Reviews of Customize Search Engine

By: Cizzuk Shihu App

List of user reviews and ratings for Customize Search Engine

Total ratings

4.40 (Rating count: 65)

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Review summary

Users praise the app for replacing Google AI summaries with real web results, using multiple alternative search engines, and working across Safari in private mode. The UDM14 option is frequently cited as a key feature. The app is free and generally easy once set up. However, several reviews note downsides: Google-related captchas/banners, a fiddly initial setup, and occasional bugs or non-functionality that can hinder use.

Pros

Removes Google AI summaries/overviews and shows real web results instead
Supports a wide range of alternative search engines (DuckDuckGo, Brave, StartPage, Kagi, Grok, etc.) for flexibility
Works across Safari on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, including private mode
UDM14 mode effectively disables Google's AI results and is highly valued
Free to use and generally straightforward after setup

Cons

Google-related issues like redirects and captchas when using Google searches (anti-bot behavior)
Intrusive banners such as 'Open in the Google app' that are hard to remove for some users
Initial setup can be fiddly or confusing for non-technical users
Occasional non-functionality or bugs (inability to search, blank search window, or searches cycling between All/Web)
Reliability may vary depending on engine/Safari compatibility

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User Reviews

Recent rating average: 4.20

All time rating average: 4.40

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5% (2)

Date	Author	Comment
2026-07-02	ea*****	This needs to be a function in Safari outside the 5 default engine options. I can finally use Google without the AI overview again without having to do it manually. Thank you for your work :)
This needs to be a function in Safari outside the 5 default engine options. I can finally use Google without the AI overview again without having to do it manually. Thank you for your work :)
2026-06-24	Ap*****	When I try export as json, the app crashes every time.
When I try export as json, the app crashes every time.
2026-06-19	Gr*****	Setup requires me to enable google.com / Deleted Immediately!
Setup requires me to enable google.com / Deleted Immediately!
2026-06-04	Fi*****	Other than the slight delay it adds by blocking then redirecting the query, it does exactly what it needs to do, works perfectly, and should be a basic feature of Safari.
Other than the slight delay it adds by blocking then redirecting the query, it does exactly what it needs to do, works perfectly, and should be a basic feature of Safari.
2026-05-31	un*****	I can't find any clear directions on how to set up CSE to disable that ,deleted> AI in Google Search. Can anyone help with this, point by point? TIA! Looks awesome! Kudos to Kissuk! Wish there were clear instructions on this. I assume everyone is looking to disable AI.
I can't find any clear directions on how to set up CSE to disable that ,deleted> AI in Google Search. Can anyone help with this, point by point? TIA! Looks awesome! Kudos to Kissuk! Wish there were clear instructions on this. I assume everyone is looking to disable AI.
2026-05-21	ff*****	See title. Using the same settings for both, for udm14.
See title. Using the same settings for both, for udm14.
2026-05-08	se*****	It causes rapid redirecting with google, causing google to always declare I am a robot and have to go through a captcha. This is extremely annoying.
It causes rapid redirecting with google, causing google to always declare I am a robot and have to go through a captcha. This is extremely annoying.
2026-04-08	Ca*****	I can finally use startpage as my main search engine in safari on my phone, Mac & iPad! I hate google so much
I can finally use startpage as my main search engine in safari on my phone, Mac & iPad! I hate google so much
2026-03-18	0x*****	I rarely take the time to write app reviews, but I was so impressed with CSE and how effectively it took care of one of iOS’s biggest headaches: the search engine. AND it works in private mode too! As an active Kagi user, I could never find a great solution that was seamless with iOS Safari but this app is super easy to configure whatever custom search engine you want and it worked instantly. Super, super impressed.
I rarely take the time to write app reviews, but I was so impressed with CSE and how effectively it took care of one of iOS’s biggest headaches: the search engine. AND it works in private mode too! As an active Kagi user, I could never find a great solution that was seamless with iOS Safari but this app is super easy to configure whatever custom search engine you want and it worked instantly. Super, super impressed.
2026-03-15	Li*****	First of all, I just want to say I love this app. I changed it to add &udm=14 to my Google searches to get rid of the AI overviews, I have tons of shortcuts like adding wbm before my url’s to open them in the Wayback Machine, etc. Amazing tool. However, I’ve recently been having a problem with my Google searches, where it basically searches ten times in a row as it keeps switching back and forth between All and Web. Because of this, I have to answer captchas every time I want to look something up, which gets annoying. Still a great extension though.
First of all, I just want to say I love this app. I changed it to add &udm=14 to my Google searches to get rid of the AI overviews, I have tons of shortcuts like adding wbm before my url’s to open them in the Wayback Machine, etc. Amazing tool. However, I’ve recently been having a problem with my Google searches, where it basically searches ten times in a row as it keeps switching back and forth between All and Web. Because of this, I have to answer captchas every time I want to look something up, which gets annoying. Still a great extension though.