Microsoft's New Windows Update -- 1 Billion Users Must Now Decide

Here we go again. Microsoft's latest Windows update again seems intent on pushing Chrome users to the very Edge. This latest update opens the company's browser by default whenever a PC starts up. If you decide you don't want this, you need to actively opt-out -- otherwise it's always on. Per Windows Central, "Microsoft wants Edge to automatically open by default every time you turn on a Windows 11 PC. A new update now in testing sets Edge to automatically appear at startup, and you are forced to opt-out if you don't want it." This is the latest chapter in the ongoing chronology of Microsoft's campaign to grow Edge's very modest market share at the expense of Chrome's dominance. Google's browser is essentially the default for Windows users globally. Cue the inevitable backlash. "Microsoft should prioritize user choice instead of testing a feature that pushes Edge onto Windows 11 users regardless of their chosen browser," the Browser Choice Alliance told me. This lobby group comprising Chrome, Opera, Vivaldi and others, "has been calling upon Microsoft to give users full control over their browsing experience." Microsoft's campaigns to promote Edge have included ads and pop-ups during Chrome installs and set-ups, changing the look and feel of Edge and Bing to better compete with Google's alternatives, and marketing messages that push Edge as a more secure option for Windows users, much to Google's annoyance. "By making this a default feature that users must take steps to opt-out of," the Browser Choice Alliance says, "Microsoft has added unnecessary friction to the user journey." The group says it urges Microsoft "to respect the browser preferences of Windows 11 users instead of continuing to steer users toward Edge." This update hasn't yet been generally released, but in beta "some users are reporting that a new banner is appearing at the top of the Edge browser that says the app 'now launches when you sign into Windows, so it's ready when you want to browse. Change this anytime in Settings'," Windows Central reports. The website confirms that in the latest beta, "this banner does appear at the top of the interface, and unless you select the 'No thanks' button, the browser will automatically appear every time you start up your PC. The good news is that you can disable this, but the bad news is it appears to be opt-out rather than opt-in." We don't yet know how this will play post release, and it could be toned down just for users with Edge already set as their default, removing the controversy. But Windows Central found that "the option to set Edge to automatically open doesn't disappear or disable itself if I set Chrome as the default." I have reached out to Microsoft for any comments on the user reports.