How do I change the default search engine in Safari on my Apple iPhone?

I don't know how it changed, but suddenly the default search engine on my Apple iPhone 3G is Yahoo, not Google. Now I like Yahoo as much as the next guy, but I really want Google back. How the heck do I change the default search engine in Safari??

Dave's Answer:

I had the same thing happen on my Apple iPhone a few days ago, mysteriously, and while it might be fairies or wizardry I suspect in fact that one of my children is the culprit. Of course, how it happened doesn't really matter, the issue is fixing it, right?

Setting the correct search engine - whether you prefer Google or Yahoo - in Safari on the Apple iPhone fortunately isn't that difficult at all.

On your phone, you can tell what search engine you currently have by simply going to Safari and looking on the top right:

Here notice it says "Yahoo" (albeit rather faintly).

To change the settings, go back to the main iPhone screen and click on the "Settings" button. You'll see this:

Scroll down a screen or so:

You need to tap on "Safari" to get to the Safari browser settings:

No surprise, to change the search engine tap on "Search Engine":

apple iphone settings safari search engine

Pick your favorite search engine (and, btw, if anyone knows how to add new search engines to the list, please leave a comment with details!) and you're done. Now, go back to the main iPhone menu and choose Safari again.

Now you'll see:

And there ya go, now you're back and using Google for your searches instead of Yahoo!

Looking for more tips on using your iPhone? I have lots of free iPhone help here on the site, so look around!

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Categorized: iPhone and Cell Phone Help (Article 8806, Written by Dave Taylor)
Tagged: apple iphone, google, safari, search engines, yahoo
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Reader Comments To Date: 20

Jeff Bue said, on December 20, 2009 9:20 PM:

Damn that was easy!
Can't believe I didn't figure that one out myself.

BeaterMax said, on March 14, 2010 3:15 AM:

Mine defaults to google.ca but Iive in the UK. Do you know how to change it to google.co.uk?

nv said, on November 15, 2010 11:37 AM:

THANK YOU!!

Emily said, on July 6, 2011 9:16 PM:

I love you.

Emily said, on September 30, 2011 4:05 PM:

Jesus thank you. Spent ages trying to fix this.

Juanita Maykowski said, on November 6, 2011 9:15 AM:

Can you add a search engine to the iphone 3g safari?

tc45 said, on December 22, 2011 1:21 AM:

Thanks Dave!

Kalu said, on February 3, 2012 2:23 AM:

Excellent tutorial Dave with easy step by step directions. Finally figured out how to restore Google back after it mysteriously changed to Yahoo.

Luc Lav said, on October 4, 2012 10:10 AM:

MIT search box defaults to google.ca, how do I change it to google.com?

rlb said, on December 31, 2012 8:04 AM:

Wow. I'm amazed how easy this was. Still pretty steamed that Yahoo hijacked my browser, but now I know how to put the kibosh on those sly creeps that just refused to go away. Thanks a million!

Kiki said, on January 10, 2013 7:27 PM:

Thanks google is god!!! You helped me find my way back haha

Carolyn said, on January 18, 2013 10:48 PM:

You're the best!

Maggie said, on March 18, 2013 3:45 AM:

Thanks for that. Unfortunately this does not work on my apple iPod.
When I tap 'google' in settings it remains faded although has a tick
at it. When I go back into safari nothing has changed.
Again, thanks anyway.

Haley said, on April 10, 2013 7:03 PM:

Thanks! And by the way, after you update to iOS 6.1.3, Bing! is added to the list. ☺

Vincent J. said, on April 13, 2013 6:59 AM:

It's probably not your kid that did this. This has happened to loads of people, me included, and I know for a fact that I never went and changed the browser settings. It's probably yahoo that has done this .. how ? I wonder myself.

Sweetmarie said, on April 16, 2013 10:45 AM:

Thank God

Google_freak said, on April 21, 2013 11:14 PM:

OMG, that was soooooo easy! Thank you!!!!

Carmen said, on April 22, 2013 6:51 AM:

Thanks so much! You have made a lot of people happy (including me) :)

Aline said, on April 29, 2013 8:20 AM:

Wow, I was freaking out last night... I hate yahoo and I was blaming myself for changing that somehow. But I see I didn't. They changed that itself. Yahoo is so unfair that I was looking for the way to change it back to google. I tried on my ipad last night searching for how to get google on my ipad instead of yahoo. And nothing was showing for me. They were blocking the search.... I couldn't belive. I had to try on my laptop and I found this page and got my google. Great! Thanks

Mustapha said, on May 10, 2013 2:33 AM:

Thanks you (iam from iraq)

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!

How do I change the default search engine in Safari on my Apple iPhone?

Reader Comments To Date: 20

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!

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