Microsoft Edge will finally let you ditch Bing for Google – here’s how to do it
New tabs will no longer force Bing on you
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
WhileMicrosoft’s new and improvedEdge web browser, which is now based on the open-source Chromium engine (the same used by Chrome), does a lot of things right, it still tries to force you to use the company’s unloved Bing search engine - but that could soon be changing.
At the momentBingis the default search engine when you type search terms in the address bar of Chrome, as well as when you open a new tab. While you can change the address bar’s search engine to something else likeGoogle, Yahoo orDuckDuckGo, you’re currently unable to change the search engine displayed when you open a new tab.
However, that appears to be changing, as a new Edge Canary update (which is an early version of Edge released to people who want to help test out new features) looks set to come with new options for changing the search engine used in new tab windows.
About time
AsWindows Latestreports, users of the new Edge Canary update can now change the ‘Search on new tabs’ setting from ‘Search box’, which uses Bing, to the Address bar, which will hide the Bing search box and let you quickly search from the address bar of Edge using whatever alternative search engine you’ve selected.
You can also now set a custom web page to show when you open a new tab, so you could set it to Google’s home page, for example.
To change these settings, you can type inEdge://settings/searchin the address bar.
With these new settings appearing in Edge Canary, it’s expected that they will make their way to the proper version of Edge soon.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
This is a welcome move by Microsoft, as although it tries to force Bing onWindows 10users as often as possible, its search engine simply isn’t as popular as Google, which means many people will be glad to change the search engine in Edge to one they use more regularly.
Matt is TechRadar’s Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there’s no aspect of technology that Matt isn’t passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. He’s personally reviewed and used most of the laptops in our best laptops guide - and since joining TechRadar in 2014, he’s reviewed over 250 laptops and computing accessories personally.
Microsoft promises Windows 11’s Edge browser will become “very fast” – but will it be enough to beat Chrome?
Microsoft plans to debloat Edge browser and take a leaf out of Google Chrome’s book when it comes to Settings
Your doctor may have an AI assistant taking notes during your next Zoom call
