Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella demonstrates Cortana, as he delivers a keynote address during the 2014 Microsoft Build developer conference on April 2, 2014 in San Francisco, California. (Photo : Getty Images/Justin Sullivan)
Microsoft changed the way it will handle Cortana searches, and there is no way to avoid it. Before such change, Cortana Web searches used arbitrary search engine and browser.
Both Firefox and Google could avoid the restriction, typically to use Google as Cortana's search engine and not Bing. If Firefox is the default Web browser, its currently active search engine would give answers to Cortana Web searches. Similarly, the Chrome search engine could also be employed by using the Bing2google Chrome extension, InfoWorld reported.
Now, a Web search with Cortana will direct to the Edge browser which will use the Bing search engine. The change of Cortana search restricted to the Edge browser and Bing was made on the back end of Microsoft cloud. Starting April 28, "Hey, Cortana" will invoke Bing, whether the user likes it or not.
Restricting the Cortana search to Edge and Bing is for the benefit of the users. "Some software programs circumvent the design of Windows 10 and redirect you to search providers that were not designed to work with Cortana," Microsoft's General Manager of Search and Cortana said via a post on Windows blog. "The result is a compromised experience that is less reliable and predictable." Gavin added that to deliver the personalized search experience, Microsoft integrated Cortana, Edge and Bing.
Microsoft has Cortana powered by Bing and it designed the digital assistant to work with Edge. The integration of the latter with Edge and Bing makes it possible for Windows 10 to anticipate the user's needs, help him complete tasks and save resources.
For instance, searching for "Pizza Hut" in the Cortana box will direct the user to the Pizza Hut site on Edge and the digital assistant will show the closest locations. When "Bluetooth not working" is searched, Bing will respond with a rich video as an answer.
When looking for a black dress, the user can do an image search on Bing then right click a dress for Cortana to give more information. Typing "Best Buy" in the Cortana box, will give the store's website as the top Web search result and Cortana will show coupons to save money.
The following video clip features the integration of Cortana, Edge and Bing.
