Windows desktop search in build 25120 forces you to use Microsoft Edge

We should probably be used to the concept by now, but it is still worth highlighting each time Microsoft forces users to utilize Edge instead of allowing people to use a browser of their choice. Windows Search is the most obvious offender in this regard. And this trend continues, perhaps unsurprisingly, with the new desktop search bar that Microsoft has introduced in its latest Windows 11 Dev Channel build.

Build 25120 rolled out to the Windows 11 Dev Channel a few hours ago and its highlight is a new search experience that pins a search bar to the center of your desktop. While we're not against the idea of having easier way to browse the web, the usual problem is that this component does not respect your default browser preferences.

This "issue" was highlighted by Rafael Rivera on Twitter:

As can be seen in the screenshot above, even though the default browser is set to Google Chrome, the desktop search UI in Windows 11 forcefully opens Edge.

This kind of practice is not new from Microsoft. Although the company has finally made it slightly easier to switch the default browser in Windows 11, it still does not respect your browser preferences in many Windows components.

It is important to note that Dev Channel features may not end up making their way to a generally available version of Windows at all. That said, if you do like the idea of a new way to browse the web but do not appreciate Microsoft forcing you to use Edge, now might be a good idea to raise this issue in the Feedback Hub.