Forum Discussion
Ask Cortana / Ask Bing - Discussion
Hello Insiders! You have told us that you really want the Ask Cortana / Ask Bing feature in our next version of Microsoft Edge.
In the current version of Microsoft Edge, you can select text or click on an image and get a result from Cortana / Bing in a side panel, without leaving the page you are browsing.
We hear you and from your feedback we understand you would like similar contextual search functionality in a way that does not pull you out of your browsing flow.
We are investigating our ability to add this to the next version of Microsoft Edge and we would like to understand what makes this feature useful for you.
How did you use this feature? If you ever attempted to use Ask Cortana / Ask Bing and couldn’t get the answer you were looking for, what steps did you take, if any, to get the answer you were looking for?
What aspects of the Ask Cortana experience do you like or appreciate? What improvements would you like to see?
Please let us know, either in the comments below or by using the Send-A-Smile feedback.
Thanks – Jared Brown and the Microsoft Edge Search Team
Hello Insiders!
Thank you so much for your feedback. We are excited to announce sidebar search - the first step in our evolution of contextual search in the new Microsoft Edge.
You can find more details about sidebar search in this post - https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/discussions/introducing-sidebar-search-in-microsoft-edge/m-p/1406242
Thanks!
123 Replies
Hi Elliot Kirk
Here is what I expect to use with Cortana integration into the new Edge browser
- Highlight a word or sentence and then tell Cortana (either with mouse or voice) to translate it to a different language. and how she will know which language to translate it to? she will know it from my voice or give me a list of available languages so I can select one with mouse/touch.
- do a quick search about a subject and show me on the right sidebar.
- when we right-click on an image and select "search for similar images", Cortana should show the result in her sidebar instead of opening the result in a new tab.
- please do allow us to change the default search engine of Cortana. this is really helpful and the lack of it is a Huge dealbreaker. it's been asked many many times for Cortana on Windows. enabling it for Cortana on Edge is a great start. Please don't limit us to use Bing only.
- not sure if this is possible but integrate the Cortana beta which is currently in Windows 10 insider fast and slow ring to the new Edge insider so that both versions can actively listen to the user's voice commands.
The Ask Cortana feature added personality and resourcefulness to Edge. I used it a lot. Cortana also had a different search method than just opening a new tab and searching Bing, that got me the answers I wanted quicker.
Blu-J
"Words such as handy, helpful, efficient, time-saving & convenient very much apply to both of these & more/other things.", Drew
Much of the above ties simply to the idea of grabbing a quick bit of info about something on the page where one is without actually leaving that page to a maybe unnecessary full search page.
The bold text is what makes MANY people like it, use it a lot & want it in Edge C.
Cheers,
Drew
I was on one of the original threads for this. I want the full Cortana to work like it does now in "Old Edge". From there I want to look at features that can be added.
On a side note - STOP REMOVING CORTANA FROM THINGS! Don't take down the iOS and Android apps for example! There are people that use Cortana or that would like to add skills and then use it. Point is - add features don't take them away.
I completely agree with you! I use Cortana and love her personality and usefulness.
I too was a big fan of Ask Cortana. The reason it's better than the "Search with Bing" option is because it doesn't take you to a new page. It gives you smart (Cortana-powered) results in a floating sidebar.
I think I've given this example elsewhere, but one time I was reading a pdf of a friend's post-grad level paleontology paper. Needless to say, it involved a lot of dinosaur names and other technical words not in my everyday vocab. Ask Cortana was a huge boon. I would highlight a term, Ask Cortana, and info complete with images and definitions would fly out on the right side of the screen, while not navigating me out of the pdf viewer. I would get the gist of what was meant, and then continue reading the paper. It was brilliant. It was also unique to Edge. In a landscape awash in browsers, especially Chromium browsers, Edge needs Microsoft-only features like Ask Cortana to help give it the "edge" it needs to compete (sorry, couldn't resist).
On a related note, one thing really useful for me in the current version of Edge, is when I write in the address bar for something like:
"300 usd to eur"
"weather/time in Rome"
I can see the result straight away in the address barPandaSharp
Ah, very good point. Can put math 'questions' & all sorts of things, too. It's Bing, really, of course. You raise another good point, at least with Edge... the address box is, in fact, both for URLs and it's Search, too. People oft times forget that it is both. Bing will give results for whatever is put in there. Edge #2 sort of does it/the same, but, not as well or exactly the same way as Edge #1. Edge #1 does it much more & better. Put the same in each, results are quite different and differently presented. Edge #1 gives the answer, Edge#2 gives search (page) options or offerings, various links, depending what was inputted. But, your point is absolutely valid.
Cheers,
Drew
Elliot Kirk
In regard to search, Bing, Cortana, Edge & Win10, people may find it very interesting, informative/enlightening & exciting to read https://insider.windows.com/en-us/community-news/desktop-search/.
Cheers,
DrewElliot Kirk
Cortana search behavior
Ask Cortan return results in Context i.e. how old is Donald Trump, Cortana responds vocally with "Donald Trump is 73 years old, born Jun 14, 1946 in New York City borough of Queens" and then open the Bing result panel within the Edge browser with text/image return search information.Bing only search behavior
When using Bing just open the Bing result panel within the Edge browser with text/image return search information.
I like the Ask Cortana just the way it is implemented in Original Edge. Hi-light something, right-click, choose "Ask Cortana", and you have a slide-out from the right with results. I'm fine with that. It was one of my most used things in Original Edge.
>>"we understand you would like similar contextual search functionality in a way that does not pull you out of your browsing flow."
That's exactly how I use it while I do online research and writing. I want search that I can scroll down and does not open another tab. This tends to break my concentration. Ask Cortana is an amazing tool.
Hi Drew1903, Rohit Yadav and adrianghc,
Thank you very much for your feedback.
First, I'd like to assure everyone that these are not rhetorical questions and we are listening very closely to understand what worked well, and what didn't, in our legacy product, so we can make sure any investments we make in the new Microsoft Edge, are the best they can be.
Moving to Chromium means that some of our legacy features may have to be re-implemented or redesigned. It's not true in every case but it is true in many cases. When a new implementation is required, rather than immediately jump to the identical design from the legacy browser, we'd like to make sure we are implementing full and complete solutions.
The more you can help us understand how you used the legacy features, what you liked about them and where they fell short for you, the better we can be at designing a complete solution.Thank you for the examples you have provided so far! Please keep the feedback coming!
- Jared
P.S. Thanks Elliot Kirk for posting the original message on my behalf 🙂
JaredB81 thanks a lot for your reply. It is really a good decision to review the features that the people use, & implement only them in the new version of Microsoft Edge...
The "Ask Cortana" should be re-implemented in whole as it used to exist in the old version of Edge. Highlighting a text, & asking Cortana should invoke her, & should present the related info. There can be various use cases, say for example:
1. I want to get the definition of a word, so I highlight the text & choose to ask Cortana, & she presents the definition just like it would on the PC, or mobile app.
2. I want to get any info, so I quickly highlight the text, & ask her, after which she would present the related info.
I think after the search, an option should be included to help us reframe our search in case Cortana isn't able to answer correctly in one go.
As for the position, whether it should be in pane or other portion of the screen, I think it should be in a pane, so that it does not takes you away from the page or the pdf file open.
This feature should be applied to all aspects of the browser like browsing pages, in Immersive reader, & also when a PDF file is open.
In my earlier comment, I mentioned including the quick definition popup while reading books & pdf files. If Cortana is implemented, then I guess there is no need to include that feature.
That's all in my feedback for the "Ask Cortana" feature.
Thanks! 🙂
JaredB81 Elliot_Kirk Talon_38c
Words such as handy, helpful, efficient, time-saving & convenient very much apply to both of these & more/other things.
Add notes & Share: It is appealing to be able to have something within the browser that does all this offers. Whether sharing what you have grabbed, or 'modified or keeping it for yourself for later (Save or OneNote) or printing it, it is a wonderful utility. It's a joy not having go to an outside (the browser) tool or 2 to do the same actions. So nice, too, that if talking w/ someone can share something from a mutual interest page or segment, in real time so quickly and easily, because it's built right into where you are looking. All needed to do so much right at ones fingertips.
Ask Cortana: Same as others are saying... often, without interrupting what you're doing/viewing, can view at the side what may well be enough info... without, actually, going to a search page per se... unless, turns out to necessary to dig further or deeper. But, to take a quick look without leaving the page is great.
Both of these things are used a lot for all they can do & offer because they are so useful & enhance smooth productivity.
Cheers,
Drew- Spoiler
Drew1903 wrote:
Ask Cortana: Same as others are saying... often, without interrupting what you're doing/viewing, can view at the side what may well be enough info... without, actually, going to a search page per se... unless, turns out to necessary to dig further or deeper. But, to take a quick look without leaving the page is great.
if all Cortana integration is gonna bring is to provide us just with a small window to see search results then they better drop it already because things like that are not new, they can be achieved with Google chrome extensions too, so no real advantage against Google chrome.
