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Bug or Intentional: Edge reportedly importing Chrome tabs automatically

Posted on January 30, 2024January 30, 2024 by Martin Brinkmann

At least for a year, some Chrome users reported that Edge imported data from their browser automatically. Back in May 2023, user Cerevox reported the issue on the official Microsoft Community website.

Cerevox claimed that Edge imported bookmarks and passwords from Chrome automatically. In November, another user claimed that Edge imported favorites and browser data from Chrome. Both said that Edge’s auto-import feature was turned off on their system.

Tom Warren, Senior Editor at The Verge, published an article today about the issue. He experienced the issue first hand according to the article:

Last week, I turned on my PC, installed a Windows update, and rebooted to find Microsoft Edge automatically open with the Chrome tabs I was working on before the update.

A post on Twitter by Tom Warren reveals that it was the KB5034204 update. It is uncertain if the update has anything to do with the issue. I ran two tests locally and could not replicate the issue.

Warren says that the Edge feature that powers the auto-import of Chrome data was never turned on by him. He decided to check on another laptop and experienced the issue there as well. After installation of the update and the obligatory restart, Edge opened with all tabs from Chrome.

Warren could not replicate the issue on any other device he tested though, which makes the issue puzzling.

There are two main explanations for this: it is a bug or it is a feature that is either in testing or rolling out to everyone over time.

Checking Microsoft Edge’s auto-import feature

Microsoft Edge includes a setting to import browsing data from Chrome automatically. The feature is off by default. Edge users may verify this by loading edge://settings/profiles/importBrowsingData/editImportConsent in the browser’s address bar.

If you see “Turn On” next to “Import browser data from Google Chrome on each launch” on the page, then it is disabled. Since turning on does not necessarily mean launching Edge, it is easy to accidentally launch Edge unless you have precautions in place.

There is a chance that the feature may turn itself on automatically. Things like these happened in the past and there is a good chance that they will happen in the future again.

The auto-import feature supports Google Chrome only. Even other Chromium-based browsers are not supported. The main idea behind the feature is to make the use of Edge more comfortable for Chrome users. It may be useful if you use both browsers.

This import is local-only according to Microsoft. However, Edge users who sign-in using a Microsoft account and enable sync in Edge will have the data synced to the Microsoft cloud. From there, it is synced back to any device on which the Edge feature is turned on.

Closing Words

Warren said that he noticed a window appearing and disappearing after installation of the update. He did not have time to notice anything or react to it.

It is quite possible that the auto import from Chrome to Edge is a bug. It is also perfectly reasonable to assume that this is being rolled out to all Edge users on Windows. The thing that makes me think it is the former is that the auto-import feature in Edge was turned off.

Microsoft Edge is not a terrible browser, but Microsoft is still pushing users around as if it was Internet Explorer in its prime. It is time that companies accept a “no” the first time.

The EU considers Edge to be insignificant in the world of browser, which is why Edge is not considered a gatekeeper at this stage. Windows on the other hand is a gatekeeper.

In closing, there is little that users can do if a bug or forced feature changes things on their devices. Complete removal of the offending app, in this case Edge, may be an option. This will soon be easier for users from the EU.

Now You: which browsers do you use?

Microsoft Edge and Bing insignificant for regulation in the EU

Posted on January 24, 2024January 24, 2024 by Martin Brinkmann

The European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) will come into force in March 2024. The EU identified several products and services as gatekeepers. These fall under the new regulation.

One of the main goals is to level the playing field and avoid abuses of power. Six companies and 22 services and products are gatekeepers according to the EU.

The EU opened four market investigations into Bing, Edge, Microsoft Advertising and iMessage to determine if these services will be added to the list of gatekeepers.

A Bloomberg report now claims that all four won’t be considered gatekeepers by the European Union. The report cites “unnamed officials at the EU as “people familiar with the matter” as its source.

According to Bloomberg, the four mentioned services are “dominant enough to be hit by the regulation”. While some of the services are popular in other regions of the world, Apple’s iMessage or Microsoft’s Bing are popular choices in the United States, they are not dominant enough in the European Union.

Microsoft Bing, for instance, has a market share of less than 4% in Europe according to Statcounter. Similarly, Microsoft’s Edge web browser has a market share of less than 6% in Europe according to the company.

While these stats are not 100% accurate, they make the argument for adding these services to the list of gatekeepers difficult.

The final verdict is expected in February 2024.

No free pass for Microsoft

Microsoft’s Windows operating system and its LinkedIn social network are gatekeepers, according to the EU.

Microsoft announced changes that it plans to make available to users from the European Union and European Economic Area exclusively in the coming months.

The changes give users control over certain features of the operating system. They include the ability to remove Microsoft Edge and Bing Search in Windows, among other changes.

Microsoft’s Windows operating system ships with Microsoft Edge as the default browser and Bing Search included. Some links open only in Edge by default, but this is changing soon for users from the EU.

To sum it up, Windows users from the EU and EEA will gain control over Edge and Bing, even though both services are not (likely) considered gatekeepers.

The EU’s target is Windows. Specifically, Microsoft’s use of the operating system to favor its services, Bing Search and Edge are just two examples, over others.

Would Microsoft’s web browser stand where it is standing right now market share wise, if not for the integration and pushing in Windows?

Closing Words

Some Google and Meta products and services are also considered gatekeepers. Meta announced this week that it will give EU users control over data sharing between some of its services.

Google too is disabling data sharing between its services by default for users from the EU.

It is unfortunate that the rest of the world is not getting the same improvements.

Now You: what is your take on gatekeepers and the DMA?

What happens when you remove Microsoft Edge from Windows 11 after setup?

Posted on December 22, 2023December 22, 2023 by Martin Brinkmann

Microsoft is testing changes currently that give users from many European countries more control over Windows 11. There are workarounds already for users from other regions to uninstall Edge without tools or commands.

Microsoft plans to introduce the change in the first quarter of 2024 in Windows 11. Two of the main improvements let users remove Microsoft Edge and Bing Search from the operating system.

Microsoft Edge is the default browser of Windows 11. Bing Search is used to populate, some would say pollute, search results with web results.

While there have been ways to deal with the two until now, both required some technical know-how or the right tools. AppBuster, for instance, is a free program to remove many locked apps from Windows 11.

Windows users who prefer a different browser use Microsoft Edge to download these browsers. What happens if Microsoft Edge is uninstalled prior to installing any other browser? Are you stranded then, left without any chance to install an Internet browser? Let’s find out.

How to uninstall Microsoft Edge

Once the change lands, users with administrative rights may remove Microsoft Edge from the system.

Tip: even if you live in a region that is not supported by Microsoft in regards to the change, you may still add the functionality to your system. It involves changing the region to that of a European country.

While you may do so manually, you may also use the open source tool MSEdgeRedirect to to it for you. Just enable Europe Mode in the app when you run it. The app makes the required changes in the background. You need to restart the system once before the changes take effect.

Removing Edge is done in Settings > Apps > Installed Apps on Windows 11. Just search for Microsoft Edge, activate the three-dots menu next to its entry and select the uninstall option from the menu.

Edge is removed after you confirm by selecting uninstall again. Note that there may be a small warning prompt that explains that removing Edge may impact apps and widgets that depend on the browser.

Windows 11 without a browser

With Microsoft Edge gone, you may notice a few changes right away. The first and most important one is that you may not have a web browser installed anymore.

Microsoft Edge is the default browser. Removing it removes the only browser from the system, unless you install a different browser first.

What happens when you try to open Internet links in that case? Windows launches the Microsoft Store page of Microsoft Edge so that you may install it again.

This is not your only option, however. You may also install other browsers, including Firefox, Brave Browser, Opera GX or Vivaldi Browser from the Store.

In other words: you are not in a cul-de-sac when you uninstall Edge without having access to another browser.

The better option is to use Edge to install a different browser first before removing it.

There is one situation, at the least, which puts you in a dead end after all. Windows has a hard limit on the number of devices associated with an account. If you happen to run into this limit after uninstalling Edge, you won’t be able to install any other browser

The thing is, you may install Microsoft Edge even if you hit the account limit. This may be because it was installed previously on the device, or because it is not affected by the imposed limitation.

If you have another device at hand, you may remove older devices from the Microsoft account to unlock the functionality. Still, it is definitely a nuisance if you hit the limit.

Other things to note

Some links may still require Microsoft Edge to open, at least in the current state of the feature. The “learn about this picture” link for instance, refuses to open in any browser but Edge, even if Edge is not installed and another browser is set as the default.

This may be because of the current state of development. It is unclear if these link will require Edge no matter what once they roll out to stable versions of Windows.

All in all, it will be interesting to see how Microsoft is going to tackle these issues. The most obvious option would be to allow them to load in the default browser, even if it it is not Edge. Whether that is going to happen remains to be seen, however.

Now You: which web browser do you use?

Microsoft Edge 120 Telemetry records your third-party searches now

Posted on December 8, 2023December 8, 2023 by Martin Brinkmann

Microsoft Edge 120 is the latest version of Microsoft’s web browser. Released this week, it is mostly a security update that addresses issues in Chromium and Edge itself.

What Microsoft doesn’t reveal in the release notes is that Edge 120 comes with a new Telemetry module. While it lists it under new policies, it does not provide information about it on the page.

Problem is: this new Telemetry component is enabled by default on Windows devices. It records third-party searches that users make when using Edge. Third-party searches are searches done using any search engine except Microsoft Bing.

Edge collects search data

The new policy, called Edge3PSerpTelemetryEnabled, is enabled by Microsoft. Microsoft describes it in the following way:

Edge3P Telemetry in Microsoft Edge captures the searches user does on third party search providers without identifying the person or the device and captures only if the user has consented to this collection of data. User can turn off the collection at any time in the browser settings.

In other words: Edge collects third-party search data on Windows. Microsoft notes that it only captures data if the user has given consent. However, Microsoft notes as well that the feature is enabled if the policy is enabled or not configured.

It is unclear what type of consent users have to give before the search data is collected.

How to stop Edge from sending search data to Microsoft

Microsoft Edge users have up to three options to deal with the collection of search data in Edge:

Disable the Telemetry collecting in Edge itself.
Configure a specific Edge policy using the Group Policy Editor.
Make the same change in the Windows Registry.

Disable Telemetry in Edge

Here is how that is done:

Open Microsoft Edge.
Load edge://settings/privacy in the browser’s address bar.
Scroll down until you come to the Search and service improvement section.
Toggle “Help improve Microsoft products by sending the results from searches on the web”.

While you are at it, check other settings on the page, e.g. under personalization & advertising, optional diagnostic data or security.

Group Policy and Registry

You need to download and install the Microsoft Edge administrative template before you can configure policies using the Group Policy Editor. You find the latest policy template download and instructions here.

Note also that the Group Policy Editor is not available in Windows Home editions.

Open the Group Policy Editor. You may do so with a tap on Start, typing gpedit.msc and pressing Enter on the keyboard.
Go to Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge.
Find “Edge 3P SERP Telemetry Enabled”.
Double-click on the policy.
Change its state to Disabled.
Close the Group Policy Editor.
Restart the Windows device.

Here is how you make the change using the Registry:

Open Start, type regedit.exe and press Enter.
Confirm the UAC prompt.
Go to
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\Recommended.
If a key does not exist, right-click on the previous one and select New > Key. Name it accordingly.
Right-click on Recommended and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
Name it Edge3PSerpTelemetryEnabled.
Double-click on the new value and set it to 0 (if it is not 0 already).
Restart the PC.

Thanks Günter for the tip!