In a move that could significantly enhance user choice in Windows 11, Microsoft appears to be testing changes that would allow the WindowsSearch feature to honor the user's selected default browser and search engine. As it stands, WindowsSearch defaults to opening search results in Microsoft Edge using Bing, a setting that has often frustrated users who prefer other browsers and search engines.
The change was noted by a tech enthusiast known as Leopeva64, who spotted several new flags—"msExplicitLaunchNonBingDSE," "msExplicitLaunchNonBingDSEAndNonEdgeDB," among others—embedded within a recent version of Edge Canary. Edge Canary serves as a testing ground for new features, meaning these developments may not appear in stable releases immediately.
Potential Impact on User Experience
Currently, this forced alignment with Edge and Bing is standard outside the European Economic Area, where regulations sometimes necessitate different practices. The implications of these potential changes could lead to greater flexibility for Windows users globally, permitting a more personalized web search experience directly from the Windows Search Box.
For users, this means they may soon start their searches from the Windows 11 desktop and seamlessly continue in the environment of their choice, whether it's Google, Mozilla Firefox, or another option. This marks a potential shift in how WindowsSearch interacts with third-party tools, potentially increasing its acceptance and the user satisfaction on the platform.
Flags and Their Meanings
The acronyms found in the new Canary build provide clues about this development. "DSE" appears to refer to Default Search Engine, while "WSB" likely stands for Windows Search Box. These flags suggest that the Windows Search Box could be set to respect both non-Bing search engines and non-Edge browsers, provided this feature makes it beyond preliminary tests.
Given that these are still in the testing phase, timing for a wider rollout remains unknown. Microsoft has not confirmed when or if these changes will be made available in stable builds of Windows 11. Nevertheless, the discovery alone raises interest about the company's future direction and its readiness to relax its longstanding policy of prioritizing its own products within the ecosystem.
This possible update illustrates a broader industry trend toward user empowerment and customization, a trend especially evident in how operating systems interact with web services. Whether this potential feature will ultimately lead to major changes for the Windows 11 experience remains to be seen, but for those preferring alternatives to Bing and Edge, this is certainly a development worth monitoring.
