Microsoft Restricts Cortana to Edge and Bing, Ousting Chrome and Firefox

In a decisive move, Microsoft has locked out Bing and Firefox from Cortana’s smart searches. Ryan Gavin, the General Manager of Search and Cortana, announced the news in a recent blog post. Cortana, Microsoft’s intelligent personal assistant available on Windows 10, was previously compatible with various browsers, including Chrome and Firefox. However, with this change of strategy, it can now only be accessed through Microsoft’s own Edge browser.

What Does This Change Mean?

In layman’s terms, Microsoft has made it impossible to alter the default settings for Cortana. Whether you want to or not, you will now be obligated to use Bing each time you initiate a search from Cortana. Formerly, users could adjust settings to use their preferred search engine and browser, but those days are now behind us.

The Rationale Behind Microsoft’s Move

Microsoft has voiced two key reasons for imposing this restriction: reliability and predictability. According to Microsoft, the efficiency of Cortana is compromised when used with other browsers. Cortana was designed to assist users with tasks whenever prompted. With Bing and Edge serving as exclusive platforms, Cortana is expected to boost its performance, as highlighted by a few examples provided by Microsoft:

• If you perform a search query for ‘Pizza Hut’ in the Cortana box, Cortana can display your nearest Pizza Hut locations in Edge.

• If you search ‘Bluetooth not working’ in Cortana, Bing offers a comprehensive step-by-step video guide as part of your search results.

• If you’re shopping for a new black dress on Edge, Cortana can provide additional details if you initiate an image search in Bing.

• Searching for ‘Best Buy’ in Cortana will present top search results from Bing. Cortana will offer coupons to save you money once you click through to bestbuy.com.

Microsoft assures that these transitions are seamless with Bing and Edge. In fact, for the full suite of features to work effectively, Cortana needs to operate through Bing and Edge. As Microsoft and other tech giants shift more of their focus onto Artificial Intelligence (AI), a more controlled environment becomes increasingly crucial from both a technological and business perspective.

A Strategic Business Move?

Microsoft’s move could also be seen as a strategic play for market share. Currently, Microsoft’s browsers still lag behind prime competitors, notably Chrome and Firefox. With an impressive target of a billion Windows 10 devices within the next two years, there’s an enormous business advantage in tightly controlling the accompanying services. While Bing has a considerable catch-up game to play with the likes of Google Search, moves like this could catapult it into the race.

On a positive note, it’s not all gloomy news for other browsers operating on Windows 10. Microsoft will still allow users to continue using their chosen browsers, and even set these as the default. The newly imposed restrictions apply exclusively to Cortana searches.

This article was updated in 2025 to reflect modern realities.