Did you think you were done with Edge? No! To popularize its browser, Microsoft wants to impose its use, which has taken over from Internet Explorer. And this, overriding the user’s preferences. Installing Chrome or Firefox will not change anything.
The American group has begun to inform IT administrators that Microsoft Edge will be the only solution to open a link from Outlook or Teams, explains the specialized site The Verge. The company does not contemplate the possibility of changing the default browser.
A browser rejected in 2018 and 2020
In its plans, Microsoft expects the links to appear next to Outlook or Teams. Therefore, the browser or application that contained the clicked link will be placed next to each other on the same screen. On the other hand, this display device will only apply to Microsoft and Azure Active Directory accounts, specifies a screenshot sent through the Reddit platform.
To justify this choice to force the use of Edge, Microsoft highlights the reduction of switching between windows “to help stay focused,” specifies Katy Asher, director of communication for the group with The Verge.
In 2018, a similar decision was overturned for the Windows 10 Mail app. Testers then overwhelmingly rejected the idea of forcing Edge. More recently, in 2020, Microsoft tried to make the Bing search engine the default within the Chrome browser. Once again, the answer was no.
However, the company already requires its users to go through Edge in a specific case: widgets. As soon as a link is opened within these app extensions, the Edge browser is automatically requested. Again, it doesn’t matter what preferences are set.
Source: BFM TV
