- Microsoft is testing a new banner message in Edge
- Its goal is to prevent people from downloading Google Chrome
- Post highlights Edge’s security features
Microsoft appears to be getting even tougher in its attempts to stop Windows 11 users from downloading Google Chrome, with a new pop-up appearing for some people in Edge, Microsoft’s rival internet browser, trying to convince people to stick with its product by highlighting its security features.
As Windows Report… er… reports, a new banner has appeared for some Windows 11 users who use the Edge browser, installed by default, to access Google’s Chrome download page. The new pop-up suggests that you can “Protect your privacy and security with Microsoft Edge,” then highlights private browsing, password monitoring, and advanced threat defense as reasons why you’d want to stick with Edge.
If you click the “Browse safely now” button, Edge will open a page on Microsoft’s website that gives more details about the browser’s online safety features.
Old game, new rules
This isn’t the first time Microsoft has used tactics like this to try to convince people to stick with Edge. Many people, myself included, who get a new Windows 11 PC will often open Edge for the first and last time simply to download Chrome. Although Edge has the advantage of being pre-installed in Windows 11, it remains a rather unloved web browser, and we recently reported on how it actually works. lost users, with only 10.37% of the web browser market, compared to 73.81% for Chrome.
This is clearly frustrating for Microsoft, which, to be fair, has worked hard to improve Edge, hence the new desire to continue using its web browser. What’s notable about his latest topic is that he focuses on online safety and how sticking with Edge can boost your security.
Now, while I don’t agree with its methods (more on that in a moment), I think it’s a wise move on Microsoft’s part. Previous pop-ups focused more on how Edge compares to Chrome and highlighted the fact that they both use the same Chromium web engine (which powers the browsers). I don’t think there are many regular Windows 11 users who care about web engines, and trying to convince users by explaining how similar your product is to your main competitor’s isn’t a very exciting way to sell something.
Online security is a much bigger concern for many people, so I can see the logic in a change in focus like this – but will it do anything to stem the tide of Windows 11 users abandoning Edge for Chrome? I don’t think so.
The only time I want Microsoft to copy Apple
I’m increasingly frustrated with Microsoft’s attempts to stop me from using Chrome on my Windows 11 laptop. While Chrome is far from perfect and I have my own reservations about Google as a company, there’s a reason why I (and millions of others) want to use Chrome on other web browsers.
So when I load up Edge on a new PC or fresh install of Windows 11 and type “Chrome” into the Bing search engine, it’s not an error, and I don’t appreciate Microsoft putting a big “Everything you need is here” banner that claims “Microsoft Edge runs on the same technology as Chrome, with the added trust of Microsoft” that appears above the page I’m actually looking for.
Aside from the fact that “with added confidence from Microsoft” is nonsense (what does that mean, and how can you quantify that?), it seems hopeless. The fact that another pop-up appears when you finally get to the Chrome download page only deepens that feeling of hopelessness and, ironically, makes me even more determined to install Chrome and never go back to Edge, no matter how good the browser is these days.
The thing is, I do the exact same thing when reviewing a new Mac device. I open Safari, Apple’s default web browser, then go to the Chrome download page and install Google’s web browser. The difference is that Apple doesn’t bother me to stick with Safari – there are no annoying pop-ups or notifications begging me to stay, and changing the default web browser to Safari in macOS is also very simple, unlike Windows 11.
The results are the same – I’m ditching the built-in web browser for Chrome – but I don’t feel exasperated and irritated by Apple, compared to Microsoft’s attempts.
So while I understand Microsoft’s shift to talking about online security, the fact that it’s still going strong and exploiting its advantage by having Edge and its Bing search engine being the default continues to annoy me.
That’s before I even get to the fact that some of the features Microsoft is touting, like InPrivate browsing, password monitoring, and malicious content blocker, are also available in Chrome and other web browsers.
At the moment, this new pop-up appears to be under testing by Microsoft. So you may not see it if you try to download Chrome. However, if he succeeds, be prepared to see him appear more often.
But what happens if, as I suspect, it fails to convince people to stop using Edge just to install Chrome? Rather than treating its users like adults and going Apple’s way, I fear Microsoft will become even more aggressive with its troubles. Let’s hope I’m wrong.
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