How to Make Windows 11 Search and Widgets Open to Chrome Instead of Edge
While you may have changed the default search engine on Windows 11 to Chrome or Firefox, other features like Search and Widgets will continue to open in Microsoft Edge by default.
But you can change the Search and Widgets features to open in your default browser. Or maybe you want to use DuckDuckGo or Google for search results instead of Bing. You can do that too.
It’s possible to make Windows 11 Search open to Chrome instead of Edge. You can also set results to open to your search engine of choice. All you need is a handy free utility called MSEdgeRedirect.
Make Windows 11 Search and Widgets Open to Another Browser
The MSEdgeRedirect utility is free and available on GitHub. It allows you to make changes to Search or Widgets that work best for your workflow. In addition to redirecting to another browser, you can, for example, set a default PDF viewer or make search results open to DuckDuckGo in your default browser.
To redirect Search and Widgets, use these steps:
- Download MSEdgeRedirect.exe from its GitHub page.
- Double-click the MSEdgeRedirect.exe file on your Windows 11 PC.
- Note that this app is open source. Accept the software’s license by clicking the I accept the license option and then clicking Next.
- Select the Active Mode option, and the installer will restart and run with Admin privileges. Click Next.
- Select the version of Edge you want to redirect under the Active Mode Options section at the top.
- In the Additional Redirections section, check the options you want to use to make Chrome or Firefox the default for Bing Search and Bing Images and the other features you want to redirect to a different provider.
- To change the default PDF viewer from Edge to another program, select the Custom option from the PDF Viewer dropdown and navigate to the PDF app of your choice.
- When you have completed your selections, click Install.
- Choose the option to create a Start menu shortcut if you want, or donate via PayPal if you find value in the app and click Finish.
Moving forward, the items in the Widgets panel will open in your default browser instead of Edge. Also, results from the Search box on the taskbar will open in your default browser and use the search engine you previously set.
If you want to make changes later, you can. Launch MSER, make changes under the Additional Redirections section, and click the Save or Update button.
It’s important to note that you must use a browser other than Microsoft Edge as your default. If you aren’t, you’ll see the following error screen. So, it’s necessary to change the default browser on Windows 11 before starting with MSEdgeRedirect.
Get More from Apps on Windows 11
If you changed your default browser from Edge to Chrome or something else, you might be annoyed when Widgets and results from the Search box still open in Edge. Luckily, MSEdgeRedirect is a simple free utility that will resolve the issue.
If you are new to Windows 11, there are some things you might be interested in. For example, we’ll show you how to change default apps or disable startup apps and programs for quicker boot times.
If you are an Android owner, check out how to install Android apps on Windows 11 or make phone and PC management easier by connecting your Android phone to Windows 11.
