Firefox Community Forum

What is it with my default search engine constantly being changed behind my back? Is the Firefox update doing this? Is something else? Can't it be locked down so that only I can change it in the Settings menu? It really annoys me that I suddenly find I'm doing a google search when I, after research and deliberation, set the browser to search with DuckDuckGo.

Hi, I always prefer using DuckDuckGo.com because they are totally private but use it together with Mozilla as my browser, would I still be able to do that?

For the last couple of weeks my default search engine keeps changing. Even though I change it in the setting to the one prefer eventually it changes. Why is this issue happening and is there anyway to force my preferred search engine as a constant default?

Recently, when I copy and paste an error message to the search box in Firefox and the first word contains a ':', such as when searching for this error message - "MESA-LOADER: failed to open dri: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/gbm/dri_gbm.so: cannot open shared object file" - I get the "Open the mesa-loader link with System Handler?" prompt (see screenshot).

I used to be able to copy and paste such an error before into the search box and it would just work but now the browser defaults to thinking you are entering a URL. This could be because when I start typing in the search box, it immediately relocates what I'm typing to the address bar. Maybe this is the behaviour I need to disable? But how and why is it the default?

Help!

Browser details

$ > snap info firefox name: firefox summary: Mozilla Firefox web browser publisher: Mozilla✓ store-url: https://snapcraft.io/firefox contact: https://support.mozilla.org/kb/file-bug-report-or-feature-request-mozilla license: unset description: |

 Firefox is a powerful, extensible web browser with support for modern web application
 technologies.

commands:

 - firefox
 - firefox.geckodriver

snap-id: 3wdHCAVyZEmYsCMFDE9qt92UV8rC8Wdk tracking: latest/stable/ubuntu-24.04 refresh-date: 19 days ago, at 13:56 AEDT channels:

 latest/stable:    144.0.2-1    2025-10-29 (7177) 261MB -
 latest/candidate: 145.0-1      2025-11-04 (7242) 262MB -
 latest/beta:      145.0b9-1    2025-10-31 (7213) 262MB -
 latest/edge:      146.0a1      2025-11-05 (7250) 298MB -
 esr/stable:       140.4.0esr-2 2025-10-14 (7023) 258MB -
 esr/candidate:    140.5.0esr-1 2025-11-05 (7236) 258MB -
 esr/beta:         ↑                                    
 esr/edge:         ↑                                    

installed: 144.0-2 (7084) 261MB -

OS Details

PRETTY_NAME="Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS" NAME="Ubuntu" VERSION_ID="24.04" VERSION="24.04.3 LTS (Noble Numbat)" VERSION_CODENAME=noble ID=ubuntu ID_LIKE=debian HOME_URL="https://www.ubuntu.com/" SUPPORT_URL="https://help.ubuntu.com/" BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/" PRIVACY_POLICY_URL="https://www.ubuntu.com/legal/terms-and-policies/privacy-policy" UBUNTU_CODENAME=noble LOGO=ubuntu-logo

Hi, I can't seem to find an extension for this.

I have several custom search engines that I can use via shortcuts on the search bar, but I'm looking for a way to select text on a website, click the right button on it and select one of those engines in order to search that text.

I think Firefox was able to do it, but I'm only finding extensions that don't use FF's custom engines, I have to add the engines to the extension itself, manually, all over again, and that's a pain to keep synced.

Am I missing something here? Thank you.

after every update the search engine change from google to CDNsearch, which means that i must change my settings every time. is CDNsearch the default search and if so why?

This may be more in "settings" than in "search, tag, and share".

Since updating to the 140 series, the URL bar has what appears to be a nonremovable "what kind of search do you want to run?" activated by typing in the URL bar.

Do Not Want. That's the entire purpose of having the separate search bar. For those who only have the URL bar visible, that might make sense, but right in the core Settings I chose to have both the URL bar and the search bar. I do not ever want searches initiated from the URL bar.

Is there a way to remove this unwanted "extra feature"?

And a gentle hint to those doing interface tweaking and redesigns: Those of us who use "separation" features directly supported by the program — that is, not requiring an extension or theme — would really, really appreciate having our choices respected. That the separate search bar is already selected and visible, or having a full menu bar (and not just the hamburger symbol) visible, should be a hint that there just might be functional, safety, security, and/or disability-accommodation considerations behind that user's choice, and you shouldn't override it Just Because.

To whom it may concern!!! I have Firefox app. But, the search bar is in Google. How can i change it? Please let me know when you get a chance. Thanks in advance. Kevin Hidalgo.

How can you claim privacy and security while using Google search engine??? That is why I use Mozilla Foxfire! I will continue to use duck duck go on phone and laptop!

I do not want to search from the address bar. The search bar is what I want to go to but invariably goes to the address bar. Is there an about:config setting to change this?

Nur beim ersten Mal wenn Firefox nach dem Start geöffnet worden ist und wenn man in die Suchleiste mit der linken Maustaste klickt tippt firefox automatisch unendlich viele "Bindestriche". Dieser Vorgang kann nur durch Drücken der esc-Taste gestoppt werden. Danach ist ein Klick in die Suchleiste mit der linken Maustaste und eine ganz normale Eingabe möglich. Wie kann der Fehler behoben werden?