Windows 11 has a search bar in your taskbar and Start menu that lets you search for things both on your computer and on the web. But when you click on results from the web, Windows opens them in Microsoft Edge, even if that’s not your default browser. Fortunately, there’s a way to get around this and force Windows to open links in your preferred browser.
How to Remove Bing from Windows 11 Start, Search, Taskbar, and Microsoft Edge
MSEdgeRedirect is the best way to prevent Microsoft Edge from launching every time you use Windows Search. The app also prevents Edge from randomly launching, and lets you use third-party services instead of Microsoft’s own options for news, weather, and other live updates. Installing it is as easy as running through a few setup screens.
One of these installation screens will ask you to choose an installation mode. For most people, Active Mode is recommended. On the next page, you will see a number of Active Mode preferences. First, select Edge Stable, unless you are running a beta version of the browser. Then, go through the preferences to stop other Microsoft redirects, such as Bing Discover, Bing Images, Bing Search, MSN News, MSN Weather, etc. For each of these, MSEdgeRedirect offers a few alternatives, so take your pick.
Once the app is installed, the Windows 11 search bar becomes a lot more useful. Internet links will now open in your default browser and use your favorite search engine.
