Microsoft Reverses Course on Windows 11 Default Browser Settings

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Following a spat of questionable choices not long ago by Microsoft pertaining to its Edge browser, Microsoft has last but not least completed a little something we can all concur is the right matter to do: it’s reversing the variations it made to the default browser configurations in Home windows 11 to make the course of action less difficult instead of additional difficult. Picture that.

In a new check make of Windows 11, end users can now transform their default browser, along with all affiliated file extensions, with a one click. The adjust in OS choices was flagged by Rafael Rivera, and spotted by The Verge. Beforehand Microsoft authorized you to change browsers the pretty to start with time you fired up Chrome, Firefox, or some other competitor with a prompt inquiring you if you had been certain you preferred to do what you ended up doing, but if you did not simply click “always use this app” it wouldn’t transform all the many file sorts to your new browser. This demanded you to manually adjust the involved browser for just about every extension, this kind of as .HTML, .HTTP, and many others. Microsoft defended this ridiculous condition by declaring its users needed “granular control” over browser configurations.

The news follows a string of boneheaded moves by the Redmond-based mostly behemoth as it attempts to coerce users both equally towards its Edge browser, and absent from rivals these types of as Google’s dominant Chrome browser. At initial it built switching your default browser from Edge more hard, as observed earlier mentioned, and then not too long ago it commenced throwing pop-ups on the display screen if you searched for Google Chrome in the Edge browser that had been vaguely insulting. Daring to variety “the browser that shall not be named” could final result in a system dialogue box from Edge stating, “That browser is so 2008! Do you know what’s new? Microsoft Edge.”  

As if that was not negative plenty of, the firm also announced options to add a “buy now, pay back later” personal loan alternative to Edge, despite the reality that it seemingly would like people today to get pleasure from utilizing its browser alternatively of becoming repulsed by it. It also seemingly enabled details Sync on Edge over networks without the need of any person input just lately, as we pointed out. It even went so much as to disable application that permitted back links in the start off menu to be redirected to a different browser than Edge.

All that said, there are signals that Microsoft is listening to the responses it is having from its customers. The browser settings changes thorough here are fairly welcome, but because this is a feature that is showing up in an Insider construct, there is no telling when, or even if, it will arrive to the build typical consumers are employing suitable now. Also, Microsoft has been tests enhancements to the two the Windows 11 taskbar and start menu primarily based on client opinions as properly, so not all hope is missing.

Microsoft has declared both Home windows 10 and 11 will only be receiving one big update for every 12 months, so it is achievable these new browser options will be included in that, which is great information. The bad news is there’s no time desk for when that update will get there, but specified the timing it’s not unreasonable to be expecting it someday in 2022.

Now Examine:

• Windows 10 Drops to One particular Once-a-year Element Update Transferring Ahead
• Microsoft Updates Home windows 11 to Overlook Browsers Other than Edge for Specific Back links
• Microsoft Is Testing Enhancements to Home windows 11’s Taskbar and Commence Menu