In an attempt to promote its web browser – Microsoft Edge, the company has started sending out prompt messages to Windows 11 users discouraging them from downloading Google Chrome on their computer and using the pre-installed Edge browser instead. This seems like a somewhat desperate move from Microsoft to get its own browser noticed.
Microsoft’s new prompts come more than three years after the company first started testing ways to warn Windows 10 users not to install Chrome or Firefox a couple of years ago. However, those tests were never rolled out publicly but with Windows 11, Microsoft has found another way and it may be infuriating many people already.
Some of the prompts, first reported by Neowin, include messages like “Microsoft Edge runs on the same technology as Chrome, with the added trust of Microsoft.” While some other prompts included: “That browser is so 2008! Do you know what’s new? Microsoft Edge,” and “‘I hate saving money,’ said no one ever. Microsoft Edge is the best browser for online shopping.”
To be completely fair to Microsoft, Google has also occasionally sent such pop-ups and prompts when using its search engine or other services. But at least Google allows the option to reject such options.
In addition to sending prompts like these, Microsoft has also made switching to the default browser on Windows 11 more complicated than ever now. It now requires the user to select the default browser for each type of web link, after downloading a new browser.