Microsoft has announced that it will change its Windows 11 operating system to respect the default browser choice of users in Europe, but not in other regions. This means that if users click a link from the Windows Widgets panel or from search results, they will be directed to their preferred browser instead of Microsoft Edge.
“In the European Economic Area (EEA), Windows system components use the default browser to open links,” reads a change note from a Windows 11 test build released to Dev Channel testers last month. I asked Microsoft to comment on the changes and, in particular, why they’re only being applied to EU countries. Microsoft refused to comment.
The move is a significant shift for Microsoft, which has been aggressively pushing its Edge browser in Windows 10 and Windows 11 with various prompts and pop-ups that appear over rival browsers like Chrome or Firefox. Microsoft has also been ignoring default browser choices in Windows 10 and Windows 11, forcing users to manually change the settings every time they want to use a different browser.
Microsoft’s decision to only make this change in Europe is a curious one, especially as the company has refused to comment on why it’s not applying this globally. Some speculate that the change is related to the ongoing antitrust investigation by the European Commission, which is looking into whether Microsoft is complying with a 2009 ruling that required it to offer users a choice of web browsers.
Microsoft has a long history of antitrust issues in Europe, where it has faced fines totaling more than €2.2 billion ($2.6 billion) over the past decade. The company has also recently announced that it will unbundle Teams from its Microsoft 365 and Office 365 suites in EU markets to avoid antitrust scrutiny.
The change will affect how links from the Windows Widgets panel or from search results are opened, which currently default to Microsoft Edge regardless of user preferences. The Windows Widgets panel is a new feature in Windows 11 that displays personalized news, weather, sports, and other information on the desktop. The search results are powered by Bing, Microsoft’s own search engine.
Microsoft has not specified when the change will take effect, but it is expected to be implemented before the official launch of Windows 11 on October 5. Users in Europe will be able to choose their default browser from a list of options, or install a new one from the Microsoft Store. Users in other regions will have to continue using Edge as their default browser, unless they manually change the settings every time they want to use a different one.
Relevant articles:
– Microsoft to stop forcing Windows 11 users into Edge in EU countries, The Verge, September 5, 2023
– Microsoft bends to Europe on obeying user defaults for links, The Register, August 30, 2023
– Microsoft will no longer force Windows 11 users in EU nations to use Edge browser, Hubsite365, September 6, 2023
– Microsoft changes Windows 11 default browser policy in Europe after antitrust probe, TechCrunch, September 7, 2023