My MacBook browsers (both Chrome & Safari) always revert to UK searches despite the fact that I'm located in the US and my system preferences show the same. The browsers also change the default search engine if I'm trying to use Google (and enter a search on a Google page), the results often come up under a different search engine. I suspect the two are related.
MacBook Air 13″, macOS 11.7
Perhaps. If you are using a VPN, don't, and disabling / deactivating one is not sufficient. It has to be removed.
As for changing the default Search Engine on its own, that may be a related problem, a consequence of using a VPN, or both. Rather than asking many time-consuming back and forth questions that could take days, EtreCheck is likely to reveal some actionable information. Instructions: How to use the Add Text Feature When Posting Large Amounts of Text, i.e. an Etrecheck Report - Apple Community
I too think that could be related to using a VPN. Whether or not you need to "remove" it entirely depends upon the interface with which you use it. Some are web browser extensions and simply turning off the extension gets things working normally.
Browsers Revert to UK Search (Despite being in USA)
