American multinational technology company Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 11 version will make switching default browsers even more difficult, as well as ignoring browser defaults in new areas of the operating system.
While Microsoft has made several excellent changes to the Windows 11 user interface (UI), the default applications experience has taken a step back, and browser competitors such as Mozilla, Opera, and Vivaldi are concerned.
Microsoft has altered the way you set default apps in Windows 11. When you install a new browser and view a web link for the first time, a prompt appears, similar to Windows 10. However, it is the only way to switch browsers quickly.
Unless you tick “always use this app,” the default will never be changed. It’s incredibly easy to forget to toggle the “always use this app” option, and simply launch the browser you want from this prompt and never see this default choice again when you click web links.
By going to Settings > Apps > Default apps in Windows 10, you can switch between different default apps at any moment. It’s something you’ll get in Windows 11, but with a cumbersome process as Microsoft has enabled users on its new operating system to assign a new default app based on file type.
So, if you want to change your default browser on Windows 11 to something else, you’ll have to choose it from the ‘Default applications’ list and then select it for each file or link type individually.
The procedure is even more strenuous when it comes to browsers, as Microsoft will ask you to try Edge when you choose a new browser as your default option, such as Chrome or Firefox.
According to Microsoft “with Windows 11, we are implementing customer feedback to customize and control defaults at a more granular level, eliminating app categories and elevating all apps to the forefront of the defaults experience.”
Windows 11 is currently being tested and is available to developers and enthusiasts as a preview. Regardless, Microsoft plans to offer the next operating system to the general public in October.
