Microsoft is trying to pull all the stops in the hopes of trying to convince everyone to remain with Edge.
This is after it added a "warning" when users try to install Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox in Windows 10. The prompt will be live in the next Windows 10 update, which is scheduled next month.
It also drew a comparison to the Internet Explorer bundling that put Microsoft in a world of trouble nearly two decades ago. The pop-up emphasizes that users already have Microsoft Edge installed on their devices, quoting that it is the more protected and nimbler browser for Windows 10.
"You already have Microsoft Edge — the safer, faster browser for Windows 10," the prompt said.
Prior to that, Microsoft has made a series of actions in the hopes of persuading users to abandon Chrome for its Edge browser. It can be brought to mind that Microsoft did not only used OneDrive ads in File Explorer but also preloaded a plethora of apps in Windows 10 and pushed notifications to Chrome users.
Other than that, Microsoft also tried to force Windows 10 users to use Edge for all email links but decided to double back after the change received adverse reactions online. The Verge added that the feedback from the users in the new pop-up will be another test for the company's "Windows as a service" model, which primarily leans on assessors to present responses to Microsoft's continuing changes.
Microsoft's New Pop-Up Receives Hostile Response Online
Microsoft's decision to add the prompt unleashed the ire of netizens, with Twitter user Sean Hoffman describing the move as a "marketing cesspool crap." While the prompt does not block the installation process itself, 9to5Google chronicled Microsoft's measure as a flagrant way of trying to stop users from downloading the competitors' product.
"@MicrosoftEdge What kind of slimy marketing cesspool crap is this Microsoft? I proceed to launch the Firefox installer and Windows 10 pops this up? If I wanted to use your browser, I would," an irritated Hoffman wrote.
Should users ignore the prompt and download Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome, Beta News reported that they will get another window promoting Edge instead of the install process beginning. The adjacent window portrays the constant reminders of security and safety as well as a "baby, I can change" phrase.
While users can avert this intrusiveness, it certainly doesn't come in an obvious way. To immobilize the pop-up, users need to head into the settings and manually disable "app recommendations."
