Cortana was a pretty big feature when Windows 10 rolled out, and yeah, it’s tied to Bing. We kinda knew that, since it’s all baked into the system with Edge and Bing being the go-to options. But of course, most of us hoped there’d be an easy way to nudge Cortana into using our favorite search engine—say, Google—or switching to browsers like Chrome or Firefox without it all feeling like a chore. Turns out, that’s not exactly straightforward, and there’s some tweaks needed to get it to work smoothly. This might help users who want Cortana to do searches using Chrome or Firefox and get Google results directly, without running into bitter Bing dependencies or limited options.
Important to keep in mind — Windows 10/11 makes it tricky, because Cortana still tries to route searches through Bing, even if you set your preferred browser. Plus, if you want search queries from Cortana to go straight to Google, you’ll have to install some third-party tools or extensions, and possibly tweak some settings or install EdgeDeflector, especially if Windows keeps redirecting searches to Edge. It’s kinda complicated, but with these fixes, you can make it work pretty well. Just beware that some extensions, like Chrometana or Bing-Google, have had issues in the past (malware infections or removal from stores), so you might have to hunt around or look for alternatives. The good news is, none of this noticeably slows down Cortana—tested it, and searches still fly smoothly.
How to Make Cortana Use Chrome, Firefox, and Google Search
Method 1: Change your default web browser in Windows
Basically, first thing’s first. If you want Cortana to send searches to Chrome or Firefox, you’ve got to set that browser as your system default. Otherwise, Cortana will still send things to Edge or Bing, which defeats the purpose. To do this:
- Open Settings (Win + I)
- Click Apps, then go to Default Apps
- Scroll down to Web browser
- Pick Chrome or Firefox from the list
That’s the first step—no surprises there. This makes sure searches from Cortana open in your browser of choice. But remember, this alone won’t change where the search queries are sent—only the browser that opens.
Method 2: Redirect Bing searches to Google (using Chrometana or Bing-Google)
Here’s where it gets weird. Since Cortana still defaults to Bing, you need a way to redirect Bing searches internally to Google. In the past, extensions like Chrometana were the go-to, but after some malware scares (yeah, Chrome extensions can be sketchy), the Chrometana extension was yanked from the Chrome Web Store. On one setup it worked fine, on another… not so much. Now, the recommended approach is to use an alternative like Winhance or other trusted redirect tools, but beware—these are unofficial solutions and might require some fiddling to get right.
For Firefox, there used to be an add-on called Bing-Google, which redirects Bing searches to Google. You’d install it, set Firefox as your default browser, and voila—searches go to Google. Just keep in mind, Firefox extensions are somewhat easier to control and safer than Chrome, which has seen more issues with shady extensions lately. Always check reviews before installing.
Method 3: Install EdgeDeflector (to handle search redirection)
Because Windows sometimes sneaks searches into Edge or Bing even after setting your default browsers, you might need EdgeDeflector. It intercepts links that would normally open in Edge, and instead, routes them into your default browser—Chrome or Firefox. That’s particularly useful for Cortana search results or Windows search bar results that insist on opening in Edge. Here’s how:
- Download EdgeDeflector from GitHub
- Run the installer and follow the prompts
- Go to Settings > Apps > Default apps
- Scroll down to Choose default apps by protocol
- Find the MICROSOFT-EDGE protocol and change its default to EdgeDeflector
Now, search links that normally try to open in Edge will be caught by EdgeDeflector and opened in your default browser. That way, Cortana searches can be sent directly to Chrome or Firefox with Google search results. It’s kind of weird, but it works on many setups. If you’ve been battling with Windows trying to keep you in Edge, this is a good way around it.
Additional tips
- If Search isn’t behaving after setting everything up, a reboot might clear caches or stuck settings.
- Make sure your default search engine inside Chrome or Firefox is set to Google—otherwise, even if the redirect works, results will still be tailored to your default engine.
- Some users report that installing the latest Windows updates helps compatibility with these tweaks.
Overall, the gist is that, because Windows and Cortana don’t want to play nice with defaults outside Edge and Bing, a bit of hacking is sometimes necessary. It’s kind of a pain, but once all the parts are set, searches flow pretty seamlessly. Just gotta be careful with extensions, and expect some trial-and-error with the redirects and protocol changes. But hey, at least there’s a way to get Google and Chrome involved without breaking everything.