Microsoft’s new Windows prompts try to stop people downloading Chrome

[Lightwreather]

Summary

New prompts in Edge steer people away from Chrome

 

Quotes

Quote

Windows 10 and Windows 11 have both started displaying new prompts when people navigate to the Chrome download page, in an effort to discourage people from installing Google’s rival browser.

These new prompts, spotted by Neowin, include messages like:

•    “Microsoft Edge runs on the same technology as Chrome, with the added trust of Microsoft.”
•     “That browser is so 2008! Do you know what’s new? Microsoft Edge.”
•     “‘I hate saving money,’ said no one ever. Microsoft Edge is the best browser for online shopping.”

We’ve been able to confirm at least one prompt on a Windows 11 PC, and it appears these new prompts are also appearing for some Windows 10 users, too. These aren’t pop-ups or prompts you’d typically find inside a website, either. They’re rendered natively by Edge, and other websites aren’t able to display similar prompts.

 

My thoughts

So, Microsoft is now doing what Google sort of does. Okay. This will likely help boost Edge adoption ...... for the few people who don't click the "X" and download Chrome anyway. Now, I do use Edge (when I'm on windows or need a quick Chromium Browser for certain edge cases that Firefox can't be used for) but this might actually have the exact opposite of the intended Effect, drive away people form Edge. Welp, Microsoft's gonna do what they're gonna do, best hope that they won't ruin Edge or it's reputation (which is probably gonna be a big feat seeing as it's rep is sort of in tatters now).

Lawsuit incoming in 3....

                                 2....

                                 1....

Sources

TheVerge

Neowin

[Npiet1]

They've done this before. It's not new, it went away a bit after edge got released if I can remember properly.

[Kilrah]

Yup, got it.

 

 

And before it searching for Chrome on Edge/Bing gives you a "you don't need to download another browser" "promoted ad"...

 

[jaslion]

1 minute ago, Kilrah said:

Yup, got it.

 

 

And before it searching for Chrome on Edge/Bing gives you a "you don't need to download another browser" "promoted ad"...

 

Or the are you sure you want to switch your default browser from edge to anything else prompt from 10 that is now even more annoying in 11.

[Stahlmann]

I don't see this changing anything. People that want to use chrome will download it either way.

 

In any case, new Edge is better than Chrome anyway so i personally don't really see the point of installing chrome other than people thinking their data is in better hands with Google than with Microsoft. Also worth to mention that there are a lot of privacy features in Edge so there's less data harvesting than with Chrome.

[Kilrah]

8 minutes ago, jaslion said:

Or the are you sure you want to switch your default browser from edge to anything else prompt from 10 that is now even more annoying in 11.

Browser is not the only place, in 11 I also had to get rid of the "Photos" and the "Movies and TV" apps since as long as they're installed the popular extensions (jpg, mp4, gif,avi...) get entirely removed from the place where you can select a default app, so you simply can't select something else. And on one of them, don't remember which that required the command line since "Uninstall" is disabled for it...

 

4 minutes ago, Stahlmann said:

I don't see this changing anything. People that want to use chrome will download it either way.

It'll probably work for average people who only downloaded Chrome based on some random recommendation from someone (or Google's ads for it).

 

4 minutes ago, Stahlmann said:

In any case, new Edge is better than Chrome anyway so i personally don't really see the point of installing chrome other than people thinking their data is in better hands with Google than with Microsoft.

In my case, everything being set up and history being in Chrome and not having to redo / migrate it...  And I need chrome anyway since some stuff I use are Chrome Apps which AFAIK aren't supported in Edge.

[Stahlmann]

1 minute ago, Kilrah said:

In my case, everything being set up and history being in Chrome and not having to redo / migrate it...  And I need chrome anyway since some stuff I use are Chrome Apps which AFAIK aren't supported in Edge.

You mean chrome extentions? Afaik Edge has the same level of compatibility as Chrome has in this regard. So far every extention i used on Chrome works fully on Edge. Migration was a 2 minute process in my case. But it was pretty much just my favourites, as i don't save any passwords, form data, history, cookies or adress in my browser.

[Stahlmann]

1 minute ago, Dean0919 said:

Edge sucks. Chrome might be older, but it gets updated regulary and I personally prefer Chrome over Edge for various reasons.

Did you even try Edge since it has been reworked using Chromium as a base? It's really good nowadays. And it also gets frequent updates (last one was just 3 days ago for me).

[Skiiwee29]

Sniff... Sniff.. Sniff..

 

 

Sniffs again...

 

Yep..

 

I smell an Antitrust likely coming very soon over some of the aggressive pushes in Windows 11. 

[Kilrah]

1 minute ago, Stahlmann said:

You mean chrome extentions?

Nono, Chrome Apps, extensions are fine. Chrome Apps are on the way out though so might not be a problem anymore soon, but some stuff I use hasn't transitioned away yet.

[Stahlmann]

5 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

Nono, Chrome Apps, extensions are fine. Chrome Apps are on the way out though so might not be a problem anymore soon, but some stuff I use hasn't transitioned away yet.

Never heard about Chrome Apps tbh so i can't say for sure.

[Stahlmann]

3 minutes ago, Dean0919 said:

Yes I tried it and it's still not as good as Chrome and even if was better, I would still not use it simply because of Microsoft's aggressive agenda to force me to use their products. Anyway, main reason why I didn't like Edge is the non-productive design, specifically because of this. There are other minor various things why I prefer Chrome...

So it seemsto be somewhat because you just don't want to support Microsoft. That's your call. I'm not gonna judge you on that.

 

The issue you have shown on the screenshot seems like a very niche problem, but if it hinders your workflow i understand your point. I never had so many bookmarks/favourites that i needed to make folders for them.

[porina]

Win10 was a step in the wrong direction for user software choice and freedom, and Edge is only part of the problem. My biggest problem with Edge was never the browser technology, but that it is (obviously) MS service integrated. If you use Edge, you get all the MS stuff. Do the same with Chrome, you get the Google stuff. I've bought into the Google software service ecosystem and most MS equivalents are a feeble imitation in that space. 

[mr moose]

Only two things to say:

 

1. they been doin' this forever already

 

2. I tend to think of it as a community service,  Chrome is cancer.

[HanZie82]

Edge is still shite, they just want their Internet Explorer glory days back.

But they never will, never ever again!!!

 

And yeah like said above/before me if Linux had better option (in my case) for gaming i'd be there.

I blame game developers, and the vile-ness of them launchers. Forcing us to stay with an inferior operating system.

[Lightwreather]

32 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

It'll probably work for average people who only downloaded Chrome based on some random recommendation from someone (or Google's ads for it).

Am I the only one smelling an infinite loop here?

/s

[Commodus]

I have to admit, there's a certain amount of schadenfreude to watching Microsoft pay for its bad browser reputation like this — people still think of Microsoft's browsers as the ones you use to download the browser you actually want. It's a bit unfortunate, though, as Edge is just fine if you're alright with using a Microsoft account to sync info.

[WhitetailAni]

[RejZoR]

The more Microsoft this, the more I hate Edge. From stupid nag when changing browser to blocking protocols and file types to this dumb shit. Microsoft, instead of your product speaking for itself, you're using such dumb tactics that will just make everyone hate Edge. I had neutral opinion about it and even kinda liked Edge on iOS. Now I hate it so much I yet again only use it to download Firefox and then not touch it ever again. And I make sure I don't touch it AT ALL. Stop being assholes, my god.

[Sauron]

3 hours ago, J-from-Nucleon said:

•    “Microsoft Edge runs on the same technology as Chrome, with the added trust of Microsoft.”
•     “That browser is so 2008! Do you know what’s new? Microsoft Edge.”
•     “‘I hate saving money,’ said no one ever. Microsoft Edge is the best browser for online shopping."

This has to be an antitrust violation...

 

there's also something wonderfully ironic to admitting that you run on the same technology as the browser you're disparaging.

[steelo]

I use Brave and have noticed with Windows 11, I cannot pin it to the taskbar. This may sound like a minor complaint, but it's pretty annoying. I'm sure there is a workaround if I were smarter and put in time to research it...LOL

[WolframaticAlpha]

This is the face of cringe.

[da na]

Wow, wouldn't it be a shame if they were to be hit with an antitrust lawsuit for trying to create a monopoly over web browsers? Such a shame huh?

[da na]

20 minutes ago, WolframaticAlpha said:

This is the face of cringe.

"CoRE tEcHnOlOgY oF cHrOmE wItH mIcRoSoFt SeCuRiTy"

AKA 2 companies instead of just 1 are collecting and selling your data

[Doobeedoo]

I mean Edge is literally better though.