To change the search engine Edge uses for address-bar searches on Windows, first search once with the provider you want. Then open Settings and more (…) > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Search and connected services > Address bar and search, and choose it under Search engine used in the address bar. Edge can use any site that supports OpenSearch. Phones use a separate in-app setting, and an extension can change the selection unexpectedly.
What changing the search engine actually changes
This setting controls searches you type directly into Edge’s address bar. It does not automatically change your home page, new-tab content, bookmarks, or searches started inside another application. A page can still contain its own search box, and an organization can impose browser policies that limit what you are allowed to select.
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Microsoft’s desktop procedure applies to Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows 8.1. The labels below follow Microsoft’s documented breadcrumb, although a particular Edge release or language pack may arrange the same controls slightly differently. The setting is normally under Address bar and search, not under the general start-page controls.
Change the default on Edge for Windows
Step 1: Use the search provider once
- Open Microsoft Edge.
- Click the address bar, type a normal search, and submit it using the provider you want to make the default. For example, open that provider’s search page, enter a term, and press Enter.
- Leave the results page available until you finish the setting change. Edge uses this activity to discover providers that support OpenSearch.
This discovery step matters when the provider is not already visible in the list. Microsoft’s exact instruction is to “Perform a search in the address bar using the search engine you want to set as your default.”
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Step 2: Open Address bar and search
- Select the Settings and more (…) button in the upper-right corner.
- Choose Settings.
- In the settings navigation, open Privacy, search, and services.
- Scroll to Search and connected services.
- Select Address bar and search.
Use the setting’s search box if your Edge version presents one. Searching for address bar or search engine is often faster than scanning a long settings page.
Step 3: Select the provider
- Open the menu labeled Search engine used in the address bar.
- Choose the provider you used in Step 1.
- Open a new tab and type a test phrase into the address bar. Submit it and confirm that the results page belongs to the selected provider.
The change affects future address-bar searches; it does not rewrite old tabs or previously saved searches. If the test opens the wrong site, check that you changed the address-bar setting rather than a separate search box or new-tab preference.
When the search engine is missing from the list
Edge does not necessarily show every provider immediately. Microsoft says the desktop setting can use any site that implements OpenSearch, and that a provider used for an address-bar search should then appear among the selectable options.
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- Reopen Settings and more (…) > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Search and connected services > Address bar and search.
- Open Search engine used in the address bar again and look for the newly detected site.
- Select it, then run a fresh address-bar test.
If it still does not appear, the site may not advertise a compatible OpenSearch description, Edge may not have recorded the search yet, or a policy may be controlling the available providers. The Microsoft instructions do not promise that every web search service will be accepted; they describe support for sites using OpenSearch.
What OpenSearch means here
OpenSearch is a standardized way for a website to describe how a browser should send search terms to it. Edge reads that description when you use the site for a search. You do not need to install a separate program or copy a URL manually for a provider that Edge recognizes through OpenSearch.
Change the search engine on a phone
Do not use the Windows breadcrumb on an iPhone or Android phone. The Edge mobile apps expose the choice inside their own settings, and Microsoft documents the navigation separately in its Microsoft Edge app help.
General mobile procedure
- Open the Edge app.
- Open the app menu, then enter Settings.
- Find the search-engine setting and select one of the providers Edge lists.
- Return to a tab, tap the address bar, and run a test search.
The exact menu position and the providers offered can differ between iOS and Android, app versions, account configurations, and regions. Microsoft advises sending feedback through the app if the provider you want is not among the available options. On mobile, the documented guidance is to choose from the presented list rather than to follow the Windows discovery procedure.
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Why Edge’s search engine changed by itself
A changed preference is not proof that your computer is infected. Microsoft identifies browser extensions as one possible cause: an extension can alter the default search provider while it is installed or after it updates. Other possibilities include another person using the profile, a restored browser profile, or a work or school policy.
Inspect extensions first
- Open Settings and more (…) and choose Extensions, or enter Edge’s extensions management page from the browser menu.
- Review every installed extension, including ones you do not remember adding. Pay particular attention to extensions that mention search, new tabs, coupons, or browsing improvements.
- Turn off a suspected extension without deleting it. Open a new tab and run an address-bar search.
- If the unexpected provider stops appearing, remove the extension or keep it disabled. Then select your preferred provider again in Address bar and search.
- If disabling one extension changes nothing, re-enable it and test the next suspect individually. Testing one at a time identifies the setting that is being altered.
Microsoft’s extension guidance explains that extensions can change the default search engine; it does not say that every unexpected change is malicious or caused by an extension. Keep extensions you trust and need, and remove only those you can identify as unwanted or responsible.
Check for a managed browser
On a company, school, or shared computer, an administrator may control search providers through browser policy. Signs include a message that the browser is managed, a setting that is locked or immediately reverts, or a provider list that differs from a personal Edge profile. In that situation, contact the administrator rather than repeatedly changing the setting; a policy can overwrite your selection at the next sign-in or browser restart.
Desktop and mobile: the important differences
| Environment | Where to change it | How a missing provider is handled | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edge on Windows 11, 10, or 8.1 | Settings and more (…) > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Search and connected services > Address bar and search | Search once with the provider from the address bar, then return to the list. | The site must be recognized through OpenSearch, and organization policy may restrict choices. |
| Edge on iOS | Edge app menu > Settings > the available search-engine option | Microsoft says to send feedback if the provider is not listed. | Menu labels and available providers can change with the app version and region. |
| Edge on Android | Edge app menu > Settings > the available search-engine option | Choose from the list shown by the app; use Microsoft’s feedback route for a missing option. | Do not apply the Windows OpenSearch discovery steps to the mobile app. |
Verify that the change worked
A quick test prevents confusion between several different search controls in Edge.
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- Submit the search and inspect the domain and branding on the results page.
- Open a second new tab and repeat the test to make sure the choice persists.
- If the first test used an existing tab, repeat it in a new tab; an already loaded page will not change its results provider.
If the provider is correct in a clean tab but a particular website still uses another service, that website’s own search form is operating independently of Edge’s address-bar preference.
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The setting is easy to find, but my provider is not listed
Perform a submitted search with that provider from the address bar, close and reopen the settings page, and check the selection menu again. If the provider remains absent, it may not publish an OpenSearch description that Edge recognizes. On a managed device, an administrator may also have limited the list.
The provider appeared, but Edge keeps reverting
Test extensions one at a time, then set the provider again. If the selection reverts after restart or sign-in and the browser reports that it is managed, ask the organization’s administrator to review its Edge policy. A policy-controlled setting cannot reliably be maintained from the normal user menu.
Only searches from the address bar changed; the new tab still looks different
That is expected. The default provider controls address-bar searches. New-tab content, the home button, and a page’s built-in search box are separate features and may have their own settings.
I changed the setting but an old search still shows the previous provider
Changing the default does not reload existing pages or rewrite their URLs. Open a new tab and submit a new address-bar search to test the current choice.
The phone does not offer the provider I use on Windows
Desktop and mobile maintain separate lists and settings. Select an available option in the mobile app. If the desired provider is absent, Microsoft’s mobile help directs users to send feedback; desktop discovery does not add it to the phone automatically.
Privacy and practical considerations
Changing the provider changes where your address-bar query is sent and which service returns the results. Review the provider’s own privacy, account, and regional policies if that matters for sensitive searches. Edge’s setting does not make a search anonymous, prevent the provider from logging queries, or remove data already stored in browser history.
For a shared Windows profile, remember that the choice is generally tied to that Edge profile. Other Windows users or other Edge profiles can have different providers. If several people use the same profile, one person’s change affects the next person’s address-bar searches.
Keeping the preference stable
- Install extensions only from sources you trust and remove ones that change search or new-tab behavior without a clear reason.
- After a major Edge update, confirm the provider with one new-tab search; Microsoft notes that interface wording can vary between releases.
- On an organization-managed computer, treat a locked or reverting setting as a policy issue, not a browser malfunction.
- If you switch providers temporarily, record the original selection so you can restore it later from the same Address bar and search menu.
Microsoft’s official instructions
For the Windows procedure and supported Windows editions, see Change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge. For iOS and Android navigation, see Microsoft Edge app help. For the extension-related explanation, see Microsoft Edge Extensions: Frequently Asked Questions.
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