Microsoft already allows users in the EU to uninstall Microsoft Edge under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Now, the European regulator is imposing even more restrictions, forcing the company to allow users to uninstall the Microsoft Store and stop advertising Edge to users.
The company has been actively promoting Edge, including through pop-ups that sometimes resembled malware. However, this will now stop, at least in the European Economic Area. The offer to set Edge as the default will only appear if the user opens the browser on their own.
Along with changing the default browser, Windows will now automatically open ftp, http, https, read links, and files with the extensions .htm, .html, .mht, .mhml, .shtml, .svg, .xht, .xhtml, and .xml in the new browser. It will also be automatically pinned to the taskbar.
New changes to browser settings in Windows 10 and Windows 11 are already starting to be available to users in the beta channels, and the global distribution of the update will begin on July 11, 2025.
Additionally, in the EEA, users can now uninstall the Microsoft Store. However, apps installed through it will continue to receive updates. Microsoft Store can be easily reinstalled if needed.
The company also announced a number of other changes. In particular, Microsoft Bing, which is used as the default search engine in Windows Search, as well as Start Experiences, which is responsible for widgets, will now open content in the user's default browser.