Update Firefox’s search bar with new Google favicon, again
Posted by Percy Cabello on January 12th, 2009 • Tags:
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Search bar with new Google iconSo Google has updated its logo once again. If having different icons in the search bar and the location bar while on a Google results page makes you feel like there’s yet another item in your to-do list, here’s some relief.

You can update the Firefox’s default Google search plugin to show the new Google search icon:

  1. Download this updated version of the Google search plugin. (Only change is the updated data: url for the favicon)
  2. Copy it to your searchplugins folder in your Firefox install folder  (typically C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\ on Windows), and overwrite the existing google.xml file.
  3. Save the file and restart Firefox.

Now you have the current favicon and can rest.

Comments
Anonymous said on January 13, 2009, 7:36 am:

The new icon is rather ugly. Thanks, I’ll use this method to restore the old google favicon when newer firefox versions replace it.

Cowman said on January 13, 2009, 11:05 am:

Hey I’m using 3.1b2 and I’m having trouble using this xml. Have things changed in 3.1? I’ve tried replacing the google.xml in the Program Files directory as well as adding the google.xml file to my profile’s directory.

Dom said on January 13, 2009, 11:50 am:

Ha! I hated the first change at first, altough I got used to it eventually, and yet again, I’m reserved about this change.

However, I didn’t even realize my search bar has kept the “original” one. Good. I’m keeping it that way ;)

Wikzo said on January 13, 2009, 12:19 pm:

I don’t like the new one. Therefore I ain’t gonna update my search icon.

darkhole said on January 13, 2009, 3:03 pm:

On Linux, here is the route:
/usr/lib/firefox-addons/searchplugins

Fitch said on January 13, 2009, 4:24 pm:

strange! It didn’t seem to take. Must be cached in Firefox 3.1 b2?

Marcus Roberto said on January 13, 2009, 8:42 pm:

And in Mac OS X? Where do I change?

AndrewR said on January 14, 2009, 2:02 am:

In Mac OS X, the searchplugins folder is inside the MacOS folder, which is inside the Contents folder displayed when you right-click Firefox.app and select “Show Package Contents”.

anonymous said on January 14, 2009, 10:39 am:

Mac OS X Instructions:

Show Package Contents for the firefox app

Open the following folder path: Contents -> MacOS -> searchplugins

overwrite old google.xml file with the new one

done!

anonymous said on January 14, 2009, 10:42 am:

Actually, this doesn’t appear to work in OS X after replacing the xml file

Stick said on January 14, 2009, 1:46 pm:

For Fedora 10, the directory is /usr/lib/firefox-[version-number]/searchplugins… if you’re using the x86_64 version, it’s lib64 rather than lib.

rogerwilstitute said on January 14, 2009, 2:29 pm:

Google had *several* new icons they released. It would be nice if we could have the option to use one of those instead, such as the blue and white icon used for Google Mobile on the iPhone.

[...] Mozilla Links har en lösning på problemet! Det handlar om att ersätta en fil innehållande [...]

Dwight L. Stegall said on January 14, 2009, 8:48 pm:

Instead of showing us how to see some icon that I can see right here on your page, how about showing us some really cool way we can use Google Hacks. That would have more value to me than this story.

Jarek James said on January 14, 2009, 10:55 pm:

/Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/Searchplugins

in mac

Darren said on January 15, 2009, 8:14 am:

Doesn’t work in Firefox 3.1b2

[...] まず「Update Firefox’s search bar with new Google favicon, again 」よりgoogle.xmlをダウンロードし、Firefoxのインストールディレクトリの「searchplugin」に突っ込みます。 [...]

[...] | Mozilla links Publicado en: Tecnologia 0 [...]

Juan C. A. said on January 15, 2009, 12:12 pm:

Agree with Darren: Doesn’t work in Firefox 3.1b2

yemixnuga said on January 15, 2009, 1:15 pm:

I thot it was a favicon virus/spyware and tried to clean it out but to no avail. I then googled the problem and realised it’s just an update. It still looks like a virus/spyware to me anyway.

[...] released June of last year. Popular productivity blog Lifehacker recently posted instructions on how to replace the old Google icon in the search bar with the newer version. Though they didn’t provide any instructions for Linux [...]

William S said on January 17, 2009, 1:07 pm:

Have new VISTA and new Toshiba 4gigs…VISTA is “blocking” the Radio STREAMING on FOX ?? …on XP, worked perfectly…click IN station and there it was…WHY, is MSFT being allowed(control) of FireFox? TERRIBLE…Plugs INs and Extension and CRAP does NOT work? …can only lock IN one radio station…ALSO, the FOX SCREEN is “blurry”…was always SHARP and Clear and Clean…WHY? Wm D ….help? can only use I.E….click and ‘right’ to the Radio Station…none of this crap about PLUG INs…can also do some in Opera…

pegasus said on January 26, 2009, 11:42 am:

Thank you for this Percy. I tried to do it for myself – and failed!

[...] address bar, Firefox users are stuck with the old icon for the search box. The Mozilla Links weblog details how to update the icon by replacing a file inside the Firefox installation directory. Just browse to your Firefox installation directory [...]

[...] blog Mozilla Links has a nice little post detailing how to update the search box to use the new Google favicon. It involves downloading and [...]

Hinemosu said on March 3, 2009, 9:55 pm:

Firefoxの検索バーに新しいGoogleアイコンを表示する、日本版…

「Firefoxの検索バーでGoogleのアイコンを新しくする方法 – IDEA*IDEA」から「Update Firefox’s search bar with new Google favicon, again – Mozilla Links」に辿りついたんだけど、google-jp.xmlが置いて無くて……

emarell said on July 19, 2009, 12:02 pm:

Regarding the new Firefox, v 3.5.1: I do see the new icon (and agree it’s ugly!). But I can’t get the search bar to display its results in a new tab as it used to. I do know about this tip
http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/2830/firefox_3_display_search_results_in_new_tab/
and my about:config is set as directed therein.

Any other ideas on fixing this annoying inconvenience?

Josh said on August 6, 2009, 12:37 pm:

mine updated automatically. but what i really want to know is how do I get the old icon back? i loved the simple, classy “G” logo. i want it back!! :(

Graham said on November 5, 2009, 11:47 pm:

I downloaded and did exactly what you said with the google.xml file, but not a thing has changed!! :(

I have ver. 3.5.4