# How to make Yandex the default search engine? **URL:** \ **Category:** Search Support\ **Tags:** feedback\ **Created:** [March 27, 2024, 11:08am UTC](https://community.brave.app/t/how-to-make-yandex-the-default-search-engine/539949 "2024-03-27T11:08:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![swifto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@swifto](https://community.brave.app/u/swifto)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 11:08am UTC](https://community.brave.app/t/how-to-make-yandex-the-default-search-engine/539949/1 "2024-03-27T11:08:22Z")
It appears as though there used to be an option to add a search engine in the settings in brave browser. This has since disappeared. There is a section below it where the “Add” button still exists… but it is no longer the “add search engine” button that apparently did exist some time ago. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/brave/original/3X/d/7/d7aef13704cb9c51574d8064675af77e990d6579.png) Moreover, when you click on this add button this screen comes up. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/brave/original/3X/0/a/0a18cafbf28aa3ecac19373aef8e18c07583544b.png) What, that third prompt is asking from you, I have no idea. At any rate, if this is the way to add Yandex as a search engine, it is pretty damn far from obvious, and I would argue that this is not by any means a way to add Yandex as the DEFAULT search engine. Previous results on how to add Yandex show, very clearly, a button whereby you can “add search engine” and the prompts are clear, and it is obvious that you are in fact doing just that. I reckon this is a deliberate move by brave to limit what you are able to read and not read. I don’t know what this function does, but clearly it is at the very least adding an extra unnecessary step that did not exist in order to more easily use the one remaining (perhaps??) browser that does not inject its world fucking view into the search results. Furthermore, I am a big boy, I can read and discern the information on the screen for myself thank you very much. If I am incorrect than why did brave intentionally make things more difficult/less clear/worse? I will be uninstalling brave and using a more bare-bones browser and search engine, I have zero tolerance for this diversity/DEI/censorship/search engine freedom which is permeating every f\*cking corner of our lives. ---
**Author:** ![Szoltan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Szoltan](https://community.brave.app/u/Szoltan)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2024, 12:24pm UTC](https://community.brave.app/t/how-to-make-yandex-the-default-search-engine/539949/2 "2024-03-27T12:24:05Z")
Just add this to the third prompt: [https://yandex.com/search/?text=%s](https://yandex.com/search/?text=%25s) ---
**Author:** ![swifto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@swifto](https://community.brave.app/u/swifto)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2024, 6:12pm UTC](https://community.brave.app/t/how-to-make-yandex-the-default-search-engine/539949/3 "2024-03-31T18:12:48Z")
What? What do you mean? ---
**Author:** ![swifto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@swifto](https://community.brave.app/u/swifto)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 9:53pm UTC](https://community.brave.app/t/how-to-make-yandex-the-default-search-engine/539949/4 "2024-04-30T21:53:16Z")
Hello, would you please elaborate on how you mean? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Saoiray](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brave/user_avatar/community.brave.app/saoiray/32/212354_2.png) [@Saoiray](https://community.brave.app/u/Saoiray)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 10:08pm UTC](https://community.brave.app/t/how-to-make-yandex-the-default-search-engine/539949/5 "2024-04-30T22:08:23Z")
@swifto look at [Add "Site search" in "Search engine" option. no examples no idea how to setup - #2 by Saoiray](https://community.brave.app/t/add-site-search-in-search-engine-option-no-examples-no-idea-how-to-setup/524594/2) Then kind of [How do I use a custom search engine? - #8 by Saoiray](https://community.brave.app/t/how-do-i-use-a-custom-search-engine/541719/8) > [@swifto](#): > > What, that third prompt is asking from you, I have no idea. It’s instructing clearly. Go to the website you want to add and do a search. So when I did a search for `Swifto`, the URL changed to `https://yandex.com/search/?text=swifto&lr=113211&search_source=yacom_desktop_common` The instructions are to replace your search term and everything after with `%s` So `https://yandex.com/search/?text=swifto&lr=113211&search_source=yacom_desktop_common` would become `https://yandex.com/search/?text=%s` So on the third part, you put `https://yandex.com/search/?text=%s` ---
**Author:** ![GrdLock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/958977/32.png) [@GrdLock](https://community.brave.app/u/GrdLock)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2024, 2:28pm UTC](https://community.brave.app/t/how-to-make-yandex-the-default-search-engine/539949/6 "2024-08-10T14:28:26Z")
The problem is this still doesn’t allow you to set Yandex as your default search engine, since it’s being added as a “site search” and not an actual “search engine”. ---
**Author:** ![Saoiray](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brave/user_avatar/community.brave.app/saoiray/32/212354_2.png) [@Saoiray](https://community.brave.app/u/Saoiray)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2024, 2:45pm UTC](https://community.brave.app/t/how-to-make-yandex-the-default-search-engine/539949/7 "2024-08-10T14:45:15Z")
@GrdLock why don’t you try it? What you’re saying is incorrect. Yes, you’re right it’s listed under `Site Search` but that doesn’t mean it’s not a search engine or can’t be set as a default search engine. For example, below is where it shows `Search Engines` and `Site Search`. You’ll see that Yandex is listed under `Site Search` and not `Search Engines`. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/brave/original/3X/0/0/00cfe3df639c109f76327e04b7e48271c8bbb100.png) ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/brave/original/3X/3/3/33e9b5ec2731289897a65b709e8f208a6322fdf6.png) However, as instructions have said, you click the three dots next to `Yandex` and you get options like: ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/brave/original/3X/c/5/c53cf046563e4e54a6a53707533be3eb628ad782.png) Guess what happens if you click `Make Default`? ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/brave/original/3X/c/b/cbffc36482088abf5e4bcfacf4df716923ba48d2.png) Now it has Yandex under `Search Engines` and it’s my default. The links I provided explain some of these details. It’s always helpful to take the time to read through shared information and try the suggested steps before assuming or arguing. It can make everything much smoother for everyone. ---
**Author:** ![nightsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a88e57/32.png) [@nightsky](https://community.brave.app/u/nightsky)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 12:26pm UTC](https://community.brave.app/t/how-to-make-yandex-the-default-search-engine/539949/8 "2025-06-27T12:26:11Z")
Any way to do this on Android? I want to add a :y shortcut for yandex search ---
**Author:** ![Saoiray](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brave/user_avatar/community.brave.app/saoiray/32/212354_2.png) [@Saoiray](https://community.brave.app/u/Saoiray)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 12:33pm UTC](https://community.brave.app/t/how-to-make-yandex-the-default-search-engine/539949/9 "2025-06-27T12:33:01Z")
I haven’t had Android in a long time. If I remember correctly, you still can’t manually add search engines on it. Currently it’s the only OS that we don’t have that ability for some reason. Instead you just will have to make sure you have the option to automatically index search engines enabled and then go do some searches on Yandex. It should get itself listed under search engine options if it wasn’t. (Forget if you have to exit Brave or something first) Sorry I don’t have better instructions but since I don’t have a current, I can’t look and test. So want to be careful on saying too much when I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![nightsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a88e57/32.png) [@nightsky](https://community.brave.app/u/nightsky)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2025, 2:34pm UTC](https://community.brave.app/t/how-to-make-yandex-the-default-search-engine/539949/10 "2025-06-29T14:34:13Z")
Thanks for the reply! Yes I figured as much.. unfortunately the option of adding Yandex search as a quick search doesn’t work either, Brave simply doesn’t recognize Yandex. It’s really a shame, very bad take from Brave..