Firefox for Android gives you the ability to add, remove, and change a default search engine. There are a variety of search engines available to choose from such as Google and Bing. You can also manually add other search engines and set one of them as your default.

Change the default search engine

1. Tap the search engine icon in the address bar.

   

2. Tap Search settings at the bottom of the panel that opens.
3. Tap Default search engine.
4. Select the search engine of your choice.

Firefox will use this engine automatically when you enter a search in the address bar. Changing your default does not remove your other available search engines.

Change the search engine for a single search

1. Tap the search engine icon in the address bar.

   

2. Select the search engine you want to use for this search.

   

This will not change your default search engine. The selected engine applies only to the current search.

Edit search settings

1. Tap the search engine icon in the address bar.

   

2. Tap Search settings at the bottom of the panel that opens.
3. Under the Suggestions from search engines section, toggle any of the following settings:

   • Show search suggestions: Display search suggestions from your default search engine when you enter URLs or keywords in the address bar.
   • Show in private sessions: Display search suggestions when searching from the address bar in private browsing sessions.
     Note: The “Show in private sessions” option (checkbox) is only active if “Show search suggestions” is toggled on.
   • Show recent searches: Display recent searches by user when searching from the address bar.

4. Under the Address bar – Firefox suggest section, toggle any of the following settings:

   • Search browsing history: Include your browsing history in searches from the address bar.
   • Search bookmarks: Include your bookmarks in searches from the address bar.
   • Search synced tabs: Search tabs that you have synchronized from another copy of Firefox using Firefox Sync.
   • Suggestions from Firefox: Get suggestions from the web related to your search.
   • Suggestions from sponsors: Support Firefox with occasional sponsored suggestions.
   • Learn more about Firefox Suggest: Tapping this will open a link to another Mozilla Support topic.

5. Under the Address bar preferences section, toggle any of the following settings:

   • Show clipboard suggestions: Show Fill link from clipboard when your clipboard contains a link and you tap the address bar in a new tab.
   • Show voice search: Display the microphone icon to be able to perform a web search using voice.
   • Autocomplete URLs: Autocomplete website addresses entered into the address bar.

These options control address bar behavior and suggestions. They do not change your default search engine.

Add a search engine

You can add a custom search engine, such as Startpage or another provider, that isn't included in Firefox's available search engines.

1. Tap the search engine icon in the address bar.

   

2. Tap Search settings at the bottom of the panel that opens.
3. Tap Default search engine.
4. Tap Add search engine at the bottom of the page.

   

5. Enter a name for the search engine in the Name field.
6. Enter the provider's search URL in the Search string URL field. Replace the actual search term in the URL with %s.
7. Optionally, enter a Search Suggestion API URL if the provider supports search suggestions.
8. Tap Save.

For example, a Google search URL can use:

https://www.google.com/search?q=%s

For Startpage, use the current search URL provided by Startpage and replace the search query with %s. Search providers can change their URL formats, so check the provider's official website if a URL stops working.

If you don't know the search URL for a provider:

1. Open the search provider's website.
2. Perform a search for a recognizable word, such as firefox.
3. Look at the resulting URL.
4. Replace the search term in the URL with %s.

For example, if searching Ecosia for firefox produces:

https://www.ecosia.org/search?q=firefox

Use:

https://www.ecosia.org/search?q=%s

If Firefox reports that the search URL is invalid, check that the URL includes %s in place of the search term.

The custom search engine is added to your available search engines. The search engine is added to the predefined list of search engines in alphabetical order.

Edit a custom search engine

If a custom search engine stops working or its search URL changes, you can update its information instead of adding it again.

1. Tap the search engine icon in the address bar.
2. Tap Search settings.
3. Open the settings for your custom search engines.
4. Select the custom search engine you want to change.
5. Update its name, search URL, or suggestion URL as needed.
6. Tap Save.

Make sure the search URL contains %s where the search term should appear.

Remove a search engine

You can remove a custom or unwanted search engine when Firefox provides a removal option for that provider. Built-in search providers can vary by region and may not always be removable.

1. Tap the search engine icon in the address bar.
2. Tap Search settings.
3. Open the settings for your available or custom search engines.
4. Select the search engine you want to remove.
5. Tap the option to delete or remove it, if available.

If the search engine is currently your default, choose another default search engine first.

If an unwanted search provider keeps being used after you change your default, check that you selected the intended engine under Default search engine. Also check your search shortcuts and any custom engines you added.

Some built-in search providers are supplied with Firefox based on your region or language. If Firefox doesn't provide a delete option, you can remove the provider from your visible search shortcuts instead.

Manage alternative search engines

1. Tap the search engine icon in the address bar.

   

2. Tap Search settings at the bottom of the panel that opens.
3. Tap Manage alternative search engines.
4. Select the engines you want to have visible in the search menu.

Alternative search engines work as search shortcuts. Showing or hiding one here does not make it your default search engine.

Understand search engines and search shortcuts

Firefox gives you several ways to control where your searches go:

• Your default search engine handles searches from the address bar unless you choose another provider.
• Search shortcuts let you temporarily use another available provider without changing your default.
• Custom search engines are providers you've manually added using a search URL.
• Available built-in providers can vary depending on your region and language.

If Firefox is searching with an engine you don't want, first check Default search engine. If the unwanted provider appears only when selecting a search shortcut, change your alternative search engine settings instead. If you manually added the provider, remove or edit the custom search engine.

Related articles

• Searching with Firefox for Android
• Manage Firefox search settings
• Search suggestions in Firefox