Microsoft Edge is an excellent browser, but it defaults to using Microsoft’s own Bing search engine. If you are accustomed to Google’s search results and interface, it can be frustrating when you type a query into the address bar and end up on Bing instead. Fortunately, you can change the default search engine in just a few clicks.
How to Set Google as Your Default Search Engine
- Open the Microsoft Edge browser.
- Click the three dots (…) in the top-right corner of the window.
- Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
- In the left-hand sidebar, click on Privacy, search, and services.
- Scroll all the way down to the very bottom of the page and click on Address bar and search.
- Look for the dropdown menu labeled “Search engine used in the address bar.”
- Click the dropdown menu and select Google.
From now on, whenever you type a search term directly into the Edge address bar and press Enter, it will automatically route your search through Google instead of Bing.
How to Fix the “Search on New Tabs” Issue
Even after changing the address bar search engine, you might notice that if you click on the large search box in the middle of a New Tab page, it still uses Bing. To fix this:
- Stay on the same “Address bar and search” settings page from the steps above.
- Look right below the search engine dropdown for an option labeled “Search on new tabs uses search box or address bar.”
- Change this setting from “Search box” to Address bar.
Now, clicking the search box in the middle of a new tab will automatically bump your cursor up to the address bar, guaranteeing your search goes through Google.