Why Is My Home Screen Defaulting to Bing Instead of Google?

Did you open your Web browser to suddenly find that Bing is the new home page? A number of reasons could explain why this happened from using Internet Explorer to installing a new toolbar. The good news is that changing your home page back to the original website or to a new website of your choice only takes a few clicks.

Installing or updating the Bing Bar for Internet Explorer may result in unintended consequences: automatically setting Bing as the default search engine and as your browser home page. To uninstall the toolbar entirely, select Search from the Windows 8 Charms bar then type Programs and Features in the search box. In earlier Windows versions, click the Start button and enter the text in the search box. Click Programs and Features to open the Control Panel. Select Bing Bar, then click Uninstall. Choose Yes when prompted to proceed.

To change the home page in Internet Explorer, click the Gear icon in the upper-right corner of the browser window and choose Internet Options. In the Home page section, type or copy/paste the website address that you want as your home page then click OK.

Internet Explorer and Bing are both Microsoft products and thus the company often pairs them together. In Internet Explorer 11, opening a new tab includes Bing search if you've set this action to open the New Tab page. Bing is the default search engine in this browser as well. If you're seeing Bing instead of Google, the browser could be displaying a new tab as your home page. Click the Gear icon, choose Internet Options and type in a new URL if you wish to change the current one.

Malware is the sweeping term for any malicious software that could do harm to a computer, like viruses or spyware. It has the potential to change settings without your approval like your browser home page. If you suspect that malware is the cause for Bing appearing as your home page, run a virus scan with your existing security or antivirus software.

If you don't have antivirus software, it's crucial that you download a trusted program for protection. PCMag has organized its list of some of the best free antivirus programs available. Explore your options then download and install the best one for you. Performing a virus scan to detect and remove malware should take less than an hour.

If the Bing home page is the result of a mere accident, the simplest way to fix this is to just change the home page in your browser's settings. The steps to do so in Internet Explorer are outlined above. In Google Chrome, click the Menu icon (represented by three horizontal lines in the upper-right corner of the window) then select Settings. In the Appearance options, make sure Show Home Button is checked, then click Change. In Firefox, open a new tab and load the website you want as your home page. Drag and drop the tab to the Home icon on your toolbar, then click Yes to verify you want that as your home page. In Safari, click Preferences in the Safari menu then type the address in the Homepage field.