Windows 11 users will experience just a little less nagging in terms of Microsoft promoting its Edge browser in the OS going forward – and there are some more major moves just coming in on this front, too (for those in Europe, anyway – we’ll come back to that).
As you may have seen, a number of changes are being implemented due to European regulations (the Digital Markets Act), and as Windows Latest spotted, one of them applies globally to all Windows 11 (and Windows 10) users.
Previously, when changing your default web browser to say, Chrome or Firefox, Microsoft had a pop-up pushing the benefits of switching to Edge, which has been dropped. Also, with the list of available default browsers, Edge would be separated out at the top as a ‘Featured app’, and that no longer happens either.
Those are useful moves in terms of more fairly presenting browser options, and having just a little bit less Edge-related hassle within Windows 11.
Windows Latest observes that this happened with the February preview update, the optional release that came at the end of last month. This means it should be part of the March cumulative update (which the February upgrade is a preview of), which actually starts rolling out today.
Analysis: A step in the right direction, albeit a small one…
We can’t knock any move that levels the playing field more when it comes to choosing a browser in Windows 11, although of course, that field should have been level in the first place.
However, the biggest move in increasing freedom of choice with Edge – the ability to get rid of it completely from Windows 11, by simply clicking an uninstall button (in Settings, under Installed Apps) – is for those in Europe only, sadly. That capability was introduced for Windows 11 users in the EEA (European Economic Area) with the recent Moment 5 update which has just begun its rollout. (Bing can be unhooked from the search box in the taskbar, too, for those users – but not everyone else, sadly).
Will such options ever be available outside of Europe? That seems unlikely, but never say never, we guess…
In actual fact, Edge is becoming more popular of late, and could perhaps gain even more adoption under its own steam, without the constant promotional attempts which can be a definite turn-off for some Windows 11 users. It’s a browser that can stand on its own merits, after all (bar the odd relatively rare hiccup), and it should do – with folks likely to wonder why it can’t, if Microsoft insists on flagging it up in Windows too often.
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