Microsoft is increasing the difficulty of default browser switching in Windows 11

Microsoft has increased the difficulty of switching the default browser in Windows 11, causing other browser developers to be dissatisfied.

If you haven’t upgraded Windows 11, you may not know that Microsoft has adjusted the default application settings, and the difficulty of the adjusted settings has increased sharply.

Microsoft Edge is a pre-installed browser for Windows 11. If users want to switch browsers, they need to go through a very cumbersome setup process.

Through this cumbersome setup process, Microsoft can force users to use the Microsoft browser, and it is more difficult for competitors such as Firefox and Chrome to acquire users.

After completing the settings and entering Windows 11, the first time you click on the link, the browser selection window will pop up. This is the only opportunity to switch browsers.

Here, if the user chooses a non-Microsoft browser, the corresponding browser will become the default browser, and this default value will not change in most cases.

But if the user chooses the Microsoft browser here, it will be more difficult to download and install other browsers through the Microsoft browser later if you want to set it as the default.

Because the user needs to go to the set application settings to select the browser one by one according to the file suffix and protocol, these settings are extremely unfriendly to non-professional users.

Image: theverge

In the new version, Microsoft deletes all the default application settings of Windows 10, and users cannot directly select other browsers under the browser options.

Now when you want to set the default browser, you need to set it according to the suffix and protocol, that is, you need to manually select the default program for each suffix and protocol.

Including .htm, .html, .pdf, .shtml, .svg, .webp, .xht, .xhtml, FTP, MAILTO and most importantly HTTPS and HTTP protocols.

It is not difficult for professional users to set up browsers for these suffixes and protocols, but it takes some time, but for non-professional users, this is a huge pit.

Especially the HTTP/HTTPS protocol placed in the middle part, after all, most users share links are HTTP/HTTPS, these protocols must be set.

If there are omissions in the settings, Microsoft is the happiest, because when you click the corresponding link, the system still uses Microsoft Edge to load.

If you choose to set Firefox as the default browser in the Firefox browser settings, you will be automatically taken to the Windows 11 settings application after clicking OK.

Here you need to associate different suffixes and protocols one by one according to the steps mentioned above. This is also true for other browsers such as Google Chrome.

But, if you click Set as default in the Microsoft Edge browser, Microsoft will directly reset the default application without the user’s manual operation.

In other words, other browsers must be set as the default by users with cumbersome settings, and Microsoft Edge browsers only need one click to do it. Obviously, Microsoft used a certain method to open the back door for its own browser.

Via: theverge