Change Your Browser's Default Search Engine

Did your browser search engine get changed by adware? Are you sick of always getting search results from an engine that you don't like? You can change your default search engine, though some browsers make it easier than others.

Steps

Google Chrome

  1. Click the Chrome menu (☰) button. This is located in the upper-right corner of the window.
  2. Select Settings from the menu. This will open a new tab for the Settings menu.
  3. Click the drop-down menu in the "Search" section to select the search engine you would like to use. If the search engine you want isn't listed, read on.
  4. Click .Manage Search Engines... to add more search engines. You will see two lists: "Default search settings" and "Other search engines", which are added as you browse sites. You should be able to find any you would like to use here, but if not, scroll down until you see the textbox for adding another search engine.
  5. Fill in the form data. This includes the name of the search engine, the search URL, and a keyword. The search engine will then be added. A list of the most common search URLs is available in the Tips section at the end of the article.
    • If you'd rather not fill out the form data, you can visit the search engine in Chrome and it will be automatically added to the "Other search engines" list.
  6. Click "Make default" while hovering over an entry to set it as the default search engine. The search engine will be added to the "Default search settings" list, as well as the search engine drop-down list in the Settings page.
  7. Perform malware scans if your browser keeps changing your search engine. If your browser keeps changing your search engine, even after you change it to something else, you may be infected with malware or adware that has hijacked your browser. Change-Your-Browser's-Default-Search-Engine.

Internet Explorer

  1. Click the down arrow (▾) next to the search icon in the address bar.
  2. Select the icon for the search engine you want to use. If the search engine you want is not present, read on.
  3. Click .Add. Internet Explorer will take you to its search engine gallery.
  4. Choose a search engine from the gallery. To see more, scroll down and click the arrow at the bottom of the list. Click on the search engine choice to see more details.
  5. Click the "Add to Internet Explorer" button to install your selected search engine. You'll be presented with a dialog box prompting for confirmation to add the search engine.
  6. Tick the "Make this my default search provider" box.
  7. Click .Add. The search engine should now be changed.
  8. Click the down arrow (▾) to switch between search engines. Use the icons at the bottom to select from your installed search engines.
  9. Perform malware scans if your browser keeps changing your search engine. If your browser keeps changing your search engine, even after you change it to something else, you may be infected with malware or adware that has hijacked your browser. Change-Your-Browser's-Default-Search-Engine.

Safari for iPhone, iPad, and iPod

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap "Safari".
  3. Tap "Search Engine".
  4. Select your desired search engine. You cannot add search engines to this list.
  5. Search in Safari. Once you've changed your search engine, any searches you perform in the address bar will use the chosen engine.

Chrome for Android and iOS

  1. Tap the Menu button. It looks like three stacked dots.
  2. Tap "Settings".
  3. Tap "Search engine".
  4. Select the search engine from your list. You cannot add more search engines to this list.
  5. Search in Chrome. Once you've changed your search engine, any searches you perform in the address bar will use the chosen engine.

Mozilla Firefox

  1. Click the search engine icon on the left side of the Search bar.hanging the search engine here will also affect the search engine that the address bar uses.
  2. Select your desired search engine from the list. If your desired engine is not listed, read on.
  3. Click "Manage Search Engines" to add another engine.
  4. Click the "Get more search engines" link. This will open a new tab in Firefox with a list of the available search engines you can add.
  5. Find the search engine you want. You can scroll through the list or use the search bar at the top of the page to find the engine you want.
  6. Click "+ Add to Firefox" while hovering over the engine you want.
  7. Check the "Make this the current search engine" box.
  8. Click .Add. Your new search engine will be installed and made the default search
  9. Click the search engine icon to switch between search engines. Use the icons at the bottom to select from your installed search engines.
  10. Search in Firefox. With the default search engine changed, you can enter your search term into the address bar, and Firefox will search using your selected engine.
  11. Perform malware scans if your browser keeps changing your search engine. If your browser keeps changing your search engine, even after you change it to something else, you may be infected with malware or adware that has hijacked your browser. Change-Your-Browser's-Default-Search-Engine.

Safari for OS X

  1. Click the Safari Menu.
  2. Select Preferences.
  3. Click the "General" tab.
  4. Click the "Default search engine" drop-down menu.
  5. Select your preferred search engine. You can only select search engines included with Safari (Google, Yahoo!, and Bing).
  6. Perform malware scans if your browser keeps changing your search engine. If your browser keeps changing your search engine, even after you change it to something else, you may be infected with malware or adware that has hijacked your browser. Change-Your-Browser's-Default-Search-Engine.

Malware Removal

  1. Understand what malware and adware does. Virus scanners can protect you from a lot of threats, but there are countless programs that aren't classified as viruses that can still wreak havoc on your browser. Malware and adware are often installed alongside other programs, and one of the main symptoms is a search engine that won't change.
  2. Download an anti-malware program. These programs scan your computer for malware and adware that your virus scanner misses. Most of the best programs are free. In order to prevent more malware from being installed, make sure to download one of these programs directly from the developers.
  3. Reboot into Safe Mode. You will be able to detect and remove more malware if you boot into Safe Mode.
    • To boot into Safe Mode, restart your computer and rapidly press F8 to open the Advanced Startup menu. Select "Safe Mode with Networking" from the list.
  4. Run each of your anti-malware programs. The scanning process will likely take at least 30 minutes per program. Follow the prompts after each scan to remove any infected files.
  5. Run an antivirus scan while still in Safe Mode. Run your antivirus after running your antimalware scan. You may pick up on items in Safe Mode that you couldn't detect normally.
  6. Reboot your computer and change your browser's search engine. Start up your computer as normal and load your web browser. Set the search engine to what you'd like using the instructions above.
    • If your browser is still reverting your changes and redirecting you to a search engine you don't want, you may need to reinstall your operating system.

Tips

  • Various malware and trojans may also change your search engine settings. You should scan your computer with an antivirus and remove their extensions from the browser before changing the setting.
  • If many search providers are not visible in the gallery, it may be blocked in your region. You can make them available by changing the locale code in the url.
  • Some software allows you to choose the option of having an optional toolbar installed and search engine installed. Pay attention these, and uncheck the boxes if you do not think you'd like to use them.
  • Here are the most common search query URLs:

Related Articles

  • Make DuckDuckGo the Default Search Engine in Chrome
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