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On a Windows computer, change Edge’s address-bar search engine at Settings and more (…) > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Search and connected services > Address bar and search. In Search engine used in the address bar, select the engine you want. If it is missing, search with it once from Edge’s address bar first, then return to that setting. Phones use a separate in-app setting rather than the Windows menus.
What changing the search engine actually changes
Microsoft Edge has two related but separate concepts: the website that opens when you start a new tab, and the search provider used when you type a query into the address bar. This guide changes the second one. After the change, a phrase such as weather tomorrow entered in the address bar is sent to the provider you select. Existing bookmarks, your home-page choice and searches made from a site’s own page are not automatically changed.
Microsoft documents the desktop procedure for Windows 11, Windows 10 and Windows 8.1. Menu wording can move slightly between Edge releases, so use the breadcrumb and the setting name as your landmarks rather than expecting every screen to look identical. The official desktop instructions are in Microsoft’s “Change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge” support article.
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Windows desktop: change the address-bar search engine
1. Make a search with the provider you want
Open Edge and perform a search from the address bar using the search engine you intend to make the default. This discovery step matters: Edge can add a site that supports OpenSearch to its available-engine list only after you have used it from the address bar.
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- Open a new tab in Edge.
- Click the address bar, type a test query, and submit it.
- Confirm that the results page belongs to the provider you want. If a redirect sends you somewhere else, repeat the search with the intended site before changing the setting.
You do not need to migrate bookmarks or install a separate browser. The search only tells Edge which compatible provider should be offered in its settings.
2. Open Address bar and search
- Select Settings and more (…) in the upper-right corner of Edge.
- Choose Settings.
- In the settings navigation, open Privacy, search, and services.
- Scroll to Search and connected services.
- Open Address bar and search.
If the layout is different, use the settings search box for “address bar” or “search engine.” The labels above are the stable path Microsoft gives for the Windows procedure, while the exact grouping can vary by release.
3. Select the default
Open the menu labeled Search engine used in the address bar and choose your preferred provider. The selection is applied to new address-bar searches immediately; closing and reopening Edge is normally unnecessary. Test it with a neutral query to verify that the results page is from the expected site.
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Edge is not limited to a fixed, Microsoft-curated list. Microsoft says the default can be any site that uses the OpenSearch technology. In practice, the provider must expose the search information Edge needs; an ordinary website without an OpenSearch description will not necessarily appear as an option.
If the search engine you want is not listed
The most common fix is the discovery search in the first step. Return to the address bar, search once with the desired provider, and then revisit Settings and more (…) > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Search and connected services > Address bar and search. Microsoft says the engine or site used for that search should then appear among the selectable options when it supports OpenSearch.
Check the result before selecting it
- Look at the result page’s domain and branding so you do not save a redirect, an unfamiliar intermediary or a site-specific search page by mistake.
- Use the provider’s normal web-search address, not a page that only searches one forum, store or internal directory.
- If it still does not appear, the site may not publish OpenSearch data, or Edge may not recognize that particular regional or customized address.
There is no documented universal “add by URL” control in the cited Windows instructions. When a site remains absent after a normal address-bar search, Microsoft’s documented route does not promise a manual entry field; use another compatible address or contact the site’s support team about its OpenSearch implementation.
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Windows, mobile and managed devices: which instructions apply?
| Where you use Edge | Where the setting lives | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 11, Windows 10 or Windows 8.1 | Settings and more (…) > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Search and connected services > Address bar and search | Choose a provider under Search engine used in the address bar. Search with a missing provider first so it can be discovered. |
| iPhone or iPad | Edge’s own mobile settings | Select from the engines the app offers. The Windows breadcrumb does not apply. |
| Android phone or tablet | Edge’s own mobile settings | Select from the engines the app offers. Menu names and available choices can differ by app version and region. |
| Organization-managed Windows computer | Not established by the cited Microsoft documentation | A policy may restrict or control the setting. If the control is missing or locked, your organization’s administrator is the appropriate contact. |
Change the search engine in Edge on a phone
Do not follow the Windows desktop breadcrumb on a phone. Microsoft’s Edge app help describes selecting an available engine inside the app’s settings, with navigation that differs between iOS and Android.
- Open the Edge app.
- Open the app menu and enter Settings.
- Find the search-engine or search-provider option.
- Select one of the engines currently offered by the app.
- Run an address-bar search to confirm the result page uses that provider.
Mobile menus and available providers can change with app versions, so the exact tap sequence is intentionally not presented as universal. If the provider you want is not among the choices, Microsoft advises sending feedback through the app rather than applying the desktop discovery procedure.
Why Edge’s search engine may change unexpectedly
An unexpected change is not proof of malware or account compromise. Microsoft specifically identifies extensions as one possible cause. An installed extension can modify browser search settings, sometimes as part of a feature you enabled without realizing it.
Inspect extensions before changing everything else
- Open Edge’s extensions management page from the browser menu, or use the extensions icon and choose the option that manages extensions.
- Review extensions you do not recognize and any recently installed or recently updated extension that can affect search, new tabs or browsing.
- Disable a suspect extension temporarily rather than removing several at once. Test an address-bar search after each change so you can identify the cause.
- If disabling it restores your preferred behavior, remove the extension or keep it disabled, depending on whether you still need its other features.
- Return to Address bar and search and select your preferred provider again.
Microsoft’s extension guidance is available in Microsoft Edge Extensions: Frequently Asked Questions. Review the extension’s publisher, permissions and installation source before reinstalling it. If the setting changes again after the extension is enabled, leave it disabled and report the behavior to its developer or your administrator.
Troubleshooting when the selection does not stick
The provider is absent after a search
- Verify that the search was made from Edge’s address bar, not from a bookmarked results page or a site’s internal search box.
- Repeat the search using the provider’s standard web-search page and then reopen Address bar and search.
- Check whether the site supports OpenSearch. Microsoft’s documented support covers compatible sites, not every website that happens to return search results.
The menu or label is in a different place
Edge updates can rearrange settings. Search the Settings page for address bar or search engine, then look for Search engine used in the address bar. The breadcrumb in Microsoft’s Windows documentation identifies the relevant section even when surrounding cards or headings have moved.
The provider changes back later
- Check extensions first, especially those installed or updated shortly before the change.
- Set the provider again after disabling the suspected extension.
- If the computer belongs to a school or employer, ask whether a browser policy is enforcing a search provider; the cited Microsoft material does not establish how every managed configuration behaves.
Searches use the right provider but show unexpected regional results
The selected engine controls the provider, not necessarily the language, country or personalization of its results. Those behaviors are governed by the provider and by your account, location and cookies. Check the provider’s own region or language controls if the result page is otherwise correct.
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Only some searches use the new provider
Address-bar searches and searches started inside another website are different paths. A search box built into a shopping site, a workplace portal or a new-tab page can continue using its own service even after the address-bar default is changed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.OpenSearch: what it means for adding a provider
OpenSearch is a standard way for a website to describe its search URL and related metadata to browsers. Edge uses that information when it discovers a provider through an address-bar search. That is why Microsoft’s procedure starts with a real search instead of asking you to paste an arbitrary URL into a field.
Compatibility is site-specific. A provider may work perfectly when you visit it directly yet fail to appear if its regional address, redirect chain or search-description metadata is not recognized by Edge. Trying the provider’s ordinary search page once is the supported first step; repeatedly changing unrelated privacy settings will not create an OpenSearch entry that the site does not supply.
Privacy and account considerations
Changing the default provider changes where address-bar queries are sent. Read the provider’s privacy policy and account settings if the destination matters to you. This article does not claim that one provider collects more or less data than another, because collection practices vary by service, region and whether you are signed in.
Edge’s own browsing protections, history and cookie controls remain separate settings. Changing the search engine does not erase previous searches, clear cookies or turn off personalization. If your goal is to remove stored activity, use the relevant history or account controls instead of changing the address-bar provider.
A quick verification checklist
- Open a fresh Edge tab on the device you are configuring.
- Type a query directly into the address bar, without first visiting a search site.
- Confirm that the resulting page belongs to the provider you selected.
- Repeat after restarting Edge if the browser is managed or if an extension recently changed settings.
- On mobile, verify the selection separately in the Edge app; desktop and mobile preferences are not documented as one shared menu.
When to use Microsoft’s support channels
Use the desktop support article for Windows-specific menu guidance and OpenSearch behavior: Change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge. Use the mobile help page for iOS and Android navigation or to report a provider that is not offered: Microsoft Edge app help. For an unexpected change linked to an add-on, consult Microsoft Edge Extensions: Frequently Asked Questions.
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