Chromebooks have become increasingly popular due to their simplicity, speed, and seamless integration with Google services. Since Chromebooks run on ChromeOS, the default browser is Google Chrome, and Google is the default search engine on these devices. However, users may have their own preferences when it comes to search engines.
Fortunately, Chromebooks offer the flexibility to change the default search engine, allowing users to tailor their browsing experience to their liking. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to change the default search engine on your Chromebook.
How to Change Search Engine on a Chromebook
On a Chromebook, the Chrome browser is the default browser. So whenever you search using the Chrome browser, it performs the search through google.com, which is set as the default search engine.
However, there is an option to change the default search engine to a different one. By default, you’ll have the option to switch the search engine to Google, Bing, or Yahoo. Additionally, you can also add a new search engine to your Chromebook.
To learn how to do this, follow along with the guide below.
Here, we will discuss the different methods to change the default search engine on a Chromebook.
1. Using Settings
The simplest way to change settings on a Chromebook is through the Settings app. Using the Settings app, you can easily change Chrome’s default search engine in just a few steps.
Here is how you can use the Settings app to change Chrome’s search engine.
1. Click the Quick Settings panel located in the lower-right corner of your screen.
2. Then, click the gear icon to open the Settings application.
3. In the Settings window, click on the System Preferences tab located on the left side of the screen.
4. Now, locate the Search and Assistant section and select Search from the options on the right side of the screen.
5. This will open the Preferred Search Engine settings. Click on the option that allows you to change the default search engine.
6. This will open the Google Chrome settings page. Click on the Search engine option, and from the drop-down menu, choose your preferred search engine next to the Search engine used in the address bar setting.
For example, if you want to change the search engine to Bing, simply select Bing from the drop-down menu. After that, whenever you search for anything in the Chrome browser’s address bar, it will use Bing as the default search engine.
2. Using Chrome Browser
There is another way to change the search engine on a Chromebook. you can use the Google Chrome browser. Here is how you can change it.
1. Open the Google Chrome browser.
2. Click on the three vertical dots in the top-right corner of the browser window. This will open a dropdown menu. From the menu, select Settings.
Note: Alternatively, you can paste chrome://settings in the address bar of the Chrome browser to open Settings.
3. Then, click on the Search Engine tab.
4. Here, you will see an option labeled Search engine used in the address bar. Click on the drop-down menu next to it and select your preferred search engine.
How to Add a New Search Engine in Chrome
If your preferred search engine is not on the list, you can add it manually. Here are the steps you can follow to add a new search engine in Chrome on Chromebook.
1. Open the Chrome browser and navigate to Settings.
2. Click on the Search Engine tab and select the Manage search engines and site search option. This will open a new page where you can add and edit search engines.
3. Scroll down to the Site Search section and click the Add button.
4. After that, you’ll be directed to the Add Search Engine page. Here, enter the search engine name, shortcut for the search engine, and search URL with ‘%s’ in place of the query. Refer to the screenshot below for reference.
5. Then click on the Add button.
6. To add it to the address bar search engine list, click the three dots icon next to it and select Make it default.
7. Then, go back to the Search engine used in the address bar page and select your newly added search engine from the drop-down menu.
How to Remove a Search Engine in Chrome
You can also remove the newly added search engine from the Google Chrome browser; if you no longer use it. Here’s how you can do so:
1. Open the Chrome browser.
2. Click on the three dots icon located in the upper-right corner of the screen and select Settings.
3. Click on the Search Engine tab and click on the Manage search engines and site search options.
4. After that, scroll down and look for the Search engines list.
5. Find the search engine you no longer want. Click the three dots icon and choose the Delete option from the menu that appears.
That’s it! You’ve now successfully removed any unneeded search engines from Chrome on your Chromebook. This is how you can change the default search engine on your Chromebook to customize your search preferences. Whether you prefer the privacy-focused DuckDuckGo, the feature-rich Bing, or any other search engine, Chromebooks offer the flexibility to change it.
