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Microsoft says it has removed two Edge-promoting elements from Windows 10 and 11 worldwide: a dialog shown when people switched their default browser, and Edge’s “Featured app” label in the “Open With” dialog. Other changes announced in 2025—such as a broader default-browser setting and more flexible Windows Search providers—are for the European Economic Area (EEA), not a global Windows change. Those newer features are rolling out gradually, so eligible PCs may receive them at different times.
What Microsoft changed worldwide
Microsoft’s DMA compliance report says Windows no longer displays an Edge promotion when someone chooses a different browser as the default. It also says Windows 10 and 11 no longer show Edge under the “Featured app” heading in the “Open With” dialog. Microsoft says those two removals apply worldwide.
The report lists Windows 10 22H2 build 19045.4123 and Windows 11 23H2 build 22631.3235 as generally available on February 29, 2024, and Windows 11 24H2 build 26100.1742 as generally available on October 1, 2024. Microsoft attributes the dialog changes to Digital Markets Act compliance. These build details identify versions listed in the report; they do not mean every later Windows interface change applies globally. Read Microsoft’s DMA compliance report.
Which newer changes are limited to the EEA?
Microsoft’s June 2025 announcement describes additional Windows and Edge behavior for the European Economic Area. The EEA includes EU member countries as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. Microsoft framed these as changes to meet obligations under the Digital Markets Act; they should not be assumed to appear on PCs outside the EEA.
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More complete default-browser setup
In the EEA, the Settings “Set default” button can assign the selected browser to additional registered link and file types. The flow can also pin that browser to the taskbar, with an option for the user to clear the pinning choice. If the browser registers to handle PDFs, a separate control can make it the default for PDF files.
More choice in Windows Search
Microsoft says registered web-search-provider apps in the EEA are enabled automatically when installed. Users can view results from multiple providers and change their order in Settings.
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How some Microsoft apps open web links
In the EEA, Microsoft says the Bing app and Start Experiences app will open web content in the default browser. Edge’s News & Interests feature is an exception: Microsoft says it will continue to open web content directly in Edge.
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Will Edge still ask to become the default browser?
In the EEA, Microsoft says Edge will not ask to become the default browser unless the user opens Edge directly—for example, by clicking its taskbar icon. The company identified Edge version 137.0.3296.52, released May 29, 2025, as the starting point for this change. That is not the same as eliminating every Edge prompt in every situation or region.
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Why the changes may not appear on your PC yet
Microsoft described the expanded EEA default-browser changes in Windows 11 23H2 and 24H2 preview release notes as gradual rollouts. A gradual rollout means the feature is enabled for users over time, rather than arriving for everyone at once. Microsoft’s notes therefore do not promise that two otherwise eligible PCs will show the same controls on the same day. Check Windows Update and install available updates, then check Settings again later if a feature has not appeared.
Microsoft’s June 2025 announcement also says retail rollout timing differed by change. The worldwide removal of the two Edge-promoting dialogs and the 2025 EEA additions are separate changes, with different geographic scope and availability.
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How to set a different default browser in Windows 11
- Open Settings.
- Select Apps, then Default apps.
- Find and select the browser you want to use.
- Choose Set default, if that button is available. In the EEA, the newer flow can assign additional registered link and file types and may offer taskbar pinning or a separate PDF-default control. The exact options depend on region, rollout, and which types the browser registers to handle.
Microsoft’s cited materials establish the newer Settings behavior for the EEA; they do not establish that every Windows 10 or 11 PC elsewhere has the same expanded flow. Outside the EEA, use the default-app controls available on your installed Windows version.
What the announcement does—and does not—establish
Microsoft’s announcement, compliance report, and release notes document what the company says it changed, but they do not quantify how often people saw the old prompts or measure how much the changes reduced interruptions. The most reliable way to understand the news is to separate the worldwide removal of two Edge promotions from the broader, EEA-specific features that are rolling out over time.
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Sources: Microsoft’s June 2, 2025 Windows Insider announcement, updated July 2025; Microsoft DMA Compliance Report, Windows Section 2 Annex; Windows 11 Build 22631.5545 Release Preview notes; Microsoft Support: June 26, 2025—KB5060829 (OS Build 26100.4484) Preview.
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