Have you ever searched for something on your browser and suddenly Google decides you now speak a completely different language just because of where you are? 😂
Maybe you searched for a programming tutorial and got results in French.
Maybe you traveled somewhere and your browser started showing local language websites you never asked for.
Or maybe Google saw your IP address and thought:
“Ah yes, this person definitely wants everything translated.”
Meanwhile you are just trying to search in peace. 😭
The good news is that there’s a permanent fix.
Instead of letting Google guess your language and region based on your location, you can customize the Google search engine URL so your browser always forces:
- English results
- English interface
- US-based search ranking
- Minimal personalization
- No annoying country redirects
And the best part?
It does NOT slow down your internet or increase latency.
The Permanent Fix
We are going to create a custom Google search engine URL.
Use this URL:
https://www.google.com/ncr/search?q=%s&hl=en&gl=us&lr=lang_en&pws=0
What each part means:
hl=en
Forces Google interface language to English.
gl=us
Makes Google prioritize US-style search results.
lr=lang_en
Prioritizes English-language pages only.
pws=0
Reduces personalized search results.
ncr
Means “No Country Redirect.”
Stops Google from redirecting you to country specific domains like:
- google.fr
- google.de
- google.co.ke
Step-by-Step Setup Guide
Chrome
Open:
chrome://settings/searchEngines
Click:
Add
Then enter:
Search Engine:
Google English
Shortcut:
g
URL:
https://www.google.com/ncr/search?q=%s&hl=en&gl=us&lr=lang_en&pws=0
Now click:
Save
Then click the 3 dots beside the new search engine and choose:
Make Default
Done ✅
Microsoft Edge
Open:
edge://settings/searchEngines
Click:
Add
Enter:
Search Engine:
Google English
Shortcut:
g
URL:
https://www.google.com/ncr/search?q=%s&hl=en&gl=us&lr=lang_en&pws=0
Save it and set it as default.
Done ✅
Firefox
Open:
about:preferences#search
Firefox handles this a little differently.
Create a new bookmark with this URL:
https://www.google.com/ncr/search?q=%s&hl=en&gl=us&lr=lang_en&pws=0
Then assign a keyword like:
g
Now whenever you type:
g your search here
Firefox will use your custom Google setup.
Done ✅
Bonus Tip: Disable Browser Location Access
Even after changing the search URL, some browsers still share your location.
You can disable that too.
Chrome / Edge
Open:
chrome://settings/content/location
or:
edge://settings/content/location
Then choose:
Don't allow sites to see your location
Done ✅
Final Result
After this setup:
- Google stops changing languages randomly
- Search results stay in English
- Country redirects disappear
- Results become more consistent
- Your browser behaves the same no matter where you travel
No VPN required.
No extensions required.
No slowdown.
Just clean, predictable Google searches.
About the Author
Written by Samuel Thuku, a software engineer who enjoys solving annoying everyday tech problems, automating things that should have worked properly in the first place, and making the internet a little less chaotic one fix at a time. 😄