Google has over 92% market share in the search engine and is also a default option on Mac. However, if you find your Mac changes its search engine from Google to Yahoo, that’s a problem worth fixing. If your Mac was affected by the search engine change, read along to learn how to change the search engine from Yahoo to Google on a Mac.
Yahoo’s search results are mostly inferior to Google’s, and you’ll want to use Google to get the job done. The main reason behind the change of search engine is code or extension that hijacks the browser.
Browser intruders are a threat to millions of users. Some browsers are more affected by them, while there are a few exceptions.
People who have a habit of downloading PUA (Possibly Unwanted Applications) are more vulnerable to browser intruders. We will explain how to change the search engine from Yahoo to Google on Safari and Google Chrome.
1. Change the Default Search Engine in Safari
In theory, the Safari browser is more secure than Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. You can easily change the search engine from Yahoo to Google from the browser. This is the way.
Step 1: Open Safari browser on Mac.
Step 2: Click on the Safari name on the menu bar.
Step 3: Select the Options menu.
Step 4: Go to Search > Search Engine and select Google from the drop-down menu.
2. Change Default Search Engine in Chrome
People who use Google Chrome as the default browser on their Mac can change the search engine from the Settings menu. Follow the steps below to change the search engine from Yahoo to Google in Google Chrome.
Step 1: Open Google Chrome on Mac.
Step 2: Click on the three-dot menu at the top and go to Settings.
Step 3: Select Search Engine from the left sidebar and select Google from the main menu.
That’s it. You have successfully changed the search engine from Yahoo to Google on your Mac’s Safari and Google Chrome browsers.
On Google Chrome, if you’re still having trouble with the search engine automatically switching from Google to Yahoo, try using the other tricks below.
3. Disable Chrome Extensions
Apple verifies every Safari extension and only distributes valid extensions from the Mac App Store. However, that is not the case with Google Chrome.
Extensions play an important role in the Chrome ecosystem. However, not every extension is actively maintained and can be outdated. Some malicious extensions can take over your Chrome homepage and change the search engine to Yahoo.
It can be difficult to pinpoint an extension exactly. You can disable all Chrome extensions and go back to Google.
Step 1: Open Google Chrome and click on the three-dot menu at the top.
Step 2: Go to More Tools > Extensions.
Step 3: From the Extensions menu, click the Remove or disable extension for Chrome button.
4. Reset Chrome Settings
A misconfiguration tweak in the Chrome browser can cause you to choose the Yahoo search engine as the default option. Google Chrome offers a useful option to reset Chrome settings on the go. Here’s how to use it.
Step 1: Open Chrome and go to Settings.
Step 2: Select the Advanced option.
Step 3: Select Restore settings.
Step 4: Click on the option Restore settings to factory defaults.
Step 5: Press the Reset Settings button to confirm your decision.
This will reset the startup page, new tab page, search engine, and pinned tabs. It will also disable all extensions and delete temporary data like cookies.
Your saved bookmarks, history and passwords will not be deleted.
Tips for Safe Browsing on Mac
Apple calls the Mac a potential threat to security due to its open nature. Unlike on iOS, anyone can go ahead and install apps from the web. This puts users at risk of installing unverified apps from the web. Follow the tips below to ensure a safe environment on your Mac.
- Try verifying if the app you want to download is available from the Mac App Store.
- If the app is not available from the App Store, use the official website to download the app file.
- If the website looks suspicious to you, scan the web address with VirusTotal and make sure it doesn’t contain any malicious files.
- Try CleanMyMac X to scan for corrupted files in the background and delete them periodically.
Use Google on Mac
Using Yahoo to search is definitely a pain for Mac users. It’s a headache, especially when you don’t know what’s going on and how the operating system changes the search engine without your permission. By following the steps above, you can get rid of those browser intruders and get back to using Google as your primary search engine on your Mac.
Next: Does your Google Chrome search engine automatically switch to Bing? Read the post below to learn how to fix the problem.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
