Installing Ecosia on your desktop device

On your desktop device, you can use Ecosia in a variety of ways. Ecosia offers its own desktop browser, or you can choose to set Ecosia up on your favorite browser. Follow the instructions below and make your searches turn into climate impact!

Download the Ecosia browser

Ecosia offers its own browser, which you can download below.

You can read our setup guide here, which will help you transfer your data over to the Ecosia browser and get yourself familiarized with it.

Set up Ecosia on other browsers

If you prefer to use another browser, that is perfectly fine! We understand that there are a range of features available on different browsers. While there are several options on each browser, they can all be set up in just a few clicks. Find your favorite browser from the list below:

Use Ecosia on Chrome

Setting Ecosia as your default search engine

The default search engine setting determines which search engine is favored when you look up something on the address bar at the top. You can make Ecosia your default in Chrome by following these steps:

1. Open Chrome and click on the three dot menu, usually found at the top next to the address bar
2. Click on Settings

3. From the menu on the left, click on Search engine. Then, click on the Change button. 

4. Select Ecosia and click on Set as default

5. Ecosia is now your default search engine!

Installing the Ecosia extension

Alternatively, Ecosia has a Chrome extension that you can quickly set up. Its advantage is that it automatically defines both your default search engine and your homepage. As a result, upon opening Chrome, you will be greeted with the Ecosia homepage. Follow these steps:

1. Open Chrome. Go to the Ecosia page on the Chrome Web Store by clicking on this link, or by copy and pasting it into your search bar 
2. Click on the Add to Chrome button in the middle of your screen

3. A little pop up will appear. Click on Add extension

4. A new tab should open, congratulating you for joining Ecosia. The Ecosia extension is now installed!

Setting Ecosia as your default homepage

You can also make www.ecosia.org your browser’s homepage instead. Find out how to change your homepage in Chrome.

Use Ecosia on Safari

Setting Ecosia as your default search engine

The default search engine setting determines which search engine is favored when you look up something from the address bar at the top. You can make Ecosia your default in Safari by following these steps:

1. Open Safari
2. Click on the magnifying glass right next to the address bar. Select Ecosia from the dropdown menu that appears

3. Ecosia is now your default search engine!

Set Ecosia as your default homepage

Alternatively, you can make Ecosia your browser’s homepage. This means that whenever you open Safari, you will be greeted with the Ecosia homepage. Follow these steps:

1. Go to the Safari app on your Mac.
2. From the top left, choose Safari, then Settings

3. Click on General. In the Homepage field, enter a web page address. To simply use the web page you’re currently viewing, click Set to Current or add https://www.ecosia.org/

4. Choose when your homepage is shown

Use Ecosia on Edge

Setting Ecosia as your default search engine

The default search engine setting determines which search engine is favored when you look up something from the address bar at the top. You can make Ecosia your default in Edge by following these steps:

1. Open Edge and click on the three dot menu, usually found at the top next to the address bar
2. Click on Settings

3. From the menu on the left, click on Privacy, search, and services. Scroll down until you reach the Services section. Click on Address bar and search

4. Next to Search engine used in the address bar., you will see a dropdown menu. Click on it and select Ecosia

5. Ecosia is now your default search engine!
6. To ensure that Ecosia is always selected, we recommend choosing Address bar from the dropdown menu right next to Search on new tabs uses search box or address bar

Manual Ecosia search engine set up:

1. Instead of step 4 above, click on Manage search engines

2. In the new menu that opens, click on Add

3. Enter the following details
   1. Search engine: Ecosia
   2. Shortcut: ecosia.org
   3. URL with %s in place of query: https://www.ecosia.org/search?q=%s&addon=manualopensearch
4. Once the details are entered, click on Add

5. Ecosia should now appear in the list. You can then click on the three dots to the right of Ecosia, and select Make default

6. Ecosia is now your default search engine!

Installing the Ecosia extension

Alternatively, Ecosia has an Edge extension that you can quickly set up. Its advantage is that it automatically defines both your default search engine and your homepage. As a result, upon opening Edge, you will be greeted with the Ecosia homepage. Follow these steps:

1. Open Edge. Go to the Ecosia page on the Edge add-ons store by clicking on this link, or by copy and pasting it into your search bar 
2. Click on the Get button

3. In the pop-up, confirm your choice by clicking on Add extension

4. Microsoft Edge may show you the following in the top right corner, saying Edge has turned off Ecosia. Click on Turn on so that we can activate it.

5. Now that you are in the extensions section, you can click on the little slider next to Ecosia to turn on the extension

6. A new tab should automatically open, showing you a welcome message. Ecosia is now installed!

Setting Ecosia as your default homepage

You can also make www.ecosia.org your browser’s homepage instead. Find out how to change your homepage in Edge.

Use Ecosia on Firefox

Setting Ecosia as your default search engine

The default search engine setting determines which search engine is favored when you look up something from the address bar at the top. You can make Ecosia your default in Firefox by following these steps:

1. Open Firefox and click on the three line (Burger) menu, usually found at the top next to the address bar
2. Click on Settings

3. From the menu on the left, click on Search. Under Default Search Engine, click on the dropdown menu and select Ecosia

4. Ecosia is now your default search engine!

Installing the Ecosia extension

Alternatively, Ecosia has a Firefox extension that you can set up in just a few clicks. The advantage with the extension is that it automatically defines both your default search engine in the address bar, as well as your homepage. As a result, any time you open Firefox, you will be greeted with the Ecosia homepage. Follow these steps:

1. Open Firefox. Go to the Ecosia page on the Firefox add-ons store by clicking on this link, or by copy and pasting it into your search bar 
2. Click on the Add to Firefox button in the middle of your screen

3. A little pop up will appear in the top right. Click on Add

4. You should see two more pop-ups. Click on Okay and on Yes. 

5. The Ecosia extension is now installed!

Setting Ecosia as your default homepage

You can also make www.ecosia.org your browser’s homepage instead. Find out how to change your homepage in Firefox.

Use Ecosia on Brave

Setting Ecosia as your default search engine

The default search engine setting determines which search engine is favored when you look up something from the address bar at the top. You can make Ecosia your default in Brave by following these steps:

1. Open Brave and click on the three line (Burger) menu, usually found at the top next to the address bar
2. Click on Settings

3. From the menu on the left, click on Search engine. Then, click on the Change button

4. Select Ecosia and click on Set as default

5. Ecosia is now your default search engine!

Set Ecosia as your default homepage

Alternatively, you can make Ecosia your browser’s homepage. This means that whenever you open Brave, you will be greeted with the Ecosia homepage. Follow these steps:

1. Open Brave and click on the three line (Burger) menu, usually found at the top right next to the address bar
2. Click on Settings

3. From the menu on the left, click on Get started. Under the On startup section in the middle of your screen, click on Open a specific page or set of pages. Click on Add a new page

4. Enter www.ecosia.org and click on Set as default

5. Ecosia is now your default homepage!

Use Ecosia on Opera

Manual search engine set up

Installing Ecosia on Opera requires a bit of a manual setup:  

1. Open Opera. Click on the Opera logo, usually in the top left corner.
2. Click on Settings

3. Scroll down to the Search engine section. Click on Manage search engines and site search

4. Scroll down to the Site search section. Click on the Add button. 

5. Input the following info:
   1. Name: Ecosia
   2. Shortcut: e
   3. URL with %s in place of query: https://www.ecosia.org/search?method=index&q=%s
6. Press on Add

Now, anytime you write an “e” in front of your search query, Ecosia will be the selected search engine.

Use Ecosia on Vivaldi

Setting Ecosia as your default search engine

The default search engine setting determines which search engine is favored when you look up something from the address bar at the top. You can make Ecosia your default in Vivaldi by following these steps:

1. Open Vivaldi. Click on the little gear typically in the bottom left corner to access the Settings

2. In the panel that opens, click on Search on the left hand side. Click on the Default Search Engine field and select Ecosia. Alternatively, you may also set Ecosia in your Private Window Search Engine

Use Ecosia on other browsers

Your favorite browser isn’t listed above? Don’t worry, you can still use Ecosia. On other browsers, you usually have the option to define a new homepage by default. All you have to do is enter https://www.ecosia.org  in that setting. This will make it so that whenever you open that browser, Ecosia will be the first thing you see!