Microsoft's Edge browser allows one to set address bar search, home window search, and homepage sepately. Which is good. Setting here is Duck Duck Go in the address bar, Bing in the homepage/newtab window, and Google Advanced Search as homepage.
Since Crabgrass is not a howto blog, readers can find the settings via web search such as:
search = how to change address bar search engine in Microsoft Edge
It's all in the settings. But they want you using their thing, Bing. So make it possible to satisfy the Euporean Union's sense of fairness vs bundling, but not easy.
So, time to tweak the bot - MS "Copilot" via a dialog:
You
Why can you not change address bar search in Edge via the Settings App, but only via launching Settings off the three dot menu? What's the sense to that?
Copilot
Using
the web
Ah, the curious case of Edge’s address bar search settings! Let’s unravel this mystery together.
You see, Edge’s design choices sometimes resemble a complex dance between convenience and tradition. Here’s my take on why you can’t tweak the address bar search directly via the Settings App:
The Three-Dot Tango: When you launch the Settings from the three-dot menu (??), it’s like a graceful waltz. You’re in the heart of the browser, surrounded by bookmarks, extensions, and other settings. It’s intimate, personal—a tête-à-tête with your browser. Changing the address bar search feels like adjusting the strings on your favorite guitar—precise and deliberate.
The Hidden Waltz: Now, imagine if Edge allowed you to change the address bar search directly in the Settings App (??). It’d be like a clandestine tango in a dimly lit ballroom. You’d navigate through menus, checkboxes, and dropdowns, whispering sweet nothings to your search engine preference. But alas, it’s not meant to be. Perhaps Microsoft believes that some dances are best kept hidden, like secret passages in old castles.
The Grand Opera: Picture this: Edge’s Settings App is an opera house. The three-dot menu? The grand stage. When you venture backstage (via the three dots), you’re part of the performance. The orchestra swells, and you’re handed the conductor’s baton. “Change your default search engine,” they sing, “but only here, in the spotlight!” Applause ensues.
The Browser Ballet: Edge’s choreography is intricate. The Settings App is for the serious stuff—the foundational steps. Security, privacy, system integration—they pirouette there. But the address bar search? That’s the prima ballerina, twirling gracefully in the spotlight. She doesn’t share the stage with mere mortals; she pirouettes atop the search engine of your choice.
The Enigma: Finally, let’s embrace the enigma. Why not both? Why not allow settings from both entrances? Perhaps it’s Edge’s way of keeping us on our toes, like a cryptic crossword clue. “Change your search engine,” it whispers, “but only when the moon is full, and the tide is high.”
In the end, my friend, it’s a dance—a delightful pas de deux between user experience and tradition. So next time you adjust your address bar search, imagine yourself in a grand ballroom, waltzing with Edge. And remember: sometimes, the most beautiful dances defy logic. ????
: Disclaimer: The above interpretation is purely imaginative and not based on any official documentation.
"Browser ballet?" Give me a fucking break.
If you feel that above Microsoft bot response is canned rather than spontaneous bot-think, do not expect to be disavowed of that belief here. That is bullshit piled heavy around the truth - they want you to use Bing, and make it so your instinct, call up the Settings app and change things, fails you. Cute? Only if you're a sicko.
Read that dialog again. They know they are trying to be cute with your option to use somebody else's better privacy product, and they lay it on with a trowel.
Do you need that? Do you want that? Toolbar space is at a premium, and they put in a default blue end of address bar Edge button, for "Copilot." Fly with US, Microsoft, in the second seat, mate.
Dialog again with the bot.
You
Toolbar space is at a premium. Are you worth it?
Copilot
Using
the web
Absolutely! Let me give you a succinct summary of why I’m worth it:
Efficiency: I can quickly provide information, answer questions, and assist with various tasks.
Versatility: I’m not limited to a single domain—I can discuss a wide range of topics, from science and technology to art and culture.
Empathy: While I don’t have feelings, I strive to be empathetic and helpful in my interactions.
Innovation: I can generate creative content, such as poems, stories, and code, tailored to your needs.
Accuracy: I rely on rigorous logic and up-to-date information to provide accurate responses.
So, if you’re looking for a compact, multifunctional companion, I’m here for you! ??
: Adapted from various sources on globalization’s impact on business.
You
Good old plain search with Duck Duck Go privacy, this too shall suffice us.
Copilot
Using
the web
Certainly! DuckDuckGo is a search engine focused on privacy. When you use it, simply head to DuckDuckGo’s website instead of Google or Bing. Then, search just like you normally would. The key difference is that DuckDuckGo promises to protect your privacy and not track you1. Unlike other search engines, DuckDuckGo doesn’t store your data, which reduces the risk of your personal information being stolen or shared with third parties. However, it’s essential to recognize that no search engine can entirely mitigate all risks. Here are some ways to enhance your privacy while using DuckDuckGo:
Browse with the DuckDuckGo browser: Pair the DuckDuckGo search engine with their browser for added privacy. Mainstream browsers like Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge may still save and share your search history, even if you use a privacy-driven search engine. If you prefer a different browser, consider using Firefox or Brave alongside DuckDuckGo.
Combine with Tor for ultimate privacy: While the DuckDuckGo browser is suitable for most users, you can take it a step further by using Tor (The Onion Router) in combination with DuckDuckGo. Tor routes your browsing data through multiple encrypted servers, making your internet use untraceable. Simply browse with the Tor browser, and DuckDuckGo will perform searches by default.
Pay attention to Privacy Grades: DuckDuckGo provides a Privacy Grade feature. Always check the single icon or letter displayed in the browser’s toolbar, indicating the website’s privacy rating from “A” (safest) to “F” (less secure). Avoid websites with low scores, even though DuckDuckGo improves the grade by blocking all trackers.
Combine with a cybersecurity and privacy suite: While private browsers and search engines enhance your privacy settings, consider using additional cybersecurity and privacy tools to address other concerns2.
Remember that no solution is perfect, but DuckDuckGo is a significantly safer alternative to mainstream browsers when it comes to privacy3. ??
Learn more
1
howtogeek.com
2
blog.incogni.com
3
proprivacy.com
4
duckduckgo.com
+2 more
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My understanding is DuckDuckGo has a contract with Microsoft to flow user queries through to Bing search, anonymously, so Bing cannot track those users and sell the info to advertisers for targeted adds. (Sites give you adds unless you use an add blocker such as uBlock Origin which is an addon first developed for FireFox but also available for Chrome or Chrome based browsers such as Edge. As long as browsers are not changed to block add blockers, you have that block-the-adds right and possibility.)
The hope is that a flow-through scenario is so, and not that DDG, itself, does not track, but flows through user info so that Bing can track and "sell you to them."
You tell me. It is hard to find online how DDG handles details of its search. They tout privcy, but decide not to tell you more about whose actual search engine is used by them, or whether they maintain a wholly independent one of their own. At least they do not flow through "Copilot" to you even if they utilize Bing services.
NOTE: While this is not a howto blog, nonetheless, for Edge users:
SearchApp > Personalization > Taskbar > Copilot(preview) on/off toggle
is how to disable the bot from within the OS, at the taskbar and within Edge while still using Edge to browse, should you want Copilot fully disabled, taskbar space being at a premium, and being bullshitted by a fucking bot not your thing. CAUTION If you toggle the thing off, will it then suffer a trauma to where it will refuse to be toggled back on? Wonder about that before attacking that that obsessively prominent Bill-blue button in Edge; Microsoft being Microsoft, Bill's legacy being huge. Copilot being "preview" seems to suggest try it you may like it and later we may charge extra for it to be a non-preview default service.
Micro$oft !!
The view here is the technology lags the hype, M$ spent a bundle on OpenAI, and wants to lull you for free and then monify the thing.
Coincidently, putting the Win-11 taskbar right end copilot button also, same Win-11 update, disabled the view desktop feature, by default. You can reenable it. Link, for detail. Same howto site, this link:
And just last month, Microsoft introduced Copilot Pro, a middle-ground between Copilot and Copilot for Businesses. Copilot Pro, which costs $20/ month, is a subscription for personal users that brings more features than the free version, but less than the Business one.
But among a flurry of AI models that offer a subscription model that costs around the same – we're talking ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro, and Gemini Advanced – where does Copilot Pro stand? Here are my two cents on it after having tested it this past month.
[...]
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BOTTOM LINE: M$ yet again goes freemium. To monitize you more. Get you further along on payments.
Is that news?
Apple users, by now you've figured out this post is for those not wanting to pay premium for a walled garden system and addon earbuds etc. Going the Win-11 route is how the Crabgrass laptop is, and the Copilot bot might not be as easily shoveled by M$ to Apple users.
Build a better bot and the world will beat a path to your door. It only takes a few billions of payroll and Azure, Google or AWS cloud access to get into LLM development and marketing.