Change the default search to Google?

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RJMcKenzie March 02, 2010

Change the default search to Google?

Yesterday Engadget did an unboxing of the Backflip. In the video and pictures they showed the Yahoo! search and he didn't know how or if he could change it to Google. Is there a way to change it in the settings?

www.engadget.com/2010/03/01/motorola-backflip-for-...

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jlarex 2010-03-02 18:33:21

According to this article it's not possible to change the search provider to Google.

jkontherun.com/2010/03/02/att-introduces-the-first...

Here's the relevant quote from the article:

"That seems to be the case with the AT&T Backflip, as early testers are reporting the inability to get Google search working in any of the Android programs."

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foxyNinja 2010-03-02 21:48:25

And that's literally a deal-breaker for me. The whole incentive to using an android phone to me is the tight integration of google products. As a long time AT&T customer, I'm extremely disappointed.

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deinfinityx 2010-03-03 02:46:54

Honestly this has Apple stench all over it. They are gunning hard for Android and I bet the only way to keep their dominance at AT&T was to cripple Android as much as they could by throwing Yahoo on it. I said it previously AT&T fooled this up some how. I would imagine if they could have gotten away with it they would have nixxed all the google apps on the Backflip and all AT&T devices. I would imagine though that Google will somehow update their browser with the option to switch off Yahoo.

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RJMcKenzie 2010-03-03 02:51:42

Google can't do anything to update this device. Motorola is the one that updates the device, not Google. That is because of the MotoBlur.

deinfinityx 2010-03-03 03:03:52

This is true, but all they need is an app to tie into the Android system, which all Android still run despite UI elements and what not. It would not be to hard for them(I think) to have an app only on the back flip that changes the default search provider. Hell I think there is an app in the market already that does it. Not to mention Dolphin could make it so their browser defaults Google. if it doesn't already

deinfinityx 2010-03-03 03:11:01

Just to add Open Search is in the market for free and you can set up what ever search provider you want with global search included. So the only other problem would be the browser, which Dolphin, Fennec, Skyfire(I think) and Opera can fix.

RJMcKenzie 2010-03-03 03:24:44

Well if there was a way to change the default in the OS or have a third party application change it, I will still get this phone. I personally don't want to root the device. I sent a support message to Motorola asking if it was possible. I seen the pictures of the backflip in Europe that their default search is Google. And the AT&T icon on the keyboard is just a standard globe in the European version as well.

deinfinityx 2010-03-03 03:46:18

Yeah I don't remember entirely about dolphin and if you could change the search but Open Search should allow you, although probably not as fluently as default search, to search with google. And when Fennec or any of the other browsers come out they will probably have the option to change the default search provider.

beau 2010-03-03 17:26:33

I think Apple would change the default search on the iPhone away from Google rather than apply backroom pressure to change a low-volume Motorola device.

deinfinityx 2010-03-03 17:32:08

This is true but I suspicious non the less that the first android on at&t is humped with yahoo search. No find itThis is true but I other android has ever had android search on it to my knowledge and at&t is in apples pocket.

RJMcKenzie 2010-03-04 17:37:38

Finally, found something. www.talkandroid.com/2253-att-motorola-backflip-yah...

"According to a report by BusinessWeek, the Motorola Backflip will feature Yahoo! as the default search engine, although users will be able to manually change the provider to Google if they wish."

Hopefully this is true!

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bdebrito 2010-07-12 19:03:09

you may have changed phones by now, if not all you have to do is go into your browser and then hit the menu button, then go under more+, scroll down hit settings, then you go down to set home page and just change it to www.google.com, when I first did this it kept telling me that web pages were unavailabe on my browser at first, then I just turned my phone off then back on and it works fine, so now when I hit the globe it takes me straight to google, quicker than the yahoo page, as far as the widget goes just drag the thing in the trash its useless, maybe they will come out with an app for this phone eventually, but for now changing the home page is nice, the widget would really only save one step its not that bad

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