However, this process is not as simple as in other browsers such as Chrome or Edge, and requires a small trick.
If you use safari, you must know this trick
By default, Apple only allows you to choose between five search engines in Safari: Google, Bing, Yahoo, Duckduckgo and Ecosia. Unlike other browsers that manually introduce any search engine, safari restricts this option, which limits customization. If a user wants to use another engine, such as Kagi, he must resort to an extension.
The problem is that Safari does not offer an official API To change the default search engine. Instead, extensions like Kagi or Xsearch They use an ingenious method to overcome this limitation. These extensions detect when Safari tries to perform a search in the default engine and, at that time, redirect the consultation of the engine chosen by the user. Therefore, you can install them and make use of this “trick.”
This trick is based on two APIs available for safari extensions: Webnavigation.onbephorenavigatewhich intercepts the application before it is loaded, and tabs.update (), which modifies the URL to redirect the desired engine. It is a process that It occurs in milliseconds and that, for the end user, it is practically imperceptible.
For those who do not know, an API is a set of functions that allow communication between applications, so that a software requests services or data from others.
The funny thing is that other browsers, even those developed by companies with commercial interests in the search, allow greater customization. Chrome, owned by Google, lets any search engine set up. Edge, from Microsoft, does not force Bing and allows you to add any custom search URL. Safari, on the other hand, is not linked to its own search engine, but seems to maintain these restrictions for economic reasons, since Apple receives a large amount of Google income for keeping it as a default option.
Another theory is that Apple has ignored this function for considering it Little relevant For most users. Although Safari has advanced options in other aspects, the possibility of manually introducing a personalized search engine has never been among its priorities.
How to install extensions in safari
Despite these limitations, there are alternatives for those who want greater control over their searches. Duckckgo, for example, offers the so -called “bangs”, fast commands that allow to redirect a search to other engines by writing a prefix before consultation. For example, writing “! G iPhone 16” in Duckckgo will lead directly to a google search.
For those who want to change the search engine in Safari on the iPhone, the best option is still to install an extension like Kagi or Xsearch. To do so, just go to the App Store, download the desired extension and activate it in Settings> Safari> Extensions. Once configured, each search bar will automatically redirect the chosen engine, without the need to go through Google or other predetermined.
Although this function is not officially integrated into Safari, knowing and activating this method can make navigation more efficient, private and personalized. With the growing dependence of the search engines on a day -to -day basis, having the option to choose without restrictions should be a user right, not a hidden trick.
