PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchTo make Google the search engine Safari uses when you type a search on iPad, open Settings > Apps > Safari > Search Engine and select Google. Apple’s general iPad guide documents a second route, Settings > Search > Search Engine, which leads to the same control on some software versions. The steps below cover both routes, the Private Browsing exception that trips up many readers, and how to tell whether a problem comes from the engine setting or from search suggestions.
Change the default search engine
The steps below follow Apple’s Safari guide for iPad, “Search for websites using Safari on iPad” (Apple Support, current user guide). They take about a minute and need no accessory or purchase.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Open the Settings app on your iPad.
- Tap Apps, then tap Safari.
- Tap Search Engine.
- Select Google from the list.
- Return to Safari, tap the address and search field, type a word, and check that the suggestions and results come from Google.
If you do not see Apps in Settings, or the Safari entry is in a different place, search Settings for “Search Engine.” Apple’s separate guide “Change your default search engine on iPad” (Apple Support, current user guide) gives the alternate path shown below.
Recommended Free Tools
| Apple guide | Settings path | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Search for websites using Safari on iPad | Settings > Apps > Safari > Search Engine | Choosing the Safari search engine and the Search Engine Suggestions switch |
| Change your default search engine on iPad | Settings > Search > Search Engine | Changing the default search engine from the general Search settings |
Both paths lead to the same choice. Apple’s guides do not promise an identical menu layout on every iPadOS version, so the path you see on your device is the one to follow.
#1 Best Overall
- WHY IPAD — The 11-inch iPad is now more capable than ever with the superfast A16 chip, a stunning Liquid Retina display, advanced cameras, fast Wi-Fi, USB-C connector, and four gorgeous colors.* iPad delivers a powerful way to create, stay connected, and get things done.
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
Why Safari may still open a different engine
If Google is selected but another engine still appears, check these three things in order.
Private Browsing can use its own engine
Apple documents an optional, separate search engine for Private Browsing (Apple Support, “Browse the web privately in Safari on iPad”). In Settings > Apps > Safari, turn off Also Use in Private Browsing, then tap Private Search Engine and choose Google. While that switch stays on, searches in a Private tab follow the regular engine, so a Private search can differ from a normal one only when the switch is off.
Rank #2
- WHY IPAD — The 11-inch iPad is now more capable than ever with the superfast A16 chip, a stunning Liquid Retina display, advanced cameras, fast Wi-Fi, USB-C connector, and four gorgeous colors.* iPad delivers a powerful way to create, stay connected, and get things done.
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
Suggestions are a separate control
Search Engine Suggestions are the autocomplete lines that appear while you type. Apple’s Safari guide places the Search Engine Suggestions switch under Settings > Apps > Safari, below the Search Engine option. Apple’s privacy page, “Safari Search & Privacy” (Apple Support, published May 20, 2021), says that when suggestions are enabled, Safari asks your selected search engine for suggestions based on what you have typed. If the search bar shows suggestions from another source, check the suggestions switch and the selected engine separately.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Google is missing from the list
Apple’s pages confirm that you can choose a search engine, but they do not list every engine offered in every country or software version. If Google does not appear, you may be in a region where the choice is presented differently. Apple’s “Change your default apps for features on iPhone and iPad” page (Apple Support, published December 18, 2025) says that Japan may show a search engine choice screen in Safari, and that the choice can be changed later in Settings > Apps > Safari.
Rank #3
- WHY IPAD — The 11-inch iPad is now more capable than ever with the superfast A16 chip, a stunning Liquid Retina display, advanced cameras, fast Wi-Fi, USB-C connector, and four gorgeous colors.* iPad delivers a powerful way to create, stay connected, and get things done.
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
What Apple says about search data
Apple’s “Safari Search & Privacy” page says that information it receives from Siri Suggestions and from searches in Search, Spotlight, Safari, and #images search in Messages is associated with a random, rotating, device-generated identifier that changes about every 15 minutes, and is not linked to your Apple ID or email address. Apple also says common queries may be shared with a web search engine to improve results. These are Apple’s published descriptions from that page, dated May 20, 2021, not an independent audit. Choosing Google changes which engine receives your searches, so review Google’s own privacy terms if that matters to you.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- WHY IPAD PRO — iPad Pro with the Apple M5 chip delivers extraordinary performance for effortless productivity on a stunning display. Take on pro workflows with Neural Accelerators for AI and a redesigned iPadOS with game-changing capabilities.*
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — iPad Pro with M5 brings next-generation speed and the power of on-device AI to all your tasks.* Featuring up to 2TB of storage, 16GB of memory, and Neural Accelerators for next-level AI performance.*
- IPADOS — Run pro apps and get more done with iPadOS 26 with Liquid Glass design and game-changing capabilities.* With an intuitive and flexible windowing system, you can control, organize, and manage your workflows like never before.
- APPLE INTELLIGENCE — Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you communicate, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly with groundbreaking privacy protections at every step.*
- 13-INCH ULTRA RETINA XDR DISPLAY — The world’s most advanced display, featuring extreme brightness, precise contrast, ProMotion, P3 wide color, and True Tone.* Nano-texture display glass available in 1TB and 2TB configurations
Rank #4
- WHY IPAD — The 11-inch iPad is now more capable than ever with the superfast A16 chip, a stunning Liquid Retina display, advanced cameras, fast Wi-Fi, USB-C connector, and four gorgeous colors.* iPad delivers a powerful way to create, stay connected, and get things done.
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
Quick checklist
- Settings > Apps > Safari > Search Engine is set to Google.
- Also Use in Private Browsing is off only if you want a separate Private engine, and Private Search Engine is set to Google.
- Search Engine Suggestions is on or off as you prefer; it does not change the engine itself.
- A test search in Safari returns Google suggestions and results.
“
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
