Change your default search engine in Chrome settings

To change which search engine Chrome uses when you type in the address bar, open Chrome and go to Settings (the three vertical dots in the top right, then "Settings"). Click Search engine in the left menu. Under "Search engine used in the address bar," you'll see a dropdown showing your current default — usually Google. Click the dropdown and pick a different search engine from the list, or add a new one.

Chrome comes with several search engines already built in: Google, Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo are the most common. Switching between them takes one click. If you want to use a search engine that isn't on the list, you can add it manually by scrolling to the bottom of that dropdown and clicking "Manage search engines."

Key Takeaways

  • Your default search engine is the one Chrome uses when you type a search term directly into the address bar at the top of the browser.
  • Chrome stores a list of search engines in Settings under "Search engine," and you can switch between them with one click.
  • Common options like Google, Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo are already available; you don't have to add them yourself.
  • You can add a custom search engine by going to "Manage search engines" and entering the search URL, which is useful for searching within a specific website.

Add a search engine that isn't on the default list

If the search engine you want isn't in Chrome's dropdown, you can add it manually. Go to Settings, click Search engine, then scroll down and click Manage search engines and site search. At the bottom under "Other search engines," click Add.

You'll need three pieces of information: a name for the search engine (like "Wikipedia Search"), a shortcut (a short code you can type in the address bar to use it quickly), and the search URL. The search URL is the tricky part — you need to find the exact web address that the search engine uses. For most sites, you can search for something, copy the URL from your browser's address bar, and replace the search term with %s. For example, if you search Wikipedia for "cats" and the URL is en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?search=cats, you'd enter en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?search=%s.

Use keyboard shortcuts to search with different engines

Once you've added multiple search engines to Chrome, you don't have to change your default every time you want to use a different one. Instead, you can use a keyboard shortcut. When you add a search engine, you give it a shortcut code — for example, "w" for Wikipedia or "b" for Bing.

To search using that engine without changing your default, type the shortcut code in the address bar, press Tab, then type your search term and press Enter. Chrome will search using that engine instead of your default. This is faster than going back to Settings each time.

Understand the difference between address bar search and search results

Your default search engine only controls what happens when you type in the address bar at the very top of Chrome. It does not change which search engine appears when you click a search result or use the search box on a website's homepage.

If you go to Google.com and search from there, you'll get Google results no matter what your Chrome default is set to. The default setting only applies to the address bar — the place where you'd normally type a web address or a quick search.

Remove a search engine you no longer use

If you've added search engines that you don't want anymore, you can delete them. Go to Settings, click Search engine, then click Manage search engines and site search. Find the search engine you want to remove in the list, click the three dots next to it, and select Delete.

You can only delete search engines that you added yourself. The built-in ones like Google and Bing have a delete option that's grayed out, so you can't remove them — but you can always choose a different default instead.

What happens if you change your default search engine

Changing your default search engine is reversible and doesn't affect your browsing history, bookmarks, or saved passwords. You can switch back to Google or any other engine at any time by going back to Settings. Chrome remembers all the search engines you've added, so if you switch away from one and then want to use it again later, it's still there.

Some websites or browser extensions might try to change your default search engine without asking. If you notice your default has changed on its own, go back to Settings and switch it to what you prefer. You can also check the "Manage search engines" section to see if any unfamiliar search engines have been added.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing my default search engine in Chrome affect other browsers?

No. Each browser — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge — has its own settings. Changing Chrome's default search engine does not change what Firefox or any other browser uses. You have to change each browser separately if you want them all to use the same search engine.

Can I use a different search engine for private browsing?

No. Chrome uses the same default search engine in both regular and private browsing windows. The default applies to all browsing in Chrome, regardless of which window type you're using.

What if I accidentally added a search engine and can't find it to delete it?

Go to Settings, click Search engine, then click Manage search engines and site search. Scroll through the "Other search engines" section at the bottom — that's where custom search engines you've added appear. Click the three dots next to the one you want to remove and select Delete.

Will changing my search engine affect my search history?

No. Your search history is stored separately from your search engine setting. Switching to a different search engine does not delete or change your history. If you want to clear your history, you can do that in Chrome's settings under "Clear browsing data," but that's a separate action from changing your default search engine.