Microsoft Locks New Edge Picture Themes Behind a Default Browser Switch

Microsoft is testing new picture themes in Edge Canary for Android, giving users another way to customize the browser with image-based backgrounds.

The feature appeared in the latest Canary build and was spotted by Leo Varela, who regularly tracks experimental Microsoft Edge changes.

Edge must be your default browser to use the themes

There is one notable restriction. Users currently need to set Microsoft Edge as their default Android browser before they can use the new picture themes.

That means Microsoft is tying access to a cosmetic customization feature to the user’s default browser choice.

Since Microsoft is only testing the feature in Edge Canary, the requirement could still change or disappear before picture themes reach the stable version of Edge.

Microsoft could use themes to encourage Edge adoption

Edge has a much smaller presence on Android than Chrome, and users generally need to install Microsoft’s browser manually.

Those users may already have more interest in using Edge as their primary browser, but locking picture themes behind the default-browser setting gives Microsoft another incentive to push them toward making the switch.

The picture themes themselves simply give users more background options and another way to personalize how Edge looks on Android.

Microsoft has faced criticism over its Edge push before

This isn’t the first time Microsoft has tied its products and services closely to Edge or Bing.

Microsoft was previously criticized over its strategy for promoting Edge, with critics arguing that the company makes it harder for users to choose competing browsers.

More recently, Microsoft also developed a dedicated app that can change the default search engine to Bing across browsers.

The Edge Canary picture theme restriction could therefore attract similar criticism if Microsoft keeps the default-browser requirement when the feature rolls out more widely.

For now, however, the feature remains experimental, giving Microsoft time to change how it works before a broader release.

Via Windows Central