Microsoft‘s changes in response to the Digital Markets Act already included allowing Windows users in affected regions to uninstall Edge and remove Bing results from Windows search, but now the list expands in some significant ways. The new features announced Monday for Microsoft Windows users in the European Economic Area (EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) include the ability to uninstall the Microsoft Store and avoid unnecessary complaints or prompts asking them to set Microsoft Edge as their default browser if they don’t choose to open it.
The latter is a feature I would like to have in the United States, and according to Microsoft, it is already working in the EEA starting with Edge version 137.0.3296.52, which was released on May 29.
Additionally, installing another browser, such as Chrome, Firefox, Brave, or another, pins it to the taskbar unless the user chooses not to. While setting up a different browser by default already binds it to a few types of links and files, such as https and .html, users in the EEA will now see it apply to more types, such as “read,” ftp, and .svg. For some users, the changes to the default browser are already available in beta, with a widespread rollout to Windows 10 and Windows 11 scheduled for July.
Microsoft also explained that even after removing the Store app from Start and Settings, “apps installed and distributed from the Microsoft Store will continue to receive updates” and can always be reinstalled.
Other changes mentioned include the automatic addition of third-party web search results to Windows Search after installation, as well as the ability to change search providers according to user preferences. After the updates are released in early June, the Microsoft Bing app, as well as the Widget Bar and Lock Screen, will open web content using the default browser.
