Windows 11 users will experience a little less hassle in terms of Microsoft promoting its Edge browser on the operating system in the future, and there are some bigger moves on this front as well (for those in Europe, anyway, let's get 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 discovered, 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 showing the benefits of switching to Edge, which was removed. Also, with the list of default browsers available, Edge would be separated at the top as a “featured app”, and that doesn't happen anymore either.
These are useful moves in terms of presenting browser options more fairly and having slightly fewer Edge-related issues within Windows 11.
Windows Latest notes that this happened with the February Preview Update, the optional version that arrived late last month. This means it should be part of the March cumulative update (of which the February update is a preview), which actually starts rolling out today.
Analysis: A step in the right direction, even if it is small…
We can't make any moves that further level the playing field 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 step towards increasing freedom of choice with Edge – the ability to get rid of Windows 11 completely, simply by clicking an uninstall button (in Settings, under Installed Apps) – is unfortunately only for those in Europe. That capability was introduced for Windows 11 users in the EEA (European Economic Area) with the recent Moment 5 update that has just begun rolling out. (Bing can also be disconnected from the search box in the taskbar for those users, but unfortunately not for everyone else.)
Will these options ever be available outside of Europe? That seems unlikely, but we guess you never say never…
In fact, Edge is becoming more popular lately and could perhaps gain even greater adoption on its own, without the constant promotional attempts that may definitely put off some Windows 11 users. It's a browser that can stand on its own merits. , after all (barring some relatively rare hiccups), and it should work, and people will probably wonder why it can't, if Microsoft insists on flagging it in Windows too often.
