With the release of Windows 11, Microsoft has taken the opportunity to introduce some changes in the selection of the default browser, and these have not been well received by users. In this sense, it is important to bear in mind that, as part of the new features that Windows 11 brings, Microsoft integrated a major redesign in the operating system configuration section, and this also affected the “Applications and Features” interface.
Many of our readers will already know that “Applications and Features” is an important section within Windows 11 because, as was the case with Windows 10, through it we can access several highly relevant configuration options, including the selection of the default applications . Indeed, through that section we can choose which browser we want to be used as default by the operating system.
With this new design change in Windows 11, Microsoft has eliminated the possibility of modifying the default browser with a simple click, something that, curiously, does not happen with the rest of applications and features. This means that, if for example, we want to use Google Chrome or Firefox as default browsers, we will have to manually change all settings and select that these be used for all types of web files.
And what happens if we forget to check a box? Well, simple, that Windows 11 will not use the browser as default, something that makes it a change as complicated as it is annoying and unnecessary that, obviously, has started to generate strong criticism. Hiroshi Lockheimer, senior vice president of Google, said this new change comes from a company that “claims to be open and give options, but in the end it is far from it.” For their part, Firefox spokesmen also criticized this move by Microsoft.
Microsoft has listened to the community, and will continue to fine tune Windows 11
That has been Microsoft’s response, and we can see that the company has already begun to keep its word, since with Windows 11 build 22509 it has introduced an option that, as we can see in the image, allows us to directly establish a specific browser as a default option, effortlessly and with a simple click, that is, without having to check a lot of boxes.
This change is only available, at the moment, in the beta channel, so there is still a while for us to see it on the general channel. However, this is a positive move by Microsoft, it is a clear example that the company listens to its users, and that it knows how to accept criticism while maintaining a constructive approach. On the other hand, it is also an example of how “raw” the browser wars have become in Windows 11.
I remind you that Windows 11 continues to receive improvements through various patches, and that these have already corrected a good part of the problems that said operating system had at startup. In the test equipment that we use in MC we have installed this operating system since shortly after its launch, and for now It has not given us any problem.
