Recent discoveries in the Microsoft Edge code suggest Microsoft is planning to let Windows 11 users set their preferred browser and search engine for taskbar searches. Currently, these searches automatically open in Edge with Bing, but a new update may change that. This feature has been available in Europe for a while, and Windows Latest reports it could soon be rolled out to all users.
A recent update to the early-release version of Microsoft Edge (Edge Canary) includes new settings that control how Windows handles searches entered into the taskbar. Outside of the European Economic Area, Windows will now automatically open Microsoft Edge and use Bing for any search typed into the taskbar, even if you’ve chosen a different browser as your default.
Here are the new flags that were spotted in Edge Canary:
- msExplicitLaunchNonBingDSE
- msExplicitLaunchNonBingDSEAndNonEdgeDB
- msExplicitLaunchNonEdgeDB
- msWSBLaunchNonBingDSE
- msWSBLaunchNonBingDSEAndNonEdgeDB
- msWSBLaunchNonEdgeDB
It’s likely that “WSB” stands for “Windows Search Box” and “DSE” means Default Search Engine.
Based on recent updates, Microsoft appears to be letting users customize which browser and search engine Windows uses when searching from the taskbar. For example, if you prefer Firefox and Yahoo, Windows will now open Firefox with your search terms already in Yahoo, respecting your chosen defaults.
These features are currently only being tested in the early release version of Microsoft Edge, so they might not ever be released to the public. However, it’s still notable that Microsoft is exploring ways to make Windows 11 more customizable for users who prefer alternatives to the default settings.
Many Windows 11 users prefer browsers and search engines other than Edge and Bing, and often avoid using Windows 11’s built-in search feature because of this. Allowing the search pane to work with your preferred browser and search engine is a welcome change and a good sign that Microsoft is starting to prioritize user preferences.
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2025-09-29 14:39