- Microsoft has a new plan to persuade chrome -narnamn to use Edge more
- A scheduled pop-up, however, is only hidden in the test right now
- It may never be enabled even in preview -Builds of Windows 11 – and I hope this is the case
Microsoft is apparently testing another way of running edge recording and trying to Cajole Chrome users to switch to his browser in Windows 11.
Windows latest reports that in a new preview of Windows 11 (in the Canary Channel), some work is hidden in the background that relates to a new campaign to promote Edge.
This is targeted at those who use Google’s Chrome browser with a pop-up to get them to determine edge to the taskbar when they close Microsoft’s browser. Specifically, it is aimed at those who use chrome a lot, and edge a little (obviously you need the edge a little to finish the browser to be shown the nag screen).
Windows latest notes that one of the hidden flags – these are just lurking in the background at the moment and is not activated yet, even in testing – is for ‘Pin Edge when you close the browser’ (so with it permanently attached to the processbar, you are more likely to come back and use it).
But the more brighter movement here is another flag that is for ‘MspinningCampaignchromeusageGreaterthan90Trigger’ and key bit here is that the pop-up trigger appears if the Windows 11 user’s chrome use is greater than 90 (meaning 90%.)
This means that those who run edge more-DVS. Those who use Chrome less than 90% of the time — Don’t Want See This Pop-Up. The reason Microsoft doesn’t want to annoy people who are already using their web browser a fair part of the time is because Microsoft doesn’t want to annoy people who are already using their web browser.
Those who run almost exclusively with Chrome (90% of the time or more) will see this nag -prompt – and the big question here is, how can Microsoft quantify whether a given person’s chrome use is 90% or more?
Analysis: Microsoft has to tread carefully
We cannot jump to any conclusions about Microsoft Snooping on people on the basis of some flags hidden in testing – all this is still theoretical and speculation. But this seems to indicate that some kind of measurement is being mullet – and how would Microsoft measure a heavy chrome user? The obvious assumption is that it must be through some kind of telemetry (data collection).
And regardless of the answer to this question, or in fact whether this feature is ever activated, this kind of flag will do nothing to dampen fear of those who believe Microsoft is ‘spying’ on those with Windows 11.
And there is a lot of paranoia about this question because Microsoft of course uses a certain telemetry with Windows 11. (Some of which may be eligible and some of them may be off – though not all, not unless you go to significant lengths).
So while we know that Microsoft collects some data about Windows 11 users, glimpses of the operating system’s inner work, which is just like this, will not help the company’s reputation. In my opinion, the software giant has to step very carefully in areas such as this-and-measuring browser use to determine if an edge-pop-up appears (for Chrome fans) crosses a line.
It may never happen ever – and I hope it does, because this really isn’t a path of Microsoft to go further down. With some of pop-ups and various suggestions in Windows 11, Microsoft can claim that it helps the user in some way-for example to make them backup can be useful in some scenarios, for example. But in this case, Microsoft only helps himself (and edge).
From a wider perspective, we no longer need annoying to use the edge browser anyway. There is already too much of this kind of activity going on in Windows 11 – which I feel is counterproductive anyway.
