatments for whatever dire ailment you might be suffering from at the moment. While Google Chrome and Firefox automatically set Google as your search engine by default, we know pesky add-ons or malware have a knack for hijacking those search engines. Then they offer up a few of their own search engine recommendations(we’re looking at you, Babylon Search Toolbar). The good news is that all you need is less than a minute to change your browser search engine default to Google, quickly completing this simple task with a few clicks under browser preferences.

Related Videos

Here is our guide on how to make Google your default search engine so you can stop looking at Bing, Yahoo!, or, worse, Babylon. Even if your search engine might one day randomly revert back to an alternative search engine, you’ll be prepared to change it back to Google all over again.

How to make Google your default search engine in Google Chrome

Step 1: Open Google Chrome. Then, click on the three dots More icon in the top-right corner. In the menu that pops up, select Settings.

Step 2: On the left side of the Chrome Settings menu, choose Search Engine.

Chrome search engine settings screenshot
screenshot

Step 3: Click on the drop-down menu next to the phrase Search Engine Used in the Address Bar. Choose Google from the drop-down menu.

How to make Google your default search engine in Firefox

Step 1: Open Firefox and then click on the three stacked horizontal lines Menu icon in the top-right corner. In the menu that appears, choose Options.

Step 2: On the left side of the Options menu, select Search.

Firefox search engine settings screenshot
screenshot

Step 3: Under Default Search Engine, choose Google from the drop-down menu.

How to make Google your default search engine in Safari

Google should automatically be your default search engine, but here’s a quick way to check and change it if you need to.

Step 1: Open Safari, move your mouse over the Safari tab and select Preferences, or type the keyboard shortcut Command +. 

Step 2: Select the Search tab, and the first option you should see is for the search engine. If Google is not already set, select the drop-down menu, and choose it.

Step 3: Close the preferences and double-check to make sure it worked.

If you want to change the options on Safari for iOS or iPadOS, that is a different process.

Step 1: Go to the Settings app and search for Safari.

Step 2: The first option is for the search engine. Change it accordingly if Google is not already set.

How to make Google your default search engine in Microsoft Edge

Step 1: Run Microsoft Edge and select the More icon (which looks like three dots) in the top-right corner. From there, a menu will appear on the screen— select Settings.

Step 2: In your Settings, along the left side of the screen, choose Privacy, Search, and Services. Then you’ll have to scroll until you find the Address Bar and Search tab. 

Step 3: After clicking that tab, select the drop-down menu next to the phrase Search Engine Used in the Address Bar. From that drop-down list, tap Google.

Microsoft Edge search engine settings screenshot
screenshot

How to make Google your default search engine in Opera

Step 1: Run Opera and select the Gear icon (which is in the lower left-hand corner of the screen). That icon will lead to the Settings menu.

Step 2: Once you’re in Settings, scroll all the way down to the tab Search Engine.

Opera search engine settings screenshot
screenshot

Step 3: In the Search Engine section, find the phrase Set Which Search Engine Is Used When Searching From the Combined Search and Address Bar and select the drop-down menu next to it. Then click Google Search from the subsequent menu.

Editors' Recommendations

Google Meet vs. Zoom
high school senior part 2 college freshman zoom classroom

With working from home more popular than ever, videoconferencing services like Google Meet and Zoom are proving to be invaluable resources for small businesses, major corporations, and everyday netizens alike. Google Meet has only been on the market since 2017, but Google released a free version of Meet in late April 2020 in response to gaining 100 million daily users due to global restrictions on working at the office.

Zoom remains the king of the heap, with over 200 million daily users and a bevy of sophisticated features. Still, the free version of Google Meet offers users a web-based videoconferencing service that doesn't require downloading a desktop version to use and is accessible for anyone who has a Google account. Each service has its pros and cons, but both are excellent at connecting people face-to-face across the internet at no cost. Read on to learn more about how Google Meet compares to Zoom and to determine which is best for you.

Read more
How to try YouTube’s new video download feature for desktop
Digital Trends' Youtube channel on a Macbook.

At present, downloading a YouTube video on desktop means heading to one of many websites offerings such a service. The design of most of these sites, with their flashing ads and intrusive pop-ups and numerous links to who knows where, can leave you feeling a bit queasy at the best of times. It’d be so much easier if YouTube offered the same service without all of the potential pitfalls.

Well, the good news is that the Google-owned video streaming giant is now doing just that. But take note: At the moment it's only available to YouTube Premium subscribers (who can already download videos using YouTube’s mobile app) and runs until October 19, but cross your fingers and the company might soon make it a permanent feature and roll it out to one and all.

Read more
The best alternatives to Google Search
Five search engines that won't track every move you make.

Google may be the biggest and most popular search engine by far, but its data harvesting practices can leave a bad taste in your mouth. But it's not the only search engine out there, and in fact, many of them can offer something that Google doesn't: Privacy.

Here are some of the best alternatives to Google Search, with a collection of useful features and the option of remaining entirely anonymous, no matter what you're looking for.
Startpage

Read more