Google always in English?

May 27, 2008 11:51 AM

How to avoid localized Google, forever and ever?

I've tried so hard. But every time I move to a new location, my Google comes up in the local language. This is even with me signed in and recognized by Google. I am not talking about search results, I want to search all languages, I just want the menus and links on the front Google page to be non-localized.

How to set Google up such that it always knows 1) this laptop always wants to be fed English Google, and 2) This user, on any computer, always wants to be fed English Google?

posted by Meatbomb to computers & internet (4 comments total)

Set your homepage to http://www.google.com/ncr -- you can also set that in Firefox and you'll be fed the results you want.
posted by fake at 11:55 AM on May 27, 2008

Any way to get the auto-google field in the Firefox toolbar to act like that, too?
posted by Meatbomb at 12:05 PM on May 27, 2008

Alternative, if you're using Google accounts, a home of http://www.google.com/igoogle will always have the same site.
posted by Nelsormensch at 12:06 PM on May 27, 2008

If you are using Firefox you can also change the search box. I am located on an IP address registered to an APNIC block that is supposed to be Pakistan, so Google.com by default gives me a non english page.

Locate the google.xml file in your searchplugins directory and copy it to google2.xml , replace all instances of google.com in the file with google.ca , google.us, or google.co.uk , save the file and restart firefox.
posted by thewalrus at 12:20 PM on May 27, 2008