Microsoft has announced that it is introducing changes on Windows 10 and Windows 11 in order to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). Users in the European Economic Area (EEA) will benefit from the latest update, which lets users opt out of receiving prompts to switch to Microsoft Edge. Users will also be able to “uninstall” the Microsoft Store app, while receiving updates for apps that are already installed on their device. The company previously removed Bing from search results on Windows, in order to comply with EU regulations.
Microsoft Lets Windows Users Set Browser as Default App for More File Types
The company’s blog post reveals that beta testers in the EEA can now set a third-party browser to be the default app for handling ftp and read links, in addition to http and https. Similarly, users will now be able to set defaults for these file types: .htm, .html, .mht, .mhtml, .shtml, .svg, .xht, .xhtml, and .xml.
Uninstalling the Microsoft Store (left) and third-party search providers
Photo Credit: Microsoft
When users set a default browser app in the EU, it will also pin the app’s icon to the taskbar. Browsers can also be set to be the default app for PDF files. These changes are already live on the beta channel (Build 26120.4151) and will roll out to retail users in the EEA in July.
Microsoft Edge will no longer ask (or nag) users in Europe to set it as their default browser, unless they open the app. Users who uninstall the browser won’t be prompted to reinstall it, unless they have installed third-party progressive web apps (PWAs) from the Microsoft Store.
While the company previously removed Bing from Windows search results, it now allows third party apps to provide web search results on its operating system. Starting this month, users in the EEA will see results from various search engines with options to disable or reorder search providers.
Windows 10 and Windows 11 users can now uninstall the Microsoft Store from the Start Menu and the Settings app. Like the other changes introduced by Microsoft, this only applies to users who live in Europe. The company says that existing apps will continue to receive updates, even when the store is uninstalled. Users will be able to download and reinstall the Microsoft Store, according to the company.
These changes will offer users in Europe more choice, especially when setting a default browser or using the Windows search feature. Unfortunately, these updates are only available in the EEA, which means that users in other countries like India and the US will be stuck with the more restrictive versions of Microsoft’s operating system.
