How to replace Microsoft Edge as your default browser
While Microsoft Edge now offers built-in Copilot AI and faster performance, Windows users can still easily configure alternative browsers like Google Chrome as their system default.
Microsoft continues to refine its Edge browser, which transitioned to the Chromium engine in January 2020. Despite these upgrades, many users still seek to replace Edge with alternatives like Google Chrome or Firefox. For IT practitioners and system administrators managing Windows 10 version 22H2 or Windows 11 version 25H2, configuring default browser settings remains a common deployment task, especially since major Windows updates can sometimes revert these preferences back to Edge.
To change the default browser in Windows 10, users must navigate to Settings, select Apps, then Default apps, and choose their preferred browser under the Web browser section. In Windows 11, the process requires going to Settings, Apps, and Default apps, selecting the desired browser, and clicking Set default. However, this action does not automatically reassign all file associations. Practitioners must manually reassign specific formats like .pdf, .svg, and mailto links. In Windows 10, this is done via the "Choose default apps by file type" menu, while Windows 11 users must click on individual file types under their chosen browser's settings page to update them.
For enterprise environments, retaining Edge may offer distinct advantages. In performance tests, the Chromium-based Edge runs faster and consumes less RAM than Chrome. It also natively integrates Microsoft Copilot, making it a natural choice for organizations leveraging Microsoft's generative AI ecosystem over Google's Gemini. Additionally, Edge supports thousands of Chrome extensions alongside its own library.
One lingering challenge for administrators is that deep-linked Windows interface elements, such as Start menu search results and widgets, still default to Edge. While Microsoft modified Windows 11 to respect user-selected default browsers for all links, this behavior is currently restricted to Europe. However, recent preview software flags suggest Microsoft may eventually roll out this browser flexibility globally, potentially simplifying client configuration for administrators worldwide.
This is our own summary of reporting by Computerworld AI
