hello, google is paying a considerable amount of money to be the default search provider in firefox - https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2011/12/20/mozilla-and-google-sign-new-agreement-for-default-search-in-firefox/

you are free to set-up any other homepage though: How to set the home page

Note Firefox is highly customisable you are able to modify the search options and add additional or alternative search providers for the search bar. The addressbar also uses Google by default, and again may be changed.

• Search bar - add, change and manage search engines on Firefox
• Search the web from the Address Bar_changing-the-internet-keyword-service

You may also be interested in Google's stated policy

• http://www.google.co.uk/intl/en/policies/privacy/
  Including links regarding the users options

Hello Twit77twit, change the default search engine in about:home ? see :

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/779082#answer-187996

except solution chosen read all the replies.

thank you

In current Firefox versions you can set the search engine that is used on the about:home page via the browser.search.defaultenginename pref to one of the installed search engines. You won't get an icon though.

• [/questions/946393] How do I change the search engine for about:home in Firefox 18?