Microsoft lures users with Rewards to set Edge as default browser

Microsoft has long used prompts, recommendations and other tactics to persuade Windows users to make Edge their default browser. Now, it’s adding another incentive: a new popup promoting Microsoft Rewards.

Microsoft Rewards is the company’s loyalty program that lets users earn points through activities such as Bing searches, Edge browsing and other Microsoft services. The points users can redeem for various rewards, giving Microsoft another way to keep users within its ecosystem.

Edge’s “Earn rewards while you browse” popup

In a recent Edge Stable release, we spotted a new popup asking users to set Edge as their default browser while promoting the browser’s Rewards program.

The dialog opens with a message, “Earn rewards while you browse,” and explains that users can “get rewarded for your everyday browsing with perks you can redeem in ways that matter to you.” Among the highlighted actions is “Set Microsoft Edge as your default browser.” Edge then gives two options: “Confirm” and “Set later.”

Clicking “Confirm” doesn’t immediately change the default browser. Instead, Edge opens the Windows Settings > Apps > Default apps > Microsoft Edge page, where a “Set default” button appears at the top.

At the same time, Edge keeps the Rewards prompt on screen and tells users what to do next: “Click ‘Set default’ in the top-right corner of the Default apps settings.” It also includes a “Try again” button, with Edge telling users to use it if the “Set default” option isn’t detected.

So, this is not just a new prompt to change the default browser. Edge takes users directly to the relevant Windows setting and then walks them through the final step while tying the action to its Rewards program.

This isn’t the first time Microsoft has tried to use incentives to encourage users to stick with Edge. We have spotted similar default-browser promotions in previous Edge releases, so this strategy isn’t new. But this time, Microsoft has connected that familiar request to its Rewards program, offering an incentive alongside the push to change the default browser.

What we can tell is that Microsoft continues to look for new ways to make Edge the default browser for Windows users.