Trying to get Windows Search to spit out Google results in Chrome instead of the usual Edge & Bing isn’t exactly straightforward. Plenty of folks want their default browser to actually handle all those web links from searches — especially if they prefer Chrome’s search experience or extensions. But Windows, being Windows, doesn’t really make this easy out of the box. The guide below covers a few different ways to kinda force Windows to open Chrome for web searches, with varying levels of hassle depending on what’s installed and what you’re comfortable tinkering with.
How to Make Windows Search Use Google Chrome & Google Search
Method 1: Using PowerToys for Universal Search
This is probably the easiest if you’re okay with installing PowerToys. It’s from Microsoft, so it’s legit, and it lets you trigger a search with ALT + Space. The trick here is that it opens up a different search window—sort of a mini launcher—that can be customized to open links in Chrome. It doesn’t natively redirect Bing or Edge to Chrome, but with a little setup, you can make searching in PowerToys launch Google in Chrome.
- Download & install the latest PowerToys.
- Run PowerToys, go to the PowerToys Run module, and enable it.
- Press ALT + Space to open the search box.
Honestly, this setup isn’t perfect — you still get Bing results somewhere, but if you manually open links in Chrome, it’s better than nothing. On some setups, PowerToys can be finicky, and you might need to do additional tweaking with custom scripts or third-party tools to redirect all results to Chrome explicitly.
Method 2: Set Chrome as Default Browser (Basic, but limited)
This is the default approach. If Chrome is your main browser, Windows will generally open links in Chrome—but search results from Windows Search still launch in Edge & Bing. Changing the default browser only helps with manual clicks, not the internal search integration.
- Open Settings > Apps > Default Apps.
- Find Google Chrome, click it, then hit Set default.
- Make sure key protocols like HTTP and HTTPS are assigned to Chrome.
Doesn’t change how Windows Search works behind the scenes, though. Search still defaults to Bing and Edge. It’s kind of lame, but at least clicking links later on opens them in Chrome.
Method 3: Using MSEdgeRedirect for More Control
This is probably the most robust method, but it’s also a little more technical.MSEdgeRedirect is an open-source script/tool that reroutes all those Microsoft Edge defaults—like news, weather, widgets, and search—to your chosen browser.
Here’s what you do:
- Download the latest MSEdgeRedirect setup.
- Run the setup, accept license terms, pick Service Mode.
- Check all redirection options—this pushes everything over to Chrome.
- Finish setup and restart your PC.
Once installed, this should redirect not just Bing searches, but also those pesky Windows news and widgets links, straight into Chrome. It’s kinda weird, but it works — just make sure Chrome is your default browser first. On some machines, you’ll need to restart, then test by searching something in Windows Search and clicking on the web results. If everything’s wired right, Chrome will open up instead of Edge.
Side note: because of course, Windows has to make it way harder than necessary, so these tools aren’t perfect. Sometimes a reboot or manual tweak is needed. Not every method works equally well across all versions of Windows, so expect some trial and error.
Summary
- Download and set up PowerToys for a quick custom search launcher.
- Switch Chrome to default in Settings — but don’t expect Bing results to go there.
- Use MSEdgeRedirect for a more comprehensive redirect of Windows services and features to Chrome.
Wrap-up
Making Windows Search fully respect Chrome isn’t exactly plug-and-play. These options range from semi-easy to kinda involved, and at some point, you’re juggling settings, scripts, or third-party tools. Still, if getting Google results in Chrome saves hours of frustration, it’s worth the effort. Just keep in mind that sometimes a little bit of patience and some manual link opening is the real fix. Fingers crossed this helps — hopefully saves someone a few headaches down the line.