windows: Microsoft has made it tougher to use Chrome or other browsers in Windows 11, here’s how – Rashtra News
Microsoft seems to have made up its mind that it wants users to use its Edge web browser on Windows 11. The company made a slew of changes to this effect on the latest version of its operating system. With the launch of Windows 11, Microsoft changed the way users assign default apps. On the new operating system, users have to set default apps according to the type of file or link type instead of a single switch. This means that for changing the default browser, users have to change the default file type for FTP, HTTPS, HTTP, HTML, HTM, PDF, SHTML, SVG, WEBP, XHT and XHTML.
Taking this forward, the tech giant has now started to block third-party apps like EdgeDeflector. Whenever users search anything through the search box in the Start menu, Microsoft takes them to Edge browser and Bing search engine. For those unaware, apps like EdgeDeflector help users to avoid these curbs and see the search results in their preferred browser. The block appeared in the preview build of the OS last week and now the company has now confirmed that the change will be rolled out to all Windows 11 users in coming updates.
As per Microsoft, the move was necessary to support its end-to-end encryption features on the OS. “Windows also offers certain end-to-end customer experiences in both Windows 10 and Windows 11, the search experience from the taskbar is one such example of an end-to-end experience that is not designed to be redirected. When we become aware of improper redirection, we issue a fix.” said a Microsoft spokesperson in a statement to The Verge.
The developer of the EdgeDeflector app, Daniel Aleksandersen, blasted the company’s move to suddenly block the app. “These aren’t the actions of an attentive company that cares about its product anymore. Microsoft isn’t a good steward of the Windows operating system. They’re prioritizing ads, bundleware, and service subscriptions over their users’ productivity,” Aleksandersen wrote in his blog.
He further revealed that the app likely got Microsoft’s attention when Firefox and Brave web browser either copied his app’s functionality or signaled it was on the roadmap. “The 0.5 million EdgeDeflector users were probably never more than a nuisance to Microsoft. However, last month both the Brave and Firefox web browsers either copied EdgeDeflector’s functionality or signaled it was on the roadmap. Firefox may be bleeding users by the millions, but the more-ethical browser still has almost 200 million users. That news probably did make Microsoft sit up and pay attention.” he added in his blog.
( News Source :Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Rashtra News staff and is published from a timesofindia.indiatimes.com feed.)
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