Google’s position as the frontrunner is no longer guaranteed. ChatGPT makes its appearance and can even be set as the default search engine.
Many a tech enthusiast can no longer live without ChatGPT. Sometimes we even use the AI chatbot before Google. And that might get you thinking: why isn’t that genius chatbot your default search engine in Chrome, Edge or Firefox?
Good news: you can easily set that up yourself. Ideal if you want to get quick AI answers without visiting a website first. We explain in detail how to set ChatGPT as your search engine in several popular browsers.
How to set ChatGPT as your default search engine on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge
If you use Google Chrome, the process is very simple. The first step is to install the ChatGPT extension. Go to the Chrome Web Store and search for the ChatGPT Search extension. When you find it, click Add to Chrome and follow the instructions to add the extension.
After installation, you can set the chatbot as your default search engine. Now when you search for something through the address bar, you’ll get ChatGPT results instead of Google’s usual search results. Want to go back to Google? You can do so by uninstalling the extension through Chrome’s settings, and setting your search engine back to Google.
If you’re using Microsoft Edge, the process is almost the same. Again, you start by installing the ChatGPT extension from the Chrome Web Store. After installation, go to the extension settings and turn on the extension. Once you do, Edge will use the AI bot for searches.
Firefox users need a little workaround
To set up ChatGPT as a search engine in Firefox, you need to go to settings and adjust the search options. It’s a step-by-step process, where you enter the correct URL and alias. Hold on tight, because this gets a tad complicated.
In Firefox, set ChatGPT as your search engine by going to advanced settings. Type about:config in the address bar, click Accept the Risk and look for the browser.urlbar.update2.engineAliasRefresh setting. Set it to true.
Next, go to the search settings in Firefox, click Add under Search Shortcuts, enter ChatGPT as the name, https://chatgpt.com/?q=%s&hints=search as the URL and @ChatGPT as the keyword. Choose ChatGPT as the default search engine from the dropdown menu and you’re done.
Is ChatGPT even a fine search engine?
Are you using another browser that supports Chromium, such as Brave, Opera or Arc? No problem. The steps to set the AI bot as your search engine are pretty much the same as in Google Chrome. Install the extension and set ChatGPT as your search engine.
It is convenient to set the AI bot as your default search engine if you want quick text-related answers without scrolling through search results. Be aware that ChatGPT can sometimes have a hard time with more complex searches or content that contains visual elements.