Chrome Keeps Opening Bing? How to Stop It for Good

Quick answer: If Chrome keeps opening Bing, first go to Settings > Search engine and set Google (or the engine you prefer) as the default. Next, remove any extension you don’t recognize at chrome://extensions. If the setting flips back to Bing or is greyed out, open chrome://policy. In that case a policy or adware is forcing the change, so you need to remove it before your choice will stick.

You type a search into the address bar, press Enter, and get Bing. You didn’t pick Bing, and maybe you already switched it back yesterday. This is one of the most common Chrome complaints we get, and it’s rarely a bug in Chrome itself. Instead, something on your computer keeps changing the setting. In most cases you can track it down and remove it in about ten minutes.

Why does Chrome keep opening Bing?

There are four common causes. They’re listed here from most to least likely:

A browser extension. Free PDF converters, coupon finders, new-tab themes and search toolbars often set Bing, or a search page powered by Bing, as your default. Some do this openly as part of a revenue deal with Microsoft. Others are plain browser hijackers.
Bundled software. A free program you installed may have added a helper that rewrites Chrome’s settings every time your computer starts.
A policy on your PC. On Windows, Group Policy or registry entries can lock Chrome’s search engine. On a Mac, configuration profiles can do the same. Companies use these for good reasons, but adware uses them too, because a policy is hard for you to undo.
A shortcut or startup page. Sometimes the search engine is fine. Instead, Chrome opens a Bing page at startup, or your desktop shortcut has a Bing address added to the end.

Work through the fixes below in order. For most people, the first two are enough.

What do you need before you start?

Chrome on Windows, Mac or a Chromebook. The steps are nearly the same on all three.
Administrator access to your computer, for the policy and malware steps.
If it’s a work or school computer, talk to your IT team first. Your organization may have set Bing on purpose, and in that case you won’t be able to change it.

How do I set Google back as the default search engine?

Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of Chrome and choose Settings.
Select Search engine in the left sidebar.
Next to Search engine used in the address bar, choose Google (or another engine you prefer).
Click Manage search engines and site search. Under Search engines, find any Bing entry or anything you don’t recognize, click its three-dot menu, and choose Delete. You can’t delete the current default, so change the default first.

Now do a test search from the address bar. Then close Chrome, reopen it and search again. If both searches go to Google, you’re done. However, if it switches back to Bing, or the setting is greyed out with a small building icon, something is overriding you. Keep reading.

For a full walkthrough of this settings page, see How to Change Search Engine in Google Chrome.

How do I find the extension that switches my search to Bing?

When an extension controls your search engine, Chrome usually says so. Check the Search engine settings page for a message such as “[Extension name] is controlling this setting.” If you see one, that extension is the cause, and you can click Disable right there.

If there’s no message, find it by hand:

Type chrome://extensions in the address bar and press Enter.
Look for anything you don’t remember installing. Vague names such as “Search Tool,” “PDF Converter Pro,” “Easy Recipes” or “Weather Now” are common culprits, and so are new-tab themes.
Turn off every extension with its toggle, then do a test search. If it now goes to Google, turn the extensions back on one at a time until Bing returns. The last one you turned on is the problem.
Click Remove on that extension.

Sometimes you remove the extension, reset the search engine, and Bing is back the next morning. That means a program on your computer is reinstalling the extension. In that case, move on to the policy and malware steps below.

Why is my search engine setting greyed out?

A greyed-out setting with a building icon and the message “This setting is managed by your organization” means a policy is active. On a personal computer, that’s a warning sign, because adware often installs policies so you can’t undo its changes.

Type chrome://policy in the address bar and press Enter.
Look for entries such as DefaultSearchProviderEnabled, DefaultSearchProviderSearchURL, DefaultSearchProviderName or ExtensionInstallForcelist. If any of them point to Bing or an address you don’t recognize, a policy is forcing the change.
On a personal Windows PC, open the Registry Editor and delete the Chrome policy keys at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome and HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome. Before you delete anything, back up the registry with File > Export.
On a personal Mac, open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Profiles (or Device Management) and remove any profile you don’t recognize.
Restart Chrome, go back to chrome://policy and click Reload policies. The entries should now be gone.

For more on the “managed” message, see Chrome Says Your Profile Is Managed by Your Organization: What It Means.

How do I remove a browser hijacker from my computer?

If Chrome keeps opening Bing even after the steps above, a program outside Chrome is responsible. Here’s how to remove it:

Uninstall suspicious programs. On Windows, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps and sort by install date. Then remove anything that appeared around the time the problem started, especially search tools, “optimizers,” free converters and download managers. On a Mac, check the Applications folder and System Settings > General > Login Items.
Run a malware scan. The built-in Windows Security scan is a good start. After that, a free second scanner such as Malwarebytes tends to catch more adware.
Reset Chrome. Go to Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults. This resets your search engine, startup pages and new tab page, and it turns off your extensions. However, it keeps your bookmarks, history and saved passwords.

On a Chromebook, a Powerwash will clear everything, but you rarely need to go that far. First, try the steps in How to Remove Malware From a Chromebook.

What if Chrome opens Bing at startup but searches are fine?

Then the problem is your startup page, not your search engine. Check these three places:

Startup pages: Go to Settings > On startup. If “Open a specific page or set of pages” lists Bing, remove it, or switch to “Open the New Tab page.”
Your shortcut (Windows): Right-click the Chrome shortcut on your desktop or taskbar, choose Properties, and look at the Target field. It should end with chrome.exe". If a Bing address follows it, delete that part and click OK.
The home button: Under Settings > Appearance, make sure the home button doesn’t point to Bing.

Is Windows opening Bing instead of Chrome?

Sometimes, yes. Searches you type into the Windows taskbar search box or Start menu always use Bing. They also open in Microsoft Edge or your default browser, whatever Chrome’s settings say. That’s normal Windows behavior, not a hijack. So if you want Google, search from Chrome’s address bar instead.

Seeing Yahoo instead of Bing? The causes and fixes are almost the same. See Chrome Searches Always Switch to Yahoo.

Frequently asked questions

Is Bing in Chrome a virus?

No, Bing itself is a legitimate search engine from Microsoft. However, if Chrome switched to Bing without your permission, whatever made the switch is usually adware or an unwanted program, and you should remove it.

Why does my search engine change back after I fix it?

Because something keeps applying the change again: an extension, a policy or a program that runs at startup. Changing the setting only fixes the symptom. To fix the cause, remove the extension, policy, or program.

Will resetting Chrome delete my bookmarks or passwords?

No. A reset keeps your bookmarks, history, and saved passwords. It clears cookies and temporary data, resets your search engine and startup pages, and turns off extensions. Afterwards, you can turn back on the extensions you trust.

Can my school or employer force Bing in Chrome?

Yes. On a managed device, IT administrators can set the default search engine with a policy, and you won’t be able to change it. So don’t try to remove policies on a work computer. Ask your IT team instead.

Does this happen on Chrome for Android or iPhone?

Less often, because Chrome on phones doesn’t support extensions. If it does happen, check Settings > Search engine in the Chrome app. Also look for apps you installed recently that might be responsible.