Change your search engine in Safari, Chrome, or Firefox

The search engine you use is set separately in each browser on your Mac. Safari, Chrome, and Firefox all let you pick a different default—Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, or others—in their settings. The steps differ slightly by browser, but the process takes less than a minute in any of them.

Your choice affects what happens when you type a search directly into the address bar (called the search bar in some browsers). It does not change search results you get from visiting a search engine's website directly—only the automatic searches your browser performs.

Key Takeaways

  • Safari, Chrome, and Firefox each have their own search engine setting, so you may need to change it in multiple browsers if you use more than one.
  • In Safari, open Preferences, click Search, and pick your engine from the dropdown menu labeled "Search engine".
  • In Chrome, go to Settings, click Search engine, and select your preferred option from the list.
  • In Firefox, open Preferences, scroll to Search, and choose your engine from the "Default Search Engine" dropdown.
  • Your choice only affects searches you type into the browser's search bar, not searches you do by visiting a search engine's website directly.

Change your search engine in Safari

Open Safari and click Safari in the menu bar at the top of your screen. Select Preferences (or Settings if you are on macOS Ventura or later). Click the Search tab.

Look for the dropdown menu labeled Search engine. Click it and choose from Google, Yahoo, Bing, or DuckDuckGo. Your choice takes effect when ready. Close the Preferences window when you are done.

Change your search engine in Chrome

Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select Settings from the menu. On the left side, click Search engine.

You will see a list of search engines Chrome has detected. Click the one you want to use as your default. If your preferred engine is not listed, scroll down to Other search engines, click the Add button, and follow the prompts to add it manually. Chrome will remember your choice the next time you search.

Change your search engine in Firefox

Open Firefox and click the menu button (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner. Select Preferences (or Settings on newer versions). Click Search in the left sidebar.

Under Default Search Engine, click the dropdown and select your preferred engine. Firefox offers Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Wikipedia, and others. You can also add a custom search engine by scrolling down to One-Click Search Engines and clicking the plus icon next to any engine you want to add to your search bar.

What happens when you change your search engine

Once you change your default, any search you type into the address bar or search bar will use that engine. For example, if you switch from Google to DuckDuckGo and then type "best coffee shops near me" into Safari's search bar, DuckDuckGo will handle the search instead of Google.

This change does not affect searches you perform by visiting a search engine's website directly. If you go to google.com and search there, you will still use Google, even if you set your default to something else. The setting only controls what happens when you search from inside your browser's interface.

Why you might want to change your search engine

Some people switch to DuckDuckGo because it does not track your search history or sell your data to advertisers. Others prefer Bing for its image search features, or Yahoo for its news integration. Google remains the most widely used, but your choice depends on what matters to you—privacy, search results quality, or specific features.

You can also use different search engines in different browsers. For instance, you might use DuckDuckGo in Firefox for privacy and keep Google in Safari for work. Each browser remembers its own setting independently.

Undo your change or switch back

If you change your mind, go back to the same settings menu in your browser and pick a different engine from the dropdown. There is no penalty for switching—you can change your default as often as you like, and your browser will not store a history of which engines you have used.

If you forgot which engine you set and want to know what your current default is, open the same Preferences or Settings menu and look at the dropdown. It will show you what is currently selected.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing my search engine affect my browsing history?

No. Your browsing history is separate from your search engine choice. Changing your default search engine does not delete or change any websites you have visited. Your history remains the same regardless of which search engine you use.

Can I use a different search engine on my iPhone or iPad?

Yes, but only in Safari. Go to Settings, scroll down to Safari, tap Search Engine, and pick a different one. Chrome on iOS does not let you change the search engine—it always uses Google. Other browsers like Firefox on iOS do allow you to change it in their own settings.

What if my preferred search engine does not appear in the dropdown?

In Chrome and Firefox, you can add a custom search engine manually. In Chrome, go to Settings, click Search engine, scroll to Other search engines, and click Add. In Firefox, visit the search engine's website, right-click the search bar, and select "Add as Search Engine". Safari does not support custom search engines—you can only choose from the built-in options.

Will changing my search engine affect my saved passwords or bookmarks?

No. Your passwords, bookmarks, and all other browser data stay exactly where they are. Changing your search engine only affects which company processes your searches—nothing else in your browser changes.

Do I need to change my search engine in each browser separately?

Yes. Safari, Chrome, and Firefox each have their own settings, so a change in one browser does not affect the others. If you use multiple browsers and want the same search engine in all of them, you will need to change the setting in each one individually.