Chrome searches going to the wrong website? Check what changed

You type a search into Chrome and land somewhere unexpected. A changed default search engine is one possibility; repeated redirects or settings that change back deserve a closer look.

First step: Note whether the problem happens when you type into the address bar, open Chrome, or visit one particular website. These are different symptoms, so avoid changing everything at once.

1. Check the default search engine

In desktop Chrome, open the three-dot menu, choose Settings → Search engine, then use Change to select the provider you want. Google documents this in setting your default search engine.

Test a harmless search from the address bar. If that works but Chrome launches an unwanted page, check Settings → On startup instead. The startup page and the page opened by the Home button are separate settings, as Google’s homepage guide explains.

2. Review recent additions

Open Extensions → Manage Extensions and review tools installed around the time the problem began. Remove an extension you have identified as unwanted; investigate unfamiliar names before removing something a workplace requires. Our Chrome extension permissions guide can help with that review.

Also check recently installed applications. Google lists recurring search changes, returning extensions, and redirects as possible signs of unwanted software in its unwanted software guidance. A redirect alone does not prove an account has been hacked.

On Windows, check your security software and run an appropriate scan. Use our Windows antivirus checkup if you are unsure which protection is active. Do not install a cleaner promoted by the page that redirected you.

3. Understand the reset before using it

If targeted checks do not resolve the problem, Chrome offers Settings → Reset settings → Restore settings to their original defaults.

Google says this keeps saved bookmarks and passwords, but changes settings including search, startup pages, site permissions, cookies and site data, extensions, and themes. Expect to revisit some preferences and website sign-ins. Signed-in profile settings can also change on other devices. Read what Chrome resets before confirming.

Afterward, test searches before re-enabling extensions. Restore only tools you trust, one at a time. A browser reset is not proof that the computer is free of malware.

4. If the redirect returns

Record the unexpected destination, when it appears, and which checks you completed. Ask workplace IT about managed devices or seek trusted technical support for a personal computer. Repeating the reset without investigating the cause is unlikely to provide a lasting fix.

If you entered a password or downloaded something on the unexpected page, follow our suspicious-link response guide. An unfamiliar search result and an exposed password need different responses.