Giving In: Microsoft Edge (Premium)

Microsoft Edge is problematic because it's a hub for bad behaviors in Windows 11. But would it be possible to use this browser without giving up your soul? Or worse, your privacy?

If you're familiar with the Windows 11 Field Guide, you know that I had to add a chapter to the book to address this problem: Microsoft Edge is configured for Microsoft's preferences, not yours, and that's true whether you use Edge or not. If you do use Edge and make certain configuration changes, it will occasionally prompt you to switch back to what Microsoft wants. If you don't use Edge, Windows 11 will harass you to use it, and it will make you use it in certain situations, despite your preferences. For example, Edge launches when you click a story in the Widgets feed or a web result in Windows Search.

Because of the book, I'm routinely confronted by these bad and other bad behaviors: I would love to configure Windows 11 the way I want--and, to be fair, in some cases, I do--but I have to be confronted by the Windows 11 readers will experience. And, hopefully, figure out workarounds and fixes for its worst issues.

A month ago, I experimented with the "apex mountain" of these issues by allowing Windows 11 to silently enable OneDrive Folder backup after ignoring my preferences. I did this on multiple PCs, in fact, I just reverted to the configuration I prefer on the PC I'm using to write this article. And what I discovered was that there are good reasons to disable this functionality, even while acknowledging that it can be useful for some.

Concurrent to that, I've also been using Microsoft Edge in Windows 11 a lot this year. I still install Brave and Chrome, and I still experiment with Opera, Vivaldi, Firefox, and other web browsers, and probably always will. But I need to keep up with what's happening in Edge for the same reasons noted above. There's just one difference between this experience and that of using OneDrive Folder backup, and it's a big one. I actually like Microsoft Edge.

This is embarrassing. If I could get paid for ripping on Microsoft Edge, I'd be rich by this point.

I'm not trying to be amusing. My goal is to make people aware of why Edge is problematic. And, when possible, to live by example. But again and again, I keep finding myself using Edge. I do so in a way that I believe to be reasonably private and secure. And I know I could take that a lot further if I wasn't concerned with having the native Microsoft experience. So we'll get to that soon. First, allow me to give credit where credit is due. Microsoft Edge doesn't get everything wrong.

No, really.
❤️ What I like about Microsoft Edge
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