Microsoft will finally stop bugging Windows users about Edge — but only in Europe

Microsoft’s changes successful effect to the Digital Markets Act already included allowing Windows machines successful the regions it covers to uninstall Edge and region Bing results from Windows search, but present the database is increasing successful immoderate meaningful ways. New features announced Monday for Microsoft Windows users successful the European Economic Area (the EU positive Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) see the enactment to uninstall the Microsoft Store and debar other nags oregon prompts asking them to acceptable Microsoft Edge arsenic the default browser unless they take to unfastened it.

That past 1 is 1 I’d similar to person readily disposable successful the United States, and according to Microsoft, it’s already unrecorded successful the EEA, starting with Edge mentation 137.0.3296.52 that rolled retired connected May 29th.

Additionally, mounting a antithetic browser, similar Chrome, Firefox, Brave, oregon thing else, volition pin it to the taskbar unless the idiosyncratic chooses not to. While mounting a antithetic browser default already attaches it to a fewer nexus and record types similar https and .html, present users successful the EEA volition spot it use to much types similar “read,” ftp, and .svg. The default browser changes are unrecorded for immoderate users successful the beta transmission and are acceptable to rotation retired wide connected Windows 10 and Windows 11 successful July.

Microsoft besides explained that adjacent aft removing the Store app from Start and Settings, “Apps installed and distributed from the Microsoft Store volition proceed to get updates,” and it tin ever beryllium reinstalled. 

Other changes mentioned see automatically enabling third-party apps to add their web hunt results successful Windows Search upon installation, and the enactment to determination hunt providers astir based connected idiosyncratic preference. With updates rolling retired successful “early June,” the Microsoft Bing app, arsenic good arsenic the Widgets Board and Lock Screen, volition unfastened web contented with the default browser instead.