Microsoft Edge is the default browser on Windows 10 and 11 machines, and the Redmond, WA tech behemoth desperately wants users to refrain from downloading and switching their default browsers to Google Chrome. So much so, according to Neowin, that Microsoft’s tactics are becoming more aggressive.
When attempting to download Chrome while using the default Microsoft Edge browser, users are greeted with two ad banners.
The first banner is small, like a small reminder that Edge uses the same technology as Chrome, and then it says you get “added trust from Microsoft”. Google does some of the same thing by displaying banners that recommend using Google Chrome, but they’re a little more passive-aggressive about it, attempting to make you feel empowered by using Google.
When you first installed Google Chrome, you simply selected Chrome as your default browser, and that was it; you could go about your business. Microsoft, on the other hand, has added steps that force you to select the instances that Chrome will handle individually.
If you receive an email containing a PDF file and click on it without making Chrome your default browser for this action, the Edge browser will open and reveal the PDF for you rather than simply opening it in Chrome. So you must now go into settings and select which browsers will open PDFs, SVGs, and so on.
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