What's the deal with Speed Dial search engine?

A Former User

I use Opera in USA across several machines signed into the same Opera account. All of these machines have Google as the default search engine. One of these machines is a laptop. Initially, this laptop used Google as the search engine on its Speed Dial page, just like all my other machines.

A couple of months ago I took that laptop with me on my trip to Belarus. While in Belarus the Speed Dial automatically changed to Yandex, which is fine by me. However, now I'm back in USA, but on that specific laptop the Speed Dial search engine is still set to Yandex. The Opera settings are set up to use Google and address bar search queries are correctly forwarded to Google search. But the Speed Dial page remains set to Yandex.

What is this strange behavior? I don't mind that Speed Dial opted for Yandex while I was abroad, but I don't understand why it hasn't reverted back to Google when I returned to USA.

How do I make it revert back to Google?

leocg

leocg Moderator Volunteer @Guest

@thecalligrapher First, the start page search has nothing to do with the search engine that you set up to use in the address bar.

leocg

leocg Moderator Volunteer @Guest

@thecalligrapher Second, you need make Opera think that you are in a place where Google is the start page search engine.
You can try reinstalling Opera or edit Local State and change Country and Country from server.

A Former User @leocg

@leocg said in What's the deal with Speed Dial search engine?:

@thecalligrapher First, the start page search has nothing to do with the search engine that you set up to use in the address bar.

Um... And why is it so? Why does the start page search have nothing to do with the search engine that I set up to use in the address bar? What is the reasoning for having them set independently?

And if it is indeed the case, then where is the option to change the Speed Dial search engine? And if it doesn't exist, I would like to hear the developer's rationale for not having one. Here in the forum, please.

@leocg said in What's the deal with Speed Dial search engine?:

@thecalligrapher Second, you need make Opera think that you are in a place where Google is the start page search engine.

I'm not sure I understand what it means to "make Opera think that I'm in a place where Google is the start page search engine"? How can I make it? It "knew" by itself when I went abroad. And I'm sure it "knows" now that I'm currently in US. Yet it doesn't change the engine back to Google.

You can try reinstalling Opera or edit Local State and change Country and Country from server.

Reinstalling Opera is not an option. I don't want to go through the hassle. I want it fixed without having to reinstall.

And what does "edit Local State and change Country and Country from server" mean?

leocg

leocg Moderator Volunteer @Guest

@thecalligrapher said i:

Um... And why is it so? Why does the start page search have nothing to do with the search engine that I set up to use in the address bar? What is the reasoning for having them set independently?

No idea. Probably to promote that specific search engine.

And if it is indeed the case, then where is the option to change the Speed Dial search engine?

As the FAQ says, you can't change it.

And if it doesn't exist, I would like to hear the developer's rationale for not having one. Here in the forum, please.

The chances that it will happen are very very low.

Reinstalling Opera is not an option

Why? What prevents you from doing that?

And what does "edit Local State and change Country and Country from server" mean?

Exactly what is written, You open the file Local State in a text editor and change the following lines:

 "location":{"country":"xx","country_from_server":"xx"}

Replace xx with your country code.