Forum Discussion
How do I change the default browser used by Windows 11 Search?
I want to change the way Windows Search opens web results.
For example, when I search for keywords like “Fortnite” from the Start menu, clicking on a search result always opens Bing in Microsoft Edge. I’d like these links to open directly in my preferred browser.
Is there a way to change this behavior in Windows Settings, or is this controlled by Microsoft?
3 Replies
Windows 11 does not currently provide a general setting for choosing the browser or search engine used by Start menu web results. That part of Windows Search is controlled by Microsoft and uses Bing; on many Windows installations, it may also open through an Edge-specific system link instead of following the normal default-browser setting.
The default browser can still be changed for ordinary web links:
- Open Settings > Apps > Default apps.
- Select the preferred browser.
- Choose Set default.
- Test it by opening a normal https:// link.
This changes regular links from apps and documents, but it may not affect the Bing results shown in Windows Search. Regional Windows versions may behave differently, but there is still no standard setting that replaces Bing with Google or another provider inside Start search.
The supported workaround is:
- Open the preferred browser.
- Set the desired search engine in that browser.
- Enter web searches in its address bar instead of using the Start menu.
- Pin the browser to the taskbar for quicker access.
Organizations can use policy to hide or restrict web results in Windows Search, but policy can disable the feature rather than replace Bing with another search provider. Third-party redirecting tools exist, but they are unsupported, can stop working after Windows updates and require permission to intercept system links.
f you want to fix this immediately, you'll need a third-party tool. A popular and recommended option is MSEdgeRedirect.
This is the Windows Search web-result experience, not a failure of your default-browser setting. Windows 11 lets you choose defaults for apps, file types, and protocols under Settings > Apps > Default apps, so set your preferred browser there for ordinary web links. However, Windows Settings currently provides no supported option to choose another provider or redirect Start/Search results like the Fortnite result shown; that integrated result is controlled by Microsoft. Changing HTTP and HTTPS associations may not affect this specific behavior. Avoid third-party redirectors that hook Windows protocols, because updates can break them and they are outside Microsoft’s supported configuration. The reliable alternatives are to search from your preferred browser’s address bar or use Windows Search only for local apps, settings, and files. On a managed device, an administrator may be able to restrict web suggestions through policy, but that disables or limits them rather than selecting another browser.
