Windows 10 users can no longer use Google to do searches with Cortana or another web browser other than Microsoft Edge. Microsoft has announced the new changes on a new effort to deliver an “integrated search experience”.
On a new article at the official Windows Blog, the company said that the point of having Cortana in Windows 10 is learn about you and help you with personalized assistance.
Cortana logics is powered by the Bing search engine, and in order for the company to provide an “end-to-end personal search experience”, this integration can’t be interrupted.
The software giant also notes that there is a number of third-party utilities that alters the way Cortana is supposed to work by changing the default search engine to another provider (e.g., Google), and Microsoft Edge to a different browser (e.g., Chrome or Firefox).
Unfortunately, as Windows 10 has grown in adoption and usage, we have seen some software programs circumvent the design of Windows 10 and redirect you to search providers that were not designed to work with Cortana. The result is a compromised experience that is less reliable and predictable. The continuity of these types of task completion scenarios is disrupted if Cortana can’t depend on Bing as the search provider and Microsoft Edge as the browser. The only way we can confidently deliver this personalized, end-to-end search experience is through the integration of Cortana, Microsoft Edge and Bing – all designed to do more for you.
As a result, Microsoft is making changes to block any third-party tool or hack to change the default search engine and the web browser that Cortana uses to deliver a consistent experience.
Starting today, to ensure we can deliver the integrated search experience designed for Windows 10, Microsoft Edge will be the only browser that will launch when you search from the Cortana box.
Although, Windows 10 never included a configuration option to change this behavior, tools such as the Chrometana extension for Chrome let users to trick Cortana into using Google as the default search engine and Chrome as its default web browser.
While this might look like as a wrong move from Microsoft, it’s worth pointing out that Google Now on Android and Siri on Apple also have their default search settings locked down.
Microsoft ensures that this change will only affect Cortana, and you can continue to use your search engine of choice on Microsoft Edge and on a different web browser.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].