How to Set Google as the Default Search Engine in Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge is a capable and fast browser, but by default it uses Microsoft’s own Bing as its search engine. Every time you type a query into the address bar, you are sent to Bing’s results page. For users who prefer Google’s search algorithms, result quality, and familiar interface, switching the default search engine only takes a minute and transforms how the browser feels to use on a daily basis.

Why Edge Defaults to Bing

Microsoft built Edge and Bing as complementary products, so Edge is configured from the factory to route searches through Bing. This is a commercial and ecosystem decision by Microsoft, not a technical limitation. You have complete freedom to override this and use any major search engine — Google, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, or others.

How to Set Google as the Default Search Engine in Edge

1. Open the Microsoft Edge browser on your computer.
2. Click the three dots (…) in the top-right corner of the browser window to open the settings menu.
3. Select Settings from the dropdown list.
4. In the left-hand sidebar of the Settings page, click on Privacy, search, and services.
5. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of that section and click on Address bar and search.
6. On the Address bar and search settings page, find the dropdown menu labelled “Search engine used in the address bar.”
7. Click the dropdown and select Google from the list of available search engines.

From this point forward, every search you type directly into Edge’s address bar will automatically route through Google’s search engine. No browser restart is required — the change takes effect immediately.

How to Fix Searches on the New Tab Page

You may notice that even after changing the address bar search engine to Google, the large search box in the centre of the Edge New Tab page still sends your searches to Bing. This is a separate setting that must be changed independently.

1. Stay on the same Address bar and search settings page you reached in the steps above.
2. Look for the option labelled “Search on new tabs uses search box or address bar.”
3. Change this from “Search box” to “Address bar.”

Now, clicking anywhere in the search area of a new Edge tab will redirect your cursor to the address bar, guaranteeing all your searches go through Google consistently.

How to Change Edge’s Default Homepage to Google

If you also want Google.com to load whenever you open a new tab (instead of the Microsoft Start page), you can configure this separately:

1. Go to Settings > Start, home, and new tabs in the Edge sidebar.
2. Under “When Edge starts,” select Open a specific page or pages.
3. Click Add a new page and type https://www.google.com.
4. Click Add to confirm.

Edge will now open directly to Google every time you launch the browser or open a new window.