Is Microsoft bullying its users into using Edge again?

Microsoft is known to have done numerous rather-sleazy attempts to make users stay, but in a recent discovery on Reddit, Redmond officials seem to have gone too far.

As spotted by this Redditor, who runs Windows 11 with the KB5025305 update from late April 2023, Microsoft slaps a notification on Edge whenever the system detects that another browser has been installed. 

As seen on screenshot in the Turkish language, the notification reads Be safer with Microsoft Edge. Edge helps you stay protected by blocking phishing and malware attacks, followed by two buttons More information and No thanks.

Microsoft was criticized by online communities for appearing to force users into using Edge. One suggestion was to uninstall the pre-installed browser, but there’s a possibility it could reappear with the next monthly cumulative Windows update.

If you want to know how you can uninstall Edge on both Windows 10 and 11, we’ve prepared a set of guides you can try. Or, if you’re in the market for another browser with completely seamless and smooth UI experience and AI-friendly interface, we recommend the new Opera One as we’ve reviewed here.

Microsoft continues pushing Edge as default browser

It’s not entirely new as this issue has also been spotted in older flights, but it’s still not a good look for Microsoft. Its persistent efforts to promote its Edge browser have left many users feeling frustrated and annoyed thanks to its various tactics that some deem as aggressive and intrusive. From notifications to pop-ups, users are bombarded with prompts to switch to Edge, which has sparked criticism from the online community. 

Edge is used to be people’s second favorite browser following Google Chrome’s domination, but things seem to change since the end of April 2023 when its market share slowly falls short behind Apple’s Safari. 

Third-party tool like EdgeDeflector offers workarounds to Microsoft forcing people to use Edge in Start menu search results, even if their default browser is not Edge, but Microsoft sabotaged the project back in 2021 to stop people from leaving. 

Google Chrome used to have an option to let you set it as your default browser, but in the KB5025221 update that shipped in April 2023, Microsoft seems to be blocking this feature. However, as spotted by Edge enthusiast @Leopeva64, Google has been working closely to fix this issue. 

What do you think about this move by Microsoft? Let us know in the comments!