How to Change the Default Search Engine in Chrome for iOS

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Updated December 09, 2019

All browsers install on iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch devices with a default search engine, and the Chrome app's default search engine is—to no one's surprise—Google. Its omnibox combined URL address bar/search bar provides a one-stop shop for entering both search terms and specific URLs. If you prefer a different search engine for use with the iOS Chrome app, however, the change is simple.

The information in this article applies to the Chrome app that is compatible with iOS 12 and iOS 11, except as noted.

Changing the Default Search Engine of Chrome App on iOS

Open the Chrome browser on your iOS device.
Tap the Chrome menu button (three vertically-aligned dots) located at the bottom of the screen when in portrait mode or at the top when in landscape mode.
Select Settings in the drop-down menu to display Chrome's Settings page.
Tap Search Engine.
Check the search engine you prefer. Selections are Google, Yahoo, Bing, and DuckDuckGo. The iOS app doesn't support adding other search engines.
Click Done to exit the Chrome settings.

If you want to use a search engine that isn't listed in Chrome's Search Engine settings, go to your favorite search engine in Safari on your iPhone and create a shortcut icon for that page for your Home screen.

Tips for Using the Chrome App on iOS Devices

Little-known features of the iOS Chrome app that make your experience better include:

Incognito Mode: Enter Incognito Mode by tapping New Incognito Tab on the Chrome menu. With this setting, you can surf the internet without leaving any record of the sites you visit on your iOS device. However, it doesn't prevent websites from tracking you.
Voice Search: Enable Voice Search by tapping the microphone icon in the Chrome search bar. It's preferable to typing in long URLs. If you are already on a web page, tap and hold the Search icon at the bottom of the screen (or top when in landscape mode) and select Voice Search from the pop-up menu.
QR Code scanner: Bring up a QR code scanner by tapping and holding on the Search icon. Select Scan QR Code from the pop-up menu. Position the code in the frame on the screen, and the relevant link launches immediately.
Share web pages: Tap the Share icon (the box with an arrow) in the Chrome search field to bring up the iOS Sharing screen. From there, you can send a web page link in an email, message, or Twitter post or add it to Notes, Reminders, or other apps and services.

Changing the Default Search Engine on Chrome on a Computer

Changing the default search engine in the Chrome browser on your computer is just as easy as on the app.

Open any web page in the Chrome browser on your computer.
Tap the Chrome menu button (three vertically-aligned dots), located in the upper right corner of the browser window.
Select the Settings option from the drop-down menu to open Chrome's Settings page.
Scroll down to the Search Engine section and select Manage Search Engines.
Select the search engine you prefer from the ones on the list.