Microsoft has announced that it will soon force its Outlook and Teams apps to open web links exclusively in Microsoft Edge, despite users’ default browser settings. This has not gone down well with many IT admins and Reddit users who have expressed frustration with the move.
Microsoft claims that the change is intended to create an easier way for Outlook and Teams users to reduce task switching, but many feel that it disregards user choice and is an unnecessary hassle.
Microsoft has notified IT admins that it will make this change gradually, and users will have 30 days’ notice before it is implemented. The change will affect web links from Azure Active Directory and Microsoft accounts, and users will see the opened link side-by-side with the email it came from.
While IT admins on Microsoft 365 Enterprise can alter the policy, those on Microsoft 365 for business will have to manage the change on individual machines.
This is not the first time that Microsoft has attempted to force users into using Edge instead of their preferred browsers. In the past, Microsoft tried to force people into Edge for email links, but this was met with a backlash from Windows 10 testers. Microsoft also tested a similar change in 2020 to force Chrome’s default search engine to Bing using the Office 365 installer, which also did not go down well with IT admins.
IT admins have expressed their displeasure with this latest move, with many taking to Reddit to complain. Small businesses, in particular are likely to be hit the hardest, as they will have to manage the change on individual machines. This could be confusing for less tech-savvy users, who may think that they have lost their favorites because their usual browser did not open.
While Microsoft claims that the change is designed to create an easier way for Outlook and Teams users to reduce task switching, it is clear that many users feel that it disregards user choice and is an unnecessary hassle.
Microsoft has been accused of aggressively promoting Edge through Windows Update and adding a buy now, pay later financing options and a crypto wallet into the browser. However, this latest move to force users into Edge could backfire for Microsoft, and it remains to be seen whether users will be tempted over from Chrome or alienated instead.
As always, it is important to respect user choice and not force them into using products that they do not want to use.
