Microsoft is too pushy with its Edge browser, according to a recent survey shared by the Browser Choice Alliance. Polling 2,000 adults in the United States provided some insight regarding how easy it is to switch browsers on Windows 11 and if the operating system respects user choice.
Microsoft has been criticized for years for pushing Edge. Windows 11 introduced settings that make changing the default browser more complicated, such as a person electing to change their default only affected certain file types. The situation has improved a bit over the years, but it's still surprisingly difficult to just tell Windows 11 to never use Edge.
It's important to note that the Browser Choice Alliance includes several members that compete directly with Microsoft Edge. Chrome, Vivaldi, and Opera are all part of the alliance. That does not discount the experience of the people surveyed, but it provides some context.
Many members of the Browser Choice Alliance would benefit from more freedom about browser choice and simpler default settings. I would argue that those would also be good things for everyday users as well.
With that in mind, here are some of the highlights of what the Browser Choice Alliance found through its survey:
- 86 percent of those surveyed believe they should have primary control over their default browser and 80 percent want "one-click browser default."
- 26 percent of participants have Edge as their default browser compared to only 19 percent who say they would choose Edge as their default browser.
- 72 percent of participants who tried to change their default browser within the last two years ran into challenges, such as Edge being recommended and applications or links opening in Edge despite that browser not being set as default.
- 29 percent of those surveyed claim Windows system updates "contributed to their browser preference being changed or reset."
- Older adults often struggle with setting their default browser.
- 44 percent of those surveyed ages 65 or older claimed changing their default browser was complex. Only 15 percent of people ages 18 to 44 said the same.
- 61 percent of participants 65 or older said they were not confident setting their default browser.
The survey results are not surprising, except perhaps that 14 percent of participants do not think they should be able to pick their default browser.
Microsoft is so eager to push people to use its Edge browser that when forced to give users more choices by the EU, Microsoft only shipped those changes within the EU. The company could have used that as an opportunity to just give people greater control over their PCs, but it didn't.
The fact that MSEdgeRedirect and EdgeDeflector ever existed is a stain on Microsoft's reputation. Those tools, which forced links to open with your default browser either don't work or are limited now.
Microsoft claimed having widgets or other system components open in Edge regardless of if Edge is the default helps ensure the best end-to-end experience. Many, including myself, question the validity of that claim.
With Microsoft following in the footsteps of Google by discontinuing support for MV2 extensions, uBlock Origin will no longer work in Edge. That extension is a must-have for some users, so they may be on the lookout for a new browser. But based on the recent survey performed by the Browser Choice Alliance, changing to a different default browser may be more challenging than it should be.
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