Microsoft Limits Cortana To Bing Search, Edge Browser

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Cortana can no longer be used to view results in third-party browsers or search engines in Windows 10. As part of an OS update, Microsoft has restricted its personal digital assistant to work along with only Bing and its Edge browser.

The Cortana search box, located in the bottom left corner of the Windows 10 desktop, is a key portal for Windows 10 users to access documents, apps, settings, and Web search results. Now those Web searches will be limited to Bing and Microsoft Edge.

Microsoft says the restriction is intended to protect the Cortana user experience, which it created to rely on its own browser and search engine. Previously, workarounds allowed users to view search results on Google, Chrome, Firefox, and other third-party search engines and browsers.

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"Unfortunately, as Windows 10 has grown in adoption and usage, we have seen some software programs circumvent the design of Windows 10 and redirect you to search providers that were not designed to work with Cortana," wrote Ryan Gavin, general manager of Search and Cortana, on the Windows Blog.

"The result is a compromised experience that is less reliable and predictable," he explained. "The continuity of these types of task completion scenarios is disrupted if Cortana can't depend on Bing as the search provider and Microsoft Edge as the browser."

As a result, the team is restricting Cortana to only work with Edge and Bing effective April 28. Windows 10 users can still opt to change their default browser to Chrome or Firefox, or set their default search engine to Google.

Microsoft rolled out several features for Cortana at the same time it announced these restrictions, which prevent the new capabilities from effectively working without Edge or Bing.

One of these additions is the ability to troubleshoot tech via Cortana. You can search "Bluetooth not working" in the Cortana box, for example, and a Bing search result will pop up with a video answer to help.

If you need to do some online shopping, you can start by conducting a Bing image search. Scroll through the results, right-click your choice, and select "Ask Cortana" to learn more about the chosen product.

In a few situations, using Cortana may save some money. If you're looking for a specific store, like Best Buy, type the name into the Cortana box and select the top search result -- in this case, www.bestbuy.com -- and the digital assistant will provide a few coupons.

While Microsoft reports it's implementing these restrictions to improve the user experience, there are likely a few more reasons why Cortana will only work with Edge and Bing.

Microsoft made Windows 10 available as a free upgrade to Windows users at the time of its official launch in July 2015. The idea was to put Windows into the hands of as many users as possible.

However, Microsoft is still looking for ways to make money off the OS outside the fees it charges OEMs to put it on their devices. Windows 10 and Bing are tightly woven together, and increasing the user base for Bing will generate more ad revenue for Microsoft.

Windows 10 has already boosted search advertising for Microsoft. In its most recent earnings call, the company reported search advertising revenue grew 18% in constant currency during its third fiscal quarter of 2016. Growth was driven by an increase in Windows 10 use.