Windows 11 users who have been frustrated by Microsoft Edge unexpectedly launching when opening certain links within the operating system may find some relief, thanks to a recent change in testing. However, there’s a notable catch to this improvement.
The common scenario that has irked users involves clicking on a link within a Windows 11 system component, such as a help link, only to have Microsoft Edge open instead of their preferred default web browser. Previously, there was no way to alter this behavior. However, in preview build 23531, which rolled out in the Dev testing channel, Microsoft has adjusted the system components to use the user’s default browser, as they should.
The change is explicitly mentioned in the blog post for build 23531: “In the European Economic Area (EEA), Windows system components use the default browser to open links.”
