Microsoft Teams is about to bug you for a default mobile browser to handle external links — guess which one it suggests?

Over the past few months, Microsoft has shipped a bunch of new features to Teams, its video conferencing platform, in a bid to enhance its user experience, including the ability to pin the app on top of other windows, ensuring it remains visible while you switch tasks and enhancing multitasking.

Some of the features are also in the pipeline and will be rolled out to users in waves, including the ability to hide the toolbar during meetings. And now, yet another is on its way to the collaboration tool on smartphones.

Teams is about to get a new setting option called Links in Teams, tagged under message ID MC1216263 in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. As the name suggests, the feature will allow users to select their preferred mobile browser when opening non-Office and PDF links in Teams (via Neowin).

This means that users will no longer have to open these files via their OS-level default. Instead, you'll now be able to pick whichever browser you want (well, sort of).

Microsoft has never been one to let an opportunity slip by to present its products and services as the preferred choice. And this case isn't any different. While the new Teams setting option should allow you to use the browser of your choice to open non-Office and PDF links in Teams, Microsoft is seemingly encouraging users to pick Edge, touting Single Sign-On and security features as the main incentives.

The feature is expected to start rolling out to users later this month. Once available, you'll need to select your preferred browser for opening PDF links, which will be presented to you as a pop-up with Microsoft Edge as the first choice, even if it's not installed on your device or your default browser.

"Microsoft also said that it is tracking user satisfaction, Microsoft Edge installation rates, and retention," Neowin noted. Perhaps more interestingly, Microsoft doesn't list other third-party browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, or even Opera.

When you click on the Microsoft Edge option, and you don't have it installed on your device, you'll get a second prompt, which will direct you to the app store to download the browser.

However, it's worth noting that you can select the default browser and go through the process to use your preferred browser for opening PDF links and others.

Over to you

Teams’ new browser selector promotes Edge as default. Is this a fair move or browser push? Let me know in the comments.

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