While Google Search is better for searching by keywords and key phrases, Edge is better for image search and has seen some growth due to AI integration. However, they also raise privacy concerns as they track users and collect data to serve better results and ads. Fortunately, you can change the default search engine on any mobile browser. Here is how to change the search engine on browsers like Chrome, Edge, and Safari mobile.
Table of Contents
How to Change Search Engine on Chrome
Chrome is one of the most used browsers in the world developed by Google. Of course, Google is the default search engine on Chrome. Google has been into several controversies related to data collection raising user concerns. You may consider using DuckDuckGo or some other search engine that claims not to collect user data.
On Android
1. Open Chrome and tap on the Kebab Menu at the top right.
2. Tap on Settings and then on Search engine.
3. Tap on any other search engine from the list to save it as the default search engine.
On iOS
1. Open Chrome and tap on the Profile icon at the top right.
2. Tap on Search engine. Select any search engine from the list to make it the default one and tap on Done.
How to Change Search Engine on Microsoft Edge
Edge comes with Bing as the default search engine. Microsoft recently integrated AI into Bing resulting in additional options, and conversational-style search results thanks to natural language processing or NLP. However, despite these efforts, Bing has generally been perceived as having a lower quality of search results compared to Google. Here is how to change the default search engine on Edge browser.
On Android
1. Open Edge and tap the Meatball Menu at the bottom.
2. Tap on Settings and then on General.
3. Tap on Select search engine inside the General settings. Select any search engine just by tapping on it.
On iOS
1. In the Edge, tap on the Hamburger Menu present at the bottom right.
2. Tap on Settings and then on General.
3. In the General section, tap on Select search engine. Select the search engine of your preference and tap on Done.
Tip: You can now force Windows PC to display search results from Google Search while searching in Windows Search.
How to Change Search Engine on Safari
Safari is limited to Apple devices. Even though it includes features like Intelligent Tracking Prevention which helps prevent websites from tracking your online behavior, it can not completely stop a search engine from tracking users. So you might want to change the default search engine on Safari.
1. Go to Settings on your iPhone. Scroll down and tap on Safari.
2. Tap on Search Engine and select the search engine you want from the list.
FAQs
1. Will changing the search engine, delete the bookmarks saved on the browser?
Changing the search engine won’t affect the saved bookmarks.
2. Will changing the search engine delete browser history?
No, history will not be deleted.
3. Are mobile browser search engines different from desktop ones?
The search engine works the same on mobile and desktop. However, search results might be different as they may relate the mobile or desktop type to the search query.
Web Whisperer
In the playground of the internet, search engines are the mischievous detectives, digging up digital data with their invisible tools. It is important to choose a search engine that is capable of better searches and moreover, good privacy. It is a switch between search engines depending on what you want the browser to do.
If you’re open to trying different browsers, we’ve put together a list of the 10 browsers for Windows 11, tailored to suit your specific needs. Enjoy browsing!
