Tell HN: Hard to change default search engine in Chrome to DuckDuckGo

25 points by urlwolf 2 years ago | 16 comments

When trying to change default search engine in chrome to duckduckgo, it's not on the dropdown (settings > search engine). Copying the search url to 'site search' doesn't work, ddg not listed on search engine and cannot be made default.

Google search on how to change to ddg produces old results that don't apply to the status quo. I still haven't figured out how to do it. I don't want to install the extension or use the ddg browser.

This is using the .deb file from google, on ubuntu LTS. As vanilla a chrome install as it can be.

Google seems to be going heavy-handed on people staying with their search engine.

Saoshyant 2 years ago |

You didn't mention a reason, but why wouldn't you just switch to Firefox? It will give you back control of your own web experience and allow you to fiddle with everything you can imagine in the settings and/or about:config.

Or maybe try one of the any Chrome derivatives that may have less dark patterns like De-googled Chromium or even Brave?

Dalewyn 2 years ago | |

Telling a man to make onigiri when he's asking how to make a sandwich is both very FOSS and very worthless.

NoboruWataya 2 years ago | | |

OP isn't asking anything, the title is "Tell HN". It's the person you are responding to that is asking a question.

pierat 2 years ago | | |

Asking how to make lead acetate taste just as sweet but not poisonous is also just not possible.

Chrome IS spyware. You're not going to change that. The only effective change is to NOT use Chrome.

mbreese 2 years ago |

Somewhat ironically, you mentioned the Google results were unhelpful. But, the DDG results for this search look pretty reasonable.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=add+duck+duck+go+to+default+search...

The first hit: https://duckduckgo.com/set-as-default

It even has instructions for how to add DDG if it isn’t in the default list.

shinryuu 2 years ago |

@urlwolf, it's not that difficult. This screenshot > https://imgur.com/a/24QPs2c once you click add, you can add your own search engine.

As far as I know, it's been like this for a long time.

matthewmacleod 2 years ago |

I don't really understand what you mean by "Copying the search url to 'site search' doesn't work"

1. Go to "Manager search engines and site search"

2. Click "Add" next to "Site search"

3. Add DuckDuckGo with the URL "https://duckduckgo.com/?q=%s"

4. Save, click the additional menu, and make it the default

5. All address bar searches now happen in DuckDuckGo

What's stopping this from working?

wakawaka28 2 years ago | |

I still prefer Firefox but ironically Firefox used to have similar steps to add a search engine. They removed the "Add" button. You can still add one in a few less obvious ways but it's really ironic that they make it hard. It's part of Mozilla's ambition to foist soft censorship on people.

We need better browser options but unfortunately the job of maintaining a browser is huge and there is market capture involved. If you did make a new browser, the big ones would eventually add a feature that you either can't or won't implement, and then many sites won't work in your browser. Maybe the solution is to default to a trusted browser and only use Chrome and friends as a last resort.

dextro42 2 years ago |

I'm using Chrome on Windows, just checked. DDG is in the drop down of default search engines.

Might be a ubuntu package issue? Or could it be a localization thing? Living in the EU might help here?

wccrawford 2 years ago | |

USA, Chrome, Windows here. It was in my dropdown, too.

Edit: PopOS, Chrome, too, it was in that dropdown.

monkin 2 years ago |

That's weird. The first thing you encounter when starting a clean Chrome is choosing the default search engine, and DuckDuckGo is on the list.

1letterunixname 2 years ago |

1. Not using apt repo?

2. It's customary to provide exact details to ensure minimal complete example reproducibility. Should've included the URL to the .deb and/or a Dockerfile.

darepublic 2 years ago |

This is like the "Microsoft makes it hard to switch from Edge" experience. But perhaps unwarranted.

squidofbits 2 years ago |

Try Chromium instead of Chrome.