Microsoft Blocks An App That Blocks Edge

Companies like Microsoft have built various products and services into its Windows operating system. This includes the Edge browser and also its Bing search engine. Earlier this year, they’ve even tried to make users make Bing their default search engine. This seems to have rubbed users the wrong way.

So much so that developer Daniel Aleksandersen created an app called EdgeDeflector that lets Windows 11 users open links using their browser of choice instead of defaulting to Edge, but it seems Microsoft has caught on and in an upcoming Windows 11 update, Microsoft will be blocking the app.

In a statement made to The Verge, a Microsoft spokesperson said, “Windows openly enables applications and services on its platform, including various web browsers. At the same time, Windows also offers certain end-to-end customer experiences in both Windows 10 and Windows 11, the search experience from the taskbar is one such example of an end-to-end experience that is not designed to be redirected. When we become aware of improper redirection, we issue a fix.”

However, it was suggested that the app isn’t necessarily to blame for the blockage. This is because both Firefox and Brave started implementing something similar in their browsers, and with Firefox playing home to 200 million users, it’s probably what caught Microsoft’s attention.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Computers
Tags: edge, Microsoft, Social Hit