In brief: Microsoft’s incessant nagging that you use Edge like some kind of high-pressure car salesman can be intensely annoying. The good news is that these notifications will stop. The bad news is that only users in Europe will be granted this sweet relief.
The Windows Insider Program Team writes that as part of Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to compliance with the Digital Markets Act, several new changes are being introduced to Windows 10 and 11.
Possibly the most notable of these changes is the parts relating to Edge. Windows will no longer hassle users to set Edge as the default browser unless they open it directly. Unfortunately, it only applies to those in the European Economic Area (the EU, along with Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway). The change is now live in the EEA, starting with Edge 137.0.3296.52, which rolled out on May 29.
i OnLy UsE yOu To DoWnLoAd ChRoMe
– Microsoft Edge (@MicrosoftEdge) May 30, 2025
Microsoft has long skirted – many would say surpassed – the boundaries of acceptability with its prompts to make Edge the default browser. The nags, including full-screen ads, can appear even when Edge isn’t in use, some featuring very prominent “Confirm” buttons and less noticeable options to decline.
Microsoft hasn’t been averse to using dirty tactics to push people toward Edge, either. The company initially made it harder to switch from Edge to another browser in Windows 11. There was also the tool that redirected Edge links in Windows 11 that Microsoft blocked. The company even told people attempting to download Chrome from Edge that Google’s browser “is so 2008!“
As for the other DMA-compliant changes that were announced, Windows will now set extra link and file types to open with whatever browser you set as the default, including “read,” ftp, and .svg. Setting the default browser will also pin it to the Taskbar. This update will roll out on Windows 10 and Windows 11 in July.
Users in the EEA will also be able to uninstall the Microsoft Store later this year. Helpfully, any apps installed and distributed from the store will continue to get updates even if the Microsoft Store is uninstalled, keeping them secure and up to date.
Elsewhere, Microsoft is allowing multiple third-party apps to provide web search results in Windows Search. There’s also the option to reorder web search providers in settings based on your personal preference. The Search changes are coming in early June.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(471x244:473x246)/CNN-New-Years-Eve-with-Anderson-Cooper-123124-9952e5f00fc1425f87113ba2bfb97b29.jpg "Anderson Cooper Says He Once ‘Hated’ New Year’s Eve While Co-Hosting CNN Broadcast")
