Chrome defaults to Google, but you may need to reset it

If you open a new tab in Chrome and the search box is using Bing, Yahoo, or another search engine instead of Google, you can change it back in your Chrome settings. This takes about two minutes and works the same way on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

The most common reason this happens is that another program or browser extension changed your settings without asking. Sometimes a toolbar installation or a website redirect does it. The fix is straightforward: you go into Chrome's search settings and tell it to use Google again.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Chrome, click the three-dot menu in the top right corner, then select Settings to access your search engine options.
  • Go to the Search engine section on the left sidebar and click Manage search engines and site search to see all installed options.
  • Find Google in the list, click the three dots next to it, and select Make default to set it as your primary search engine.
  • If Google is not in the list, click Add and type in Google's search URL to add it manually before making it default.
  • Remove any unfamiliar search engines from the list to prevent them from taking over your searches again.

Open Chrome Settings and find the search engine menu

Start by opening Google Chrome. In the top right corner of your browser window, you will see three vertical dots stacked on top of each other. Click that menu button.

From the dropdown menu that appears, scroll down and click Settings. A new tab will open showing your Chrome settings page. On the left side, you will see a sidebar with different categories. Click Search engine from that list.

View all search engines and set Google as default

Under the Search engine section, you will see a line that says "Search engine used in the address bar." Below that is a dropdown menu showing your current default search engine. Click on that dropdown to see what options are available.

If Google is already listed in the dropdown, click on it to select it. That is all you need to do — Chrome will immediately switch to using Google for searches in the address bar and new tabs.

If you do not see Google in the dropdown list, you need to add it first. Look for the line that says Manage search engines and site search and click on it. This opens a longer list of every search engine Chrome knows about.

Add Google if it is missing from your search engines

In the Manage search engines window, scroll through the list to see if Google appears. Google is usually there even if it is not set as default. If you find it, hover your mouse over the Google entry and click the three dots that appear on the right side. Select Make default.

If Google does not appear in the list at all, you need to add it manually. At the bottom of the window, you will see a section labeled "Other search engines." Click the Add button in that section. A small form will appear asking for the search engine name, the shortcut, and the URL.

Type Google in the first field. In the URL field, paste this: https://www.google.com/search?q=%s. The %s is a placeholder that Chrome uses to insert your search term. Leave the shortcut field blank or type g if you want a quick keyboard shortcut. Click Add to save it.

Remove search engines you do not recognize

While you are in the Manage search engines window, look at the full list and remove any search engines you did not intentionally add. Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines often appear here after a program installation or browser extension takes over your settings.

Hover over any search engine you want to remove and click the three dots on the right. Select Remove from list. This prevents that search engine from accidentally becoming your default in the future. You can remove as many as you want — you only need to keep the ones you actually use.

Check your address bar search behavior

After you set Google as your default, test it by clicking on the address bar at the top of Chrome and typing a search term. You should see Google's search results appear. If you see a different search engine's results, go back to Settings and repeat the steps above — sometimes a browser extension or installed program tries to override your choice.

If a search engine keeps changing back after you set Google as default, you may have a browser extension causing the problem. Go to Settings, click Extensions on the left sidebar, and look for any extensions you do not recognize. Click the trash icon next to them to remove them. Extensions from toolbars or ad-blocking programs sometimes hijack your search settings.

Prevent other programs from changing your search engine

If this keeps happening, be careful when you install new software. During installation, watch for checkboxes that say things like "Change your default search engine" or "Install a toolbar." Uncheck those boxes before you finish the installation.

Also check your Chrome extensions regularly. Go to Settings, click Extensions, and review what is installed. Remove anything you do not remember adding or anything from a source you do not trust. Extensions are a common way that unwanted search engines get installed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my search engine keep changing back to Bing?

A browser extension or installed program is likely overriding your settings. Check your Extensions page in Chrome Settings and remove anything unfamiliar. Also look at what programs you installed recently — some software bundles change your search engine as part of their installation.

Can I set different search engines for different situations?

Chrome does not have a built-in way to use different search engines for different tabs or websites. You can only set one default. If you want to search with a different engine, you can go directly to that website (like bing.com) and search there instead.

What if Google does not appear in my search engine list at all?

Add it manually using the steps in the "Add Google if it is missing" section above. Use the URL https://www.google.com/search?q=%s and Chrome will treat it like any other search engine option.

Does changing my default search engine affect my Google account or search history?

No. Your search history is stored separately from your default search engine setting. Changing which search engine Chrome uses does not affect what Google knows about your searches or your account.

Why would I want to use a different search engine than Google?

Some people prefer other search engines for privacy reasons, or because they like how a different engine organizes results. DuckDuckGo and Ecosia are common alternatives. You can set any of them as your default using the same steps described above.