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FF Quantum, new tab, what search engine does it use?

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Hi.

On the old FF, pre-Quantum, I would open a new tab and I had set the default Google search engine to Google.co.uk,

On Quantum I don't know what Google I'm using but suspect it's .com due to the number of USA results I get in the first pages.

How can I change this please?

tia.

J

Hi. On the old FF, pre-Quantum, I would open a new tab and I had set the default Google search engine to Google.co.uk, On Quantum I don't know what Google I'm using but suspect it's .com due to the number of USA results I get in the first pages. How can I change this please? tia. J

Chosen solution

Unless your Firefox is very unusual, the built-in Google search plugin is for the .com site. The URL changes very slightly depending on where you search from:

  • address bar: indicates client=firefox-b-1-ab
  • search bar, search box in the new tab page, search box in the built-in home page: indicates client=firefox-b-1

I would be surprised if the first style of URL redirects to google.co.uk and the second style doesn't, but Google has its mysterious ways...

Perhaps it would be simplest to install a search plugin that goes directly to the UK site rather than relying on Google to redirect? You can find some choices on this page:

http://mycroftproject.com/google-search-plugins.html

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All Replies (5)

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Hello, Google is the default search engine in Firefox Quantum in the US, Canada, Hong Kong and Taiwan, if you've set your search engine to Google UK, it shouldn't change -- but if it did, head on over to about:preferences#search by typing it in your URL bar, and then set your preferred search engine there.

If this solved your problem, mark as solution.

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Hi,

I know 'Google' is the default search engine. What I was looking for was, is it Google.com or Google.co.uk, the latter is obviously biased towards finding UK results.

I use a new tab and the search bar, for example, when I'm looking to buy something and want to buy it locally in my country so search results biased towards the USA are useless. So does Google search take into account my location (UK) or does it just give me the generic USA Google (.com)?

There's no option for Google.co.uk in that preference#search.

TIA

J

Modified by Jota

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Chosen Solution

Unless your Firefox is very unusual, the built-in Google search plugin is for the .com site. The URL changes very slightly depending on where you search from:

  • address bar: indicates client=firefox-b-1-ab
  • search bar, search box in the new tab page, search box in the built-in home page: indicates client=firefox-b-1

I would be surprised if the first style of URL redirects to google.co.uk and the second style doesn't, but Google has its mysterious ways...

Perhaps it would be simplest to install a search plugin that goes directly to the UK site rather than relying on Google to redirect? You can find some choices on this page:

http://mycroftproject.com/google-search-plugins.html

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jscher2000 said

Unless your Firefox is very unusual, the built-in Google search plugin is for the .com site. The URL changes very slightly depending on where you search from:
  • address bar: indicates client=firefox-b-1-ab
  • search bar, search box in the new tab page, search box in the built-in home page: indicates client=firefox-b-1
I would be surprised if the first style of URL redirects to google.co.uk and the second style doesn't, but Google has its mysterious ways... Perhaps it would be simplest to install a search plugin that goes directly to the UK site rather than relying on Google to redirect? You can find some choices on this page: http://mycroftproject.com/google-search-plugins.html

I found some information, I forget where now, that the inbuilt Google search defaults to your location, so for me the UK.

Thanks though.

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Jota64 said

I found some information, I forget where now, that the inbuilt Google search defaults to your location, so for me the UK.

So it's working now? That's great.