Safari lets you choose Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, or Ecosia as its search engine, and you can change that choice later. The best fit depends on the privacy practices you’re comfortable with, whether you prefer a particular provider, and how well its results work for your own searches. The available options can vary by region, device, and operating-system version. No neutral four-way benchmark establishes one provider as the best overall.
At a glance: how the four choices differ
| Search engine | What the provider says about data | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Google’s policy says collected information may include search terms. Activity may be saved to a Google Account depending on settings; Google also describes controls for history and personalization. Google Privacy Policy. | Not signing in does not mean no data is collected: Google says it may collect information associated with a browser, app, or device. | |
| Bing | The materials available here do not establish enough Bing Search-specific detail for a careful comparison of its direct-use privacy practices. | Ecosia’s use of Bing does not establish what happens when you use Bing directly. See Microsoft’s Privacy Statement. |
| DuckDuckGo | DuckDuckGo says it does not save or share search history or save IP addresses alongside searches. It says it earns most search revenue through ads based on the results page, rather than a person’s profile. DuckDuckGo Privacy Policy. | DuckDuckGo says Microsoft manages ad clicks under a stated commitment about profile association. These are provider disclosures, not an independent audit. |
| Ecosia | Ecosia says it shares IP addresses and search terms with Microsoft Bing or Google to provide results and ads. It says it does not use search data to personalize ads elsewhere and anonymizes IP addresses on Ecosia after a maximum of seven days. Ecosia Privacy Policy. | Ecosia uses partner search providers; it does not describe an independent full web index. Its partner arrangements, including Google availability, may be rolling out gradually. |
Which search engine should you use in Safari?
Start with what matters most to you, then try the candidates on searches you actually make. Privacy policies describe what providers say they do; they are not independent audits. Search relevance can vary with the query, language, region, and time, so a general reputation or a provider’s privacy policy cannot prove which engine will serve you best.
If you want DuckDuckGo’s stated search-history approach
DuckDuckGo says it does not save or share search history and does not save IP addresses alongside searches. It also says anonymous query trends help improve its search indexes. Those are DuckDuckGo’s claims, not independently verified findings. Its policy also explains that Microsoft manages ad clicks under Microsoft’s stated commitment, so consider that provider relationship as part of your decision.
If you already prefer Google
Choose Google if you want to use Google Search directly. Google’s privacy policy, effective October 1, 2026, says collected information may include search terms. Depending on your settings, activity may be saved to your Google Account; Google describes controls for history and personalization. Google also says it collects some information from users who are not signed in, with identifiers tied to a browser, app, or device.
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If you prefer Bing
Bing is available as a direct Safari search choice, but the Microsoft privacy statement alone does not provide enough Bing Search-specific detail here to compare its direct-use practices fairly with the other providers. Don’t assume that Ecosia’s disclosures about sharing data with Bing describe every detail of using Bing directly.
If you want Ecosia’s partner-based search
Ecosia says its results and ads come from Microsoft Bing or Google, and that arrangements—including Google availability—are being rolled out over several months. It says it shares IP addresses and search terms with those partners to return results and ads. Ecosia also says it does not use search data to personalize ads elsewhere, offers controls and consent around personalization, and anonymizes IP addresses on Ecosia after a maximum of seven days.
Rank #2
Test relevance against your own searches
To compare quality for yourself, use the same small set of representative searches in each engine, in Safari, and judge the results against criteria that matter to you: whether the answer is accurate, whether useful sources are easy to find, and whether local or specialized results fit. Keep the region and wording consistent, and remember that result pages can change over time. This is a personal comparison, not a universal ranking.
How to change Safari’s search engine
On Mac
- Open Safari and choose Safari > Settings.
- Click Search.
- Choose a provider from the search-engine menu. In the same panel, you can choose a separate search engine for Private Browsing.
Apple documents this route in its Safari search settings guide.
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On iPhone
- Open the iPhone Settings app.
- Tap Search, then Search Engine.
- Choose a provider, then go back.
Apple documents this route in its iPhone Safari search settings guide. Labels and available providers may differ across OS versions, devices, and regions. DuckDuckGo’s guide describes an alternative path on iPhone or iPad: Safari > Search Engine (DuckDuckGo’s iOS instructions).
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Review suggestions as well as the selected engine
Changing the search engine does not necessarily control every suggestion-related data flow. Apple says that when Safari’s Search Engine Suggestions are enabled, Safari asks the selected provider for suggestions based on what you type. Apple separately describes information sent to Apple to provide Search suggestions, with a rotating device-generated identifier. These are distinct flows; check both the applicable Safari suggestion settings and the selected provider’s policy if you want to understand what is sent where.
Apple explains the provider-suggestion behavior in its Safari web-search guide and the Apple-side flow in Apple Search & Privacy (page dated September 14, 2026).
What this comparison can—and cannot—tell you
The policy differences help identify provider-stated data practices and relationships, but they do not establish which service returns better results overall. The available evidence does not support a current neutral four-way benchmark, speed ranking, or accuracy score. Treat each provider’s privacy statements as its own account of its practices, and make a quality choice based on searches relevant to you.
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