what to know
- Click the Chrome menu button (three dots), then click Settings > Search Engines . Choose from Bing , Yahoo , DuckDuckGo or Ecosia .
- Chrome iOS Tip: Click "New Incognito Mode" to surf privately. Tap the microphone to search by voice. Click and hold "Search QR Scanner".
- To change Chrome's default search engine on PC or Mac, go to Menu > Settings > Search engines > Manage search engines .
This article explains how to change the default search engine from Google to another option when using the Chrome browser on an iOS device, such as an iPhone or iPad. Instructions cover iOS 12 and above.
Chrome allows you to change the settings of the search engine on iOS.
Open the Chrome browser on your iOS device.
Click the Chrome menu button (three horizontally aligned dots) at the bottom of the screen in portrait mode, or click the Chrome menu button (three horizontally aligned dots) at the top of the screen in landscape mode.
Select "Settings" in the pop-up menu to display Chrome settings.
Click on Search Engine .
Click to place a check next to your preferred search engine. Options in iOS 12 and iOS 11 include Google, Yahoo, Bing, and DuckDuckGo. iOS 13 includes all of these plus Ecosia.
The iOS app does not support adding other search engines.
Select "Settings" at the top of the screen to return to the previous screen.
Select Done to exit Chrome settings.
If you want to use a search engine that's not listed in Chrome's search engine settings, go to your favorite search engine in Safari on iPhone and create a shortcut icon for that page on the Home screen.
Lesser-known features of iOS Chrome apps that enhance your experience include:
- Incognito mode : Enter Incognito mode by clicking "New Incognito Tab" on the Chrome menu. This setting lets you surf the web without leaving a record of the sites you visit on your iOS device. However, it doesn't stop websites from tracking you.
- Voice search : Enable voice search by clicking the microphone icon in the Chrome search bar. This is better than entering a long URL. If you're on a web page, tap and hold the search icon (plus sign) at the bottom of the screen (or top in landscape mode) and select Voice Search from the pop-up menu.
- QR code scanner : Display the QR code scanner by tapping and holding the search icon. Select Scan QR code from the pop-up menu. Place the code in a frame on the screen and the relevant links will launch instantly.
- Share a web page : Click the share icon (box with an arrow) in the Chrome search field to display the iOS share screen. From there, you can send the web link in an email, message, or X (formerly Twitter) post, or add it to notes, reminders, or other apps and services.
Changing the default search engine in Chrome on your computer is as easy as in the app.
Open the web page in the Chrome browser on your computer.
Select the Chrome menu button (three vertically aligned dots) in the upper right corner of the browser window.
Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
Select Search Engine in the left sidebar.
Select Manage search engines .
Select the three dots next to your preferred search engine.
Select Set as Default from the pop-up menu.
