Change your search engine in Firefox settings in under two minutes

Firefox lets you pick which search engine runs when you type in the address bar. Google is the default, but you can switch to Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, or several others. The change takes effect immediately and applies every time you search from the Firefox toolbar.

You do not need to reinstall Firefox or restart your browser. The setting lives in one place, and you can change it back anytime. This is one of the quickest changes you can make in Firefox settings, and it affects only where your searches go — nothing else about your browser changes.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Firefox settings, go to Search, and pick a new search engine from the dropdown menu under "Default Search Engine".
  • Firefox comes with Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, and Ecosia already installed as options.
  • You can add other search engines by visiting their website and using the "Add to Firefox" button if they offer one.
  • Changing your default search engine does not affect bookmarks, passwords, or any other Firefox data.
  • You can switch back to your old search engine anytime by opening settings and selecting it from the same dropdown.

Open Firefox settings and find the Search section

Click the menu button (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner of Firefox. Select Settings from the dropdown menu that appears.

On the left side of the settings page, you will see a list of categories. Click Search. The page will load and show you a section labeled "Default Search Engine" with a dropdown menu displaying your current choice.

If you are not sure which search engine is currently set, the dropdown will show it by name. This is the engine Firefox uses whenever you type a search query in the address bar at the top of the browser window.

Select a new search engine from the list

Click the dropdown menu under "Default Search Engine." Firefox shows you all the search engines it has built in: Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, and Ecosia. Each one appears as an option in the list.

Click the one you want to use. Your choice takes effect immediately — you do not need to close and reopen Firefox or restart anything. The next time you type in the address bar and press Enter, Firefox will search using the engine you picked.

If you change your mind in the next few seconds, you can open the dropdown again and pick something else. Firefox does not ask you to confirm or warn you that you are making a change.

Add a search engine that is not in the list

If the search engine you want is not in Firefox's built-in list, visit that search engine's website directly. Many search engines, including StartPage and Qwant, have an "Add to Firefox" button on their homepage or in their settings area. Some put it in a menu labeled "About" or "Settings."

Click that button, and Firefox will open a small dialog asking you to confirm. The dialog shows the name of the search engine and asks whether you want to add it. Click the confirmation button, and the search engine appears in your dropdown menu.

Once it is added, you can set it as your default by opening settings and selecting it from the dropdown, just like the built-in options. If a search engine does not offer an "Add to Firefox" button, Firefox cannot add it through the settings menu, though you can still visit that site directly and search there.

What happens to your old search engine

Changing your default search engine does not delete it or remove it from Firefox. The old engine stays in your dropdown menu, so you can switch back anytime by opening settings and picking it again. All your search engines remain available.

This change only affects searches you run from the Firefox address bar. It does not change search engines on websites themselves — if you visit Google's homepage and search there, you are still using Google even if your default is set to DuckDuckGo or something else. The default only applies to searches you start from Firefox itself.

Undo the change if you want to go back

Open Firefox settings, go to Search, and click the dropdown under "Default Search Engine." Select Google or whichever engine you used before. That is all there is to it. Firefox keeps all your search engines available in the dropdown, so you can switch between them as often as you want without adding or removing anything.

There is no "undo" button or history of your changes. If you forget which search engine you had before, you can try each one in the dropdown until you find the one you recognize. All of them are safe to try — switching between them does not cause any problems.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my search engine affect my bookmarks or passwords?

No. Your bookmarks, saved passwords, browsing history, and all other Firefox data stay exactly the same. Changing your search engine only changes where Firefox sends your search queries. Nothing else in your browser is affected.

Can I use a different search engine for private browsing?

Firefox does not let you set a separate default for private windows. Your default search engine applies to all browsing, whether private or regular. You can still manually search on a different site if you want to by visiting that site directly.

What if I do not see the search engine I want in the dropdown?

Check whether that search engine has an "Add to Firefox" button on its website or in its settings. If it does not offer one, Firefox cannot add it through the settings menu. You can still use that search engine by visiting its website directly and searching there.

Does changing my search engine slow down Firefox?

No. All of Firefox's built-in search engines work at the same speed. Switching between them does not affect how fast Firefox runs or loads pages.

Can I set different search engines for different tabs?

No. Firefox uses your default search engine for all tabs and windows. If you want to search with a different engine, you can visit that search engine's website directly and search there instead of using the address bar.