How to get rid of an unwanted search engine in Chrome, Edge and Firefox

Applies to: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Firefox on Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Why your search engine changed

Software that changes your search engine without asking is usually called a browser hijacker. It earns money from the ads on its search results pages, so it tries hard to stay set as your default. The usual ways it gets in are:

• A browser extension that takes over search, the new tab page or the home page.
• A program bundled with a free download (toolbars, “search assistants”, PDF or video converters, “PC optimizers”).
• Browser policies added to Windows, which lock the setting and make the browser say it’s “managed by your organization”.
• An edited shortcut that opens the browser on a particular site.

Not every change is a hijack. Microsoft Edge uses Bing by default, and a browser update can occasionally reset search settings. If you just want a different engine, Step 1 is all you need.

Step 1: Change the default search engine back

• Google Chrome: select the three-dot menu > Settings > Search engine. Next to the current engine, select Change and pick the one you want.
• Microsoft Edge: type edge://settings/search in the address bar and press Enter (or open Settings and search for “address bar”). Choose your engine in Search engine used in the address bar. The exact menu path has moved between Edge versions, which is why the direct address is easier.
• Firefox: open the menu (≡) > Settings > Search, and choose your engine under Default Search Engine.

Open a new tab and search for something to check it worked. If the unwanted engine comes back after a restart, carry on with the next steps.

Step 2: Delete the unwanted search engine

Changing the default doesn’t remove the hijacker’s entry, and some programs quietly switch back to it. Delete it from the list:

• Chrome: go to chrome://settings/searchEngines (Manage search engines and site search). Find the unwanted engine, select the three dots next to it and choose Delete. If it’s the current default, make another engine the default first; you can’t delete the default.
• Edge: on the same edge://settings/search page, open Manage search engines, select the three dots next to the unwanted engine and choose Remove. Again, set a different default first.
• Firefox: on the Search settings page, select the engine in the Search Shortcuts list and choose Remove. If it was added by an add-on, remove the add-on instead (Step 4).

Step 3: Fix the home page, start page and new tab

Hijackers often change what the browser opens on start-up as well as the search engine, so the unwanted site appears even though search is fixed.

• Chrome: Settings > On startup. Choose Open the New Tab page, or remove any unknown address from Open a specific page or set of pages. Also check Settings > Appearance > Show home button for an unwanted home page address.
• Edge: Settings > Start, home, and new tab page. Check what Edge opens when it starts and the address set for the Home button.
• Firefox: Settings > Home. Set Homepage and new windows and New tabs to Firefox Home (Default).

Also check the browser shortcut: right-click it, choose Properties and look at Target. If a web address appears after the browser’s .exe file name, delete the shortcut and pin a new one from the Start menu.

Step 4: Remove the extension behind it

If the search setting changes back on its own, or the settings page says the setting is controlled by an extension, an extension is almost certainly responsible. Many browsers show the extension’s name right next to the setting with a button to turn it off.

• Chrome: chrome://extensions
• Edge: edge://extensions
• Firefox: about:addons

Remove any extension with “search”, “new tab”, “start” or a product name you don’t recognise, and anything you didn’t install yourself. If you aren’t sure, turn it off and check whether your search setting now sticks.

Step 5: Uninstall the program and scan

Many hijackers, including the MyStart search page, have traditionally been installed by a separate Windows program that puts the extension back each time you remove it. On Windows 11 open Settings > Apps > Installed apps (on Windows 10, Settings > Apps > Apps & features), sort by install date and uninstall anything that matches the search engine’s name or that arrived around the time the problem started.

Then open Windows Security and run a Full scan from Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Our adware removal guide covers the whole clean-up, including the offline scan and turning on Potentially unwanted app blocking so this doesn’t happen again. For more on the built-in scanners, see How to scan for malware on Windows 11 and 10.

Step 6: Check policies and reset the browser

If Chrome or Edge says Managed by your organization on a home PC, or you can’t change the search engine at all, open chrome://policy or edge://policy. Policies such as a forced default search provider are a common hijacker trick. They usually disappear once the program that set them is uninstalled; if they don’t, run Microsoft Defender’s offline scan before considering any manual registry changes. On a work or school PC, these policies may be set deliberately by your IT department, so ask them first.

Finally, reset the browser to clear anything left behind. Bookmarks, history and saved passwords are kept:

• Chrome: chrome://settings/reset > Restore settings to their original defaults.
• Edge: edge://settings/reset > Restore settings to their default values.
• Firefox: about:support > Refresh Firefox.

If the browser starts crashing after you remove extensions or reset it, see STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION in Chrome and Edge.

Related guides

• Adware removal: how to get rid of adware on Windows 11 and 10
• How to scan for malware on Windows 11 and 10 (free, built-in tools)
• SmartScreen can’t be reached right now: how to fix it
• STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION in Chrome and Edge: 7 ways to fix it

Official sources: for more detail, see the browser makers’ own help pages:

• Google Chrome Help: Set default search engine and site search shortcuts
• Microsoft Support: Change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge
• Mozilla Support: Manage Firefox search settings

Frequently asked questions

How do I delete the MyStart search engine?

Follow Steps 1 to 5: set another default search engine, delete MyStart from the search engine list, remove any related extension, then uninstall any MyStart or toolbar program from Installed apps and run a scan. Removing only the browser setting usually isn’t enough, because the program puts it back.

Why does Yahoo keep replacing Google in Chrome?

That’s a classic sign of a hijacker extension or program redirecting your searches through its own servers to Yahoo. Remove unknown extensions (Step 4), uninstall recently added programs (Step 5) and reset Chrome (Step 6).

Can I remove Bing from Microsoft Edge?

You can switch Edge’s address bar to another search engine in Step 1. Bing isn’t a hijacker, it’s simply Edge’s default. Separately, the search box on the Windows taskbar uses Bing for web results, and that’s a Windows feature rather than a browser setting.

Is a browser hijacker dangerous?

Most aren’t designed to damage your PC, but they track your searches, show extra ads and can lead you to scam or malware sites. Remove them promptly and run a scan to check nothing else came with them.