How-To

How to Change the Search Engine on iPhone and iPad

By Brian Burgess

Published January 27, 2022

Using a different search engine can improve privacy and offer more diverse results. iPhone and iPad users can change their search engine using this guide.

Apple offers the Safari web browser as the default web browser on iPhone and iPad. However, you might want to use something else like Google Chrome or Firefox. Using a different browser on iOS or iPadOS is easy enough, but you might want to change the web browser search engine on iPhone or iPad, too.

Changing the search engine in Safari, Google Chrome, or other browsers on iPhone or iPad is straightforward. This guide will show you how to do it on four different web browsers available on iPhone and iPad.

How to Change the Safari Search Engine on iPhone or iPad

Safari is the default web browser on iOS and iPadOS, but you might not like the search engine. Luckily, you can change it using the following steps:

1. On your iPhone or iPad, launch Settings from the home screen.
2. Swipe down and tap Safari from the list.

3. In the next menu, tap Search Engine (you’ll see what it’s currently set to on this screen).

4. Tap the search engine you want to use in Safari from the list.

The change is applied immediately. When you next try a search in Safari, the search results will be returned using your selected search engine.

How to Change Google Chrome Search Engine on iPhone or iPad

If you don’t want to use Safari, Google Chrome is a popular alternative web browser for your iPhone or iPad. However, you might want to change the default search engine in Chrome from Google to something else.

You may choose to use a privacy-orientated alternative like DuckDuckGo. You may just dislike the results you’re seeing and prefer to switch to something like Bing instead.

To change the search engine in Google Chrome on your iPhone or iPad:

1. Launch the Google Chrome app.
2. Tap the three-dot icon in the lower-right corner (next to the Tabs button) and select Settings.

3. On the following screen, tap Search Engine from the list.

4. Now, tap the search engine you want to use. It lists most of the big names you should recognize, but different regions vary. For example, you might find Yandex or Yahoo! India based on your location.

The change is applied immediately, so you can exit the menu once you’ve chosen a new search engine to test it out.

How to Change Search Engine in Firefox on iPhone or iPad

Another popular browser for iPhone and iPad users is Mozilla Firefox. It has some additional search engine features that the other browsers don’t. More importantly, it includes quick-search engines and the ability to add your own.

To change the default search engine in Firefox on an iPhone or iPad:

1. Launch Firefox on your device and tap the menu icon in the lower-right corner.
2. Tap Settings from the pop-up menu.

3. In the Search menu, tap your existing search engine in the Default Search Engine section.

4. You’ll need to select an alternative—tap the search engine you want to use from the list.

As with other browsers, your change is active immediately. Tap out from the menu and try it to see what the results are like. If you’re unhappy, repeat the steps above to switch to another search engine.

How to Change Search Engine in Microsoft Edge on iPhone or iPad

The newer, Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser is cross-platform. This means that you can use the browser on Windows, Android, and Apple devices, including iPhone and iPad.

As a Microsoft browser, the default search engine is set to Bing. If you want to change it, follow these steps:

1. Launch Microsoft Edge on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap the three-dot icon on the bottom, then tap Settings from the menu.

3. Tap General in the following Settings menu.

4. In the General menu, tap Select search engine.

5. Finally, choose the search engine that you want to set as the default.

Searching the Web on Apple Devices

Using the steps above, you can quickly change your browser search engine on an iPhone or iPad, no matter what web browser you’re using.

Changing the search engine can be beneficial, so if you’re sick of Google or Bing, don’t be afraid to try something else. We didn’t cover every browser available, but the idea is basically the same throughout—just head to the Settings > Search Engine menu (or similar) and select a new search engine to use.

If you’re interested in your privacy settings, you can run an app privacy report on your iPhone or iPad to see if you can make any changes. Another thing you should do is block ad tracking on an iPhone or iPad to stop ads from following you from one site to the next.