Microsoft wants Windows 11 users to go with Edge as their default browser and the company actively is taking even more steps to try to enforce that goal
Microsoft has been adding new ways in Windows 11 to try to get more users to go with its Edge browser. Earlier this year, it changed the way users could set their default browsers, adding a bunch of new steps that required them to switch a number of settings manually in order to switch away from Edge. Last week, the company took another step by locking the Edge-specific protocol that enabled users to redirect programs to other Web browsers. If you want a thorough explanation of what changed regarding the Edge protocol, I’d recommend this post from ghacks.net. In short, Microsoft blocked tools like Edge Deflector and Search Deflector, which were designed to make selecting a browser other than Edge more of a straightforward process.
