Microsoft Edge makes it simple to choose a different default search engine, but many users find that searches typed on the new tab page continue to use Bing. The reason lies in a separate setting that isn’t immediately obvious—even after you’ve successfully configured Google, DuckDuckGo, or another provider as the browser’s main search engine.

This guide explains exactly why that happens, how to change both settings so all searches honor your preference, and what to do if a favorite search engine doesn’t appear in the list. It also covers troubleshooting for users whose search engine keeps reverting and practical privacy considerations alongside the search choice.

The default search engine setting isn’t the whole story

Microsoft Edge sits on the same Chromium foundation as Google Chrome, so switching search providers is a first-class feature. To change the engine that handles queries from the address bar, you open Settings, navigate to Privacy, search, and services > Address bar and search, and pick from the Search engine used in the address bar dropdown. A faster route is typing edge://settings/search directly into the address bar.

The list typically includes Bing, Google, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, and sometimes Yandex, though regional and version-specific variations occur. Once selected, any ordinary text typed into the combined address-and-search bar goes to that engine. But the new tab page—the default landing screen with a large search box, news feed, and Microsoft content—often ignores this setting.

That’s because the new tab search box isn’t the same as the address bar. Microsoft treats the new tab page as a content surface, complete with widgets, Copilot entry points, and Microsoft Rewards. Historically, its search box has been tied to Bing. So a user who has switched the default engine to Google might open a new tab, type a query into that prominent field, and still land on a Bing results page.

Why searches on new tabs still go to Bing

Return to edge://settings/search. Below the default search engine dropdown, there’s a second control labeled something like Search on new tabs uses search box or address bar. If it’s set to Search box, the new tab search field operates independently, routing queries through Bing regardless of the address-bar preference.

Set it to Address bar instead. This forces all new tab searches to flow through the address bar, which then respects your chosen provider. The visual search box remains, but keystrokes entered there are redirected. This small toggle is the root of most user confusion.

Microsoft’s design separates these two settings intentionally. The new tab page is a portal for Microsoft services, and the company wants to preserve Bing’s presence there. The Address bar option is a compromise that lets you keep the new tab layout while aligning searches with your preferred engine.

How to make every search respect your choice

To fully switch all Edge searches away from Bing, four steps are necessary:

  1. Navigate to edge://settings/search.
  2. Open the Search engine used in the address bar menu and select your preferred provider (e.g., Google, DuckDuckGo).
  3. Find the Search on new tabs uses search box or address bar setting and change it to Address bar.
  4. Verify by opening a blank new tab, typing a distinctive search phrase into its search field, and checking that the results page belongs to the intended search engine.

If the new tab search still lands on Bing, double-check that the Address bar option is selected and that no browser extension or management policy is overriding the preference (more on that later).

Separately, the optional search box on the Edge toolbar—appearing as a smaller input field alongside the address bar—also obeys the default search engine when enabled. But many users disable that toolbar search box in Settings > Appearance for a cleaner look; the address bar alone then handles all queries.

Adding search engines not in the list

Sometimes the engine you want isn’t in the dropdown. That’s common for privacy-focused services, regional alternatives, or internal corporate search tools. Edge can often discover a search provider automatically after you visit the site and perform a few searches. Open edge://settings/search again, and if recognized, the engine may appear in the menu.

If it doesn’t, you can manually add it:

  1. Enter edge://settings/searchEngines in the address bar.
  2. Click Add.
  3. Fill in a friendly name, a keyword shortcut (e.g., ddg for DuckDuckGo), and most critically, the search URL with %s as the placeholder.

For example, if performing a search on a site produces https://example.com/search?q=test, the template becomes https://example.com/search?q=%s. Edge inserts the user’s query where %s appears. Once saved, open the new entry’s three-dot menu and select Make default.

A common mistake is pasting a homepage address instead of a search URL, which doesn’t let Edge forward queries. If the site uses complex JavaScript or POST requests, manual configuration may not work at all. In such cases, stick with auto-discovery or consider a different provider.

Privacy and search suggestions matter too

Choosing a privacy-conscious search engine like DuckDuckGo is only one piece of the puzzle. Edge can show real-time suggestions as you type, drawing on browsing history, favorites, and the search provider. Within Address bar and search, look for Show me search and site suggestions using my typed characters. Turning this off limits the data sent to the search engine before you press Enter, but it also reduces convenience by disabling predictive queries and URL suggestions.

A balanced approach for privacy-minded users is to combine a privacy-focused default engine with disabled search suggestions and periodic clearing of browsing data. Using separate Edge profiles for work and personal browsing also limits cross-context data leakage.

Troubleshooting: when your search engine keeps changing back

If Edge repeatedly reverts to Bing or an unknown engine, the cause is usually one of the following:

  • Unwanted browser extensions. Open edge://extensions and disable every extension, especially those related to shopping, PDF conversion, video downloading, or new-tab customization. Re-enable them one by one while testing search behavior to identify the culprit.
  • Recently installed desktop software. Some programs bundle browser-hijacking components. Check Settings > Apps > Installed apps for unfamiliar applications installed around the time the problem started, and remove them.
  • Managed browser policies. On work or school devices, type edge://policy to see if an administrator has locked the default search provider. If the policy is marked as mandatory, local changes won’t persist. Contact your IT department to discuss alternatives.
  • Profile sync. An Edge profile signed in with a Microsoft account can sync settings across devices. A change made on one machine might propagate to others. Review sync options at edge://settings/profiles/sync and consider turning off search engine sync if conflicts arise.

Edge’s built-in security features, such as SmartScreen and tracking prevention, remain in effect regardless of the search engine choice, so using Google in Edge doesn’t weaken the browser’s defenses.

Outlook

Microsoft continues to weave Bing and Copilot deeply into Windows and Edge, which means these settings will likely remain necessary for users who prefer other search services. The company has made incremental improvements—Edge 84 introduced the ability to set search policies as “recommended” rather than forced—but a unified, one-click search switch across the browser and new tab page isn’t on the public roadmap.

In the meantime, the steps above restore user control. The distinction between the address bar and new tab search may be minor in the settings UI, but it has an outsized impact on daily browsing. Knowing where to look turns Edge into a browser that works the way you want, not just the way Microsoft prefers.