Search Engine Returning to Google

[wallin]

Well, I use DuckDuckGo as my main search engine and even remove Google from the options, however, periodically Firefox automatically adds Google and pins it as the main engine. It really is something very annoying and I would like to know how to solve it, or is it some partnership between Mozilla and Google?

[Boobieta]

Is this on desktop?

you can use a file named: user.js

in your profile folder, where the file prefs.js is and use a line like:

user_pref("browser.urlbar.placeholderName", "Bing");
user_pref("browser.urlbar.placeholderName.private", "Bing");

user_pref("browser.search.hiddenOneOffs", "Amazon.com,eBay,Twitter,Google");

Just search in prefs.js the lines you want to override in user.js, those will be set and should not change anymore out of the blue.

[Standard8]

These preferences are nothing to do with the actual setting of the search engine.

The placeholder preferences are as a cache to avoid delaying startup waiting for things to initialise.

The hiddenOneOffs preference is no longer a preference, it has been changed to save the details to a the search settings file alongside the other search engines, as that fixed some issues with it.

[Standard8]

In the past we have generally seen this to be a result of adware on user's computers. Typically it has been installed with another program, and periodically sets your search engine in Firefox to something else.

Maybe use something like Malwarebytes to check your computer for adware.

[F6irvingtx]

I don’t have a home computer so I only use Firefox on my phone. This new setting that changed the search engine to Google is horrible. I do not like the format. If I cannot find a way to correct this back the way it used to be, I may have to Start using something other than Firefox. I have been using Firefox for 15+ years. 

[Standard8]

I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean by "new setting". As far as I know nothing has changed in Firefox for Android recently in relation to the settings of the search engine.

There is information here on how to set your default search engine within Firefox for Android. If it is something outside of the application, then you may need to change things in the operating system preferences.

If that doesn't help, please ask for help on our support site. Adding a screenshot of the part where it doesn't go into to where you desire might also help.