Chrome lets you pick which search engine opens when you search from the address bar

When you type a question or phrase into Chrome's address bar (the box at the top where you normally type website addresses), Chrome sends that search to a default search engine. By default, that engine is Google. You can change it to Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, or several others in about 30 seconds through Chrome's settings.

This matters because different search engines handle your data differently. Google tracks your searches to build a profile of your interests. DuckDuckGo doesn't store search history tied to you. Bing integrates with Microsoft services. If you care which company sees what you search for, this is where you make that choice.

Key Takeaways

  • You change your default search engine in Chrome Settings under Search Engine, not in a separate browser settings menu.
  • Chrome offers Google, Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo as built-in options, plus the ability to add other search engines manually.
  • Changing your default search engine only affects searches you type in the address bar — it does not change search results you get from Google's website itself.
  • You can set different search engines for different situations: one for the address bar, another for the search box if you have one, and different ones for different websites.

Open Chrome Settings and find the Search Engine section

Click the three vertical dots in the top right corner of Chrome. From the menu that appears, select Settings. On the left side of the Settings page, click Search engine.

You will see a section labeled "Search engine used in the address bar" with a dropdown menu showing your current default. That dropdown lists the search engines Chrome knows about. Google, Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo are usually there already.

Pick a search engine from the list or add a new one

Click the dropdown under "Search engine used in the address bar" and select the engine you want. Your choice takes effect immediately — the next time you search from the address bar, it will use that engine.

If the search engine you want is not in the list, scroll down to the "Other search engines" section. Click the Add button next to it. Chrome will ask you for the search engine's name, a keyboard shortcut (optional), and the search URL. If you know the URL structure for the search engine you want, you can paste it in. For most common engines, Chrome either already has them in the "Other search engines" list or can find them when you visit that engine's website.

Understand what this setting does and does not change

Changing your default search engine affects only searches you type into Chrome's address bar. If you visit Google.com or Bing.com directly and search there, your default setting does not matter — you are using that website's search, not your browser's default.

This setting also does not change which search engine appears in the search box on a new tab page. That is a separate setting, also in the Search engine section of Settings. Look for "Search engine used in the address bar" versus "Search engine used in the search box" — they can be different.

Add a search engine manually if yours is not listed

Some search engines do not appear in Chrome's built-in list. If you use a specialized search engine — for research, a regional engine, or a privacy-focused alternative — you can add it manually. Scroll to "Other search engines" in the Search engine settings and click Add.

You will need three pieces of information: the name of the search engine, a keyboard shortcut (like "d" for DuckDuckGo, optional), and the search URL. The search URL is the tricky part. Visit the search engine's website, do a test search for something like "test", and look at the URL in your address bar. Find where "test" appears in that URL and replace it with %s. Paste that into Chrome's form. For example, if DuckDuckGo's search URL for "test" is duckduckgo.com/?q=test, you would enter duckduckgo.com/?q=%s.

Use keyboard shortcuts to search with different engines

Once you add a search engine to Chrome, you can assign it a keyboard shortcut. This lets you search with that engine without making it your default. Type the shortcut into the address bar, press Tab, type your search, and press Enter — Chrome will search using that engine instead of your default.

For example, if you set DuckDuckGo's shortcut to "d", you can type "d" in the address bar, press Tab, type "privacy settings", and press Enter. Chrome will search DuckDuckGo for "privacy settings" even if Google is your default. This is useful if you want to use one engine most of the time but switch to another for specific searches.

Know the difference between your browser default and website search

Your default search engine in Chrome is separate from search boxes that appear on websites. When you search on Wikipedia, Amazon, or Reddit, those sites use their own search, not your Chrome default. Your Chrome default only applies to searches you type into Chrome's address bar.

Some websites also let you change which search engine they use. For example, if you visit a website that has a search box and you want it to use DuckDuckGo instead of Google, you would change that setting on the website itself, not in Chrome. Your browser's default does not override a website's search settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my default search engine make my searches private?

Not automatically. Changing to DuckDuckGo or another privacy-focused engine means that engine does not store your search history tied to your account. But your internet service provider can still see what you search for, and the websites you visit can still track you. A private search engine is one piece of privacy, not the whole picture.

Can I use different search engines on different devices?

Yes. Each device has its own Chrome settings. If you sign into the same Google account on multiple devices, Chrome can sync your settings across them — including your default search engine — but you can also change the default on each device independently without affecting the others.

What happens if I delete a search engine I added manually?

If you delete a search engine from the "Other search engines" list and it was your default, Chrome will switch your default back to Google. You can then pick a different default from the remaining options. Deleting a search engine does not affect your browsing history or any data stored by that search engine.

Can I search with a different engine without changing my default?

Yes, using keyboard shortcuts. Add the search engine to Chrome's list, assign it a shortcut, then type the shortcut in the address bar, press Tab, type your search, and press Enter. This searches that engine without changing your default.

Does my default search engine choice affect Google search results on Google.com?

No. If you visit Google.com directly and search there, you are using Google's website, not your browser's default setting. Your default search engine only affects searches you type into Chrome's address bar when you are not on a search engine's website.