How to Change Your Default Search Engine in Microsoft Edge

Step 1Use the Search Engine You Want First

Edge needs to see the provider at least once so it can register it and add it to its internal list of available choices. Only then can you select it as your permanent default.

Recent versions of Edge often list Google, DuckDuckGo and Yahoo already, so you may find your provider in the dropdown without this step. Doing it first costs you about thirty seconds and avoids hunting for a missing entry later.

Start by opening Microsoft Edge from the taskbar 🖥️, the Start menu ⊞ or a desktop shortcut.

1. Open Microsoft Edge. You should see a browser window with a new tab or your home page.
2. Click the address bar at the top of the browser, then type the web address of the search 🔍 engine you want to use, such as google.com or duckduckgo.com, and press Enter. The address bar is where you normally type website addresses or search words. You should now see that provider’s home page.
3. Click the search 🔍 box on that website, type something to search for (for example, “weather today”) and press Enter. You should see a results page from that provider. Run the search 🔍 in the site’s own search box. If you type it into Edge’s address bar instead, Edge sends it to your current default, which is still Bing at this point, and the new provider never gets registered.

Step 2Go to Edge’s Settings

To change edge search engine preferences, you need to open the browser settings menu in Microsoft Edge. Click the three dots in the top-right corner of the browser window to open the menu, and then select Settings from the list of options. This opens the configuration screen where you manage your browser behavior.

Complete these steps:

1. With Edge open, look for the three dots in the top-right corner of the browser window. You don't need to be on the search results page from Step 1. These three dots open the Settings and more menu.
2. Click the three dots. A menu drops down below them. If you prefer the keyboard, Alt+F opens the same menu.
3. From the menu, choose Settings. Edge opens the Settings page in a new tab, with a list of categories down the left side.

Step 3Find the "Address bar and search" Settings

To find the correct menu to change edge search engine options, click Privacy, search, and services in the left-side menu of the Settings tab. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page and click Address bar and search. That page controls how your web searches and address bar queries behave.

Navigate to the correct section using these instructions:

1. In the left-side menu of the Settings tab, click Privacy, search, and services. This section controls how Edge handles your information and browsing. If you can't see the left-side menu, the window may be too narrow. Widen it, or click the menu icon at the top left of the Settings page.
2. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the Privacy, search, and services page. Keep scrolling until you reach the last section, which holds the services settings. Depending on your Edge version, the heading may read Services or Search and connected experiences.
3. In that section, find and click Address bar and search. This is the setting we need to change. The page that opens lists the options for the address bar and search suggestions.

Step 4Pick Your New Default Search Engine

To finish the process to change edge search engine defaults, find the option labeled Search engine used in the address bar on the settings page. Click the dropdown menu next to it and select your preferred provider from the list of search engines that Edge has registered.

Apply the final change with these steps:

1. On the Address bar and search page, find the option labeled Search engine used in the address bar. It currently shows Bing unless someone changed it earlier.
2. To its right, click the dropdown menu. A list of search engines opens.
3. Choose the search engine you want as your new default. The list shows the engines Edge knows about. Since you searched with your preferred engine in Step 1, it should be there. The dropdown now shows your choice, and Edge saves it straight away with no Save button or restart.

If the dropdown is greyed out, or Edge shows a "Managed by your organization" note, a work or school policy controls the setting, and only your administrator can change it.

The New Tab page search box can behave differently from the address bar. If new tabs still search with Bing, look further down the same Address bar and search page for the setting that controls which box new tabs use.

The chosen search engine now works as the default for the address bar in Microsoft Edge. To test it, click the address bar, type a few words and press Enter. The results page should come from your new provider. To go back to Bing, return to the same dropdown and select it again.

Summary

To change edge search engine defaults, visit your preferred provider's website and run a search so Microsoft Edge recognizes it. Then open Settings, go to Privacy, search, and services, scroll to the bottom and open Address bar and search. Select your provider from the Search engine used in the address bar dropdown. The change applies immediately, and you can reverse it at any time from the same menu.