How to Change the Search Engine in the Firefox Search Bar

With the multitude of search engines currently available today, you might want to customize Firefox with your favorite search engine. In keeping with its overall flexibility, Firefox has allowed for users to change the search engine in the Firefox search bar. Whether you want Google, Yahoo! or MSN, you can make the change with Firefox.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Computer with Internet access

Change the Search Engine in the Firefox Search Bar

1. Launch the Firefox Internet browser. Navigate to the search bar in the top right-hand corner of the browser window.
2. Click on the tiny arrow next to the search engine icon (a magnifying glass) and a drop down menu will appear.
3. Change the search engine by clicking on a desired alternative and the new search engine will automatically show up in the search bar.
4. Manage the search engines by clicking on the 'Manage Search Engines' option at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
5. Watch for the new dialog box in the center of your screen, which will contain the list of all installed search engines. If you want to install more search engines, click the 'Get More Search Engines' link and you'll be brought to the Firefox add-ons page for more search bar search engines.
6. Browse through the options and download any new search engines to the Firefox browser.

Tips & Warnings

• Look to the download page of the Mozilla Web site for the latest version of Firefox (see Resources below).
• Remember to take a look at your computer to see if it has the minimum system requirements before downloading Firefox. Mac users should have 64 MB of RAM, 50 MB of free disk, a 233 Mhz processor, and Mac OS X 10.2 or higher. Windows owners need 64 MB of RAM, 50 MB of free disk space, a 233 Mhz processor and Windows 98 or higher. Linux users must have the Linux kernel 2.2.14, 64 MB of RAM, a 233 Mhz processor and 50 MB of free disk space.
• Firefox has included state-of-the-art technology to protect you from online bandits. Pop-up blockers and forged site detection are just a few of the security features built into Firefox.
• Read through the many informative tips and tricks within the Mozilla support section about Firefox (see Resources below).
• Only apply the following directions if you've installed Firefox version 2.0.0.2. Some or all of the steps may not apply if you're running a prior version.