Microsoft appears to be working on a long-requested feature for Windows 11: the ability for the taskbar search to open results in your default browser and search engine—such as Chrome and Google—instead of forcing Microsoft Edge and Bing.
Since its launch, Windows 11’s taskbar search has been heavily criticized for its rigid behavior: any web query automatically opens in Edge using Bing, regardless of the user’s configured default browser or search engine. Previously, workarounds like EdgeDeflector allowed users to bypass this limitation, but Microsoft patched these methods, leaving users frustrated.
Evidence of the Change
The first signs of a change appeared in the Microsoft Edge Canary build, where new hidden “flags” suggest that future updates may allow the taskbar search to respect user preferences. Twitter user @Leopeva64 spotted the following flags:
MSWSBLAUNCHNONBINGDSEMSWSBLAUNCHNONBINGDSANDNONEDGEDBMSWSBLAUNDHNONEDGEDBmsexplicitlaunchnonbingdseandnonnedb
These flags hint at the ability to launch searches without Bing or Edge, opening them instead in the user’s preferred setup.
Details on how the feature will roll out are scarce. Based on Microsoft’s recent patterns, it’s possible this update may initially target European Union users, meaning other regions might continue experiencing the current Edge/Bing-only behavior for some time.
If fully implemented, this change would mark a significant win for Windows 11 users, providing them with the flexibility to integrate their preferred browsing ecosystem with the taskbar search.
