How to Switch Back to Google.com from your local domain one?

Posted by Bashar
December 14, 2008

For the people so much annoyed with Google forcing them to go to their local domain version, e.g. Google.com.kw or what ever your region is, this is how to switch back to normal Google.com as your default search. Simply go to your local Google home page, e.g. Google.com.kw, and then click on Google.com in English.

 

 

 

NOTE: At time of Google.com.kw launch, this same solution did not use to work as it should. It would take you back then to Google.com, but if you use the browser default Google search engine you would land again on .KW domain. Next day, it was working properly. So I’m not sure if this same link works the same way on domains other than .KW. Let me know how it goes with you.

 

UPDATE: Bad news. Google.com.kw is enforced on me back again and I assume many others when searching using Chrome Address Bar. Same trick does not work. Firefox Google Search Engine and address bar both dont have the same problem. Looks like we’re gonna need a hack for it ;/. Thank you Google for not doing evil. Thank you.

 

UPDATE 2: I have tried to contact Google Chrome feedback for reporting this behavior. Not the best place, but it is a place that they will read at least.

 

UPDATE 3: I found the solution for Chrome Google Default Search. You can read it here.

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Comments

It has always been working this way, even before Google.com.kw came out. I remember because I used Korean proxy to be able to use torrent sites.

Comment by MacaholiQ8 on December 14, 2008 @ 8:09 pm

In case you land on a google search page from the search bar in your browser like I do, add “&hl=EN” to the end of url.

Comment by mario on December 14, 2008 @ 9:43 pm

MacaholiQ8: You naughty :). I do recall forced domains when I use proxies, but for some reason this wasn’t working first day of release in Kuwait. Well, even Google is buggy in Kuwait :P.

marion: Thanks. This hack would help for your query. We needed a way to get rid of it permanently.

Comment by Bashar on December 14, 2008 @ 9:52 pm

الغاية تبرر الوسيلة
:P

btw, this forced domain issue also occurs on Firefox google start page and to fix it you need to go to preferences and change the interface language.

Comment by MacaholiQ8 on December 15, 2008 @ 2:27 pm

MacaholiQ8: Bad news… .KW is forced back again and same solution doesn’t work :(

Comment by Bashar on December 15, 2008 @ 4:38 pm

[...] is a follow up to the disappointing first fix to enforce Google.com as default search engine. While it have worked for few days on all browsers, today and all of a sudden, Google Chrome bar [...]

Pingback by How to force Google.com on Google Chrome » BlogAllAlong on December 15, 2008 @ 5:53 pm

It’s working fine with me. :|

Comment by MacaholiQ8 on December 15, 2008 @ 6:40 pm

MacaholiQ8: Chrome?

Comment by Bashar on December 15, 2008 @ 8:51 pm

MacaholiQ8: Silly question. Not Chrome. Problem not happening with Firefox it seems, thank God.

Comment by Bashar on December 15, 2008 @ 8:55 pm

[...] my surprise today, it seems the despite all our hatred against it, Google’s inforcement plan of Google.com.kw over all Kuwaiti users have worked out pretty [...]

Pingback by Like it or not, Google Kuwait takes over » BlogAllAlong on February 7, 2009 @ 8:26 pm

I’ve made myself comfortable with typing few more characters to the URL: http://google.com/ncr

Takes me directly to the English Google page.

Comment by Nosayba on February 18, 2009 @ 10:04 pm

Nosayba: Thanks. This is good. What about direct embedded search though? I want my default search to go to Google.com!

Comment by Bashar on February 19, 2009 @ 7:45 pm

“What about direct embedded search though?”

I was Googling this issue earlier this month when it led me to your blog! Unfortunately, I haven’t found an answer yet.

All our hopes are belong to you :D

Comment by Nosayba on February 19, 2009 @ 10:26 pm

Nosayba: Thanks. Since you’re using Chrome, the answer is here.

Comment by Bashar on February 20, 2009 @ 7:18 pm
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