14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has implemented what the company itself calls warnings in Windows 10 to issue notifications whenever users attempt to install Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
This is just an experiment for the time being and it won’t be included in the Windows 10 October 2018 Update rolling out next month. However, it may be implemented in the OS at some point in the future.
The purpose of this rather controversial idea is to convince users to stick with Microsoft Edge, the new default browser in Windows 10 that replaces Internet Explorer.
“You already have Microsoft Edge – the safer, faster browser for Windows 10,” the warning reads, providing two different options to “Open Microsoft Edge” or “Install anyway.”
The warning can be blocked from the Settings app, and a link to this option is included right within the notification to make it a bit more seamless for users who don’t agree with this behavior.
Google Chrome, the world’s top desktop browser
According to reports, this warning interrupts the installation of Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome after launching the installer, but the process can continue if the “Install anyway” button is clicked.
Such an aggressive tactic is unlikely to be well received by the user community, as it’s not the first time Microsoft tries to convince Windows 10 adopters to stick with its new browser. Microsoft Edge is highlighted even when trying to change the default browser in Windows 10, and the software giant has previously turned to notifications and popups displayed right on the desktop to boost Edge adoption.
And yet, none of these seem to work, as Google Chrome remains the world’s leading browser on the desktop with a share that exceeds 60 percent. Microsoft Edge, on the other hand, is well behind with a little over 4 percent.
An official statement on this experiment hasn’t been released, and the company is expected to make a decision on whether to keep it in Windows or not based on how customers receive it.