this post was submitted on 21 Jun 2024
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Microsoft Edge nags users with a 3D banner to change Windows 11's default browser (www.windowslatest.com)
submitted 4 months ago by lemmee_in@lemm.ee to c/technology@lemmy.world
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Would you use Edge as your default browser on Windows 11 if Microsoft nags you with a 3D banner? Microsoft thinks you would. In a new experiment, which appears to be rolling out to Edge stable on Windows 11, Microsoft has turned on a banner that uses 3D graphics to promote the browser.

First spotted by Windows Latest, Microsoft has been testing the new 3D banner for a while now, but it’s now rolling out to more people. If Edge is not your default browser and you open it directly or through files like PDFs, a new banner will remind you to change your default browser settings.

The banner explains that using Edge as your default browser can help protect you from phishing and malware attacks. It asks you to confirm this change by clicking “Set default,” and then you need to confirm again in the Windows settings app.

The pop-up screen will appear after you install the new Windows updates. If you skip the banner, you’ll get another reminder to use Edge when you open the browser.

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[–] deegeese@sopuli.xyz 48 points 4 months ago (6 children)

When did desktop operating systems become a place for live A/B tests of ads?

This is something I expect from a malicious website like Facebook, not the fucking operating system.

[–] barsquid@lemmy.world 27 points 4 months ago

Capitalism be like.

[–] rob200@lemmy.cafe 6 points 4 months ago

Since you asked, and I commented on Lemmy about this before.

Back in the Windows XP and even Windows 7 days Microsoft was trying to sell computers to people. It had to convince people why computers are worth their time.

Fast forward to Windows 10 and now it's, "ok we now got an audience that's addicted to our operating system, lets see what we can get away with. We might lose like 1% to Linux and like 5% to mac doing some of these while most of everyone won't switch at all. and we increase our profits."

[–] AnomalousBit@programming.dev 6 points 4 months ago

We got click-baited into reading about Microsoft doing shady shit with their browser default settings (again, no less!), but that part wasn’t even mentioned in the article.

[–] narc0tic_bird@lemm.ee 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Is there any OS besides Windows doing this?

[–] SuperSpruce@lemmy.zip 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Most Android skins. Even stock Android can get naggy at times.

And don't even get me started on iOS if you haven't done what Apple wants you to do. It'll give you a pop-up at least once every day.

Oh, and Smart TVs? Don't even think about having any control; you are a slave to the OS.

[–] narc0tic_bird@lemm.ee 1 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

I may have done everything Apple wants me to do then. I remember getting a single Apple Music popup in the Music app years ago, but nowadays I'm subscribed to their music service anyway. Do they nag (more than once) nowadays when you're not subscribed? That'd suck hard.

Should I ever get nagged again and again by my iPhone, I'll switch phones. This constant nagging and not respecting my settings is the #1 reason I switched from Windows to Linux.

[–] SuperSpruce@lemmy.zip 2 points 4 months ago

If you aren't signed into an Apple ID it'll give you nag pop-ups.

If you don't accept the iCloud T&C, even if you never use it, it'll give you nag pop-ups.

If you haven't set up Apple pay, it'll give you nag pop-ups.

It'll also give you a double nag pop-up for every new minor iOS version until you update it.

I'm sure I'm missing a bunch here.

[–] AlotOfReading@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago

Other than Apple music and iCloud, they're generally less intrusive about popups than Microsoft. Their tactic is to completely prevent competitors from integrating with the system at all rather than nag you to use a setting. For example, there's no way to use Google maps or Spotify in all the same ways you can use Apple music or Maps.

[–] sunzu@kbin.run 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

As somebody recently reminded me... Think googled android but with more legs!

[–] psivchaz@reddthat.com 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I don't think I've ever gotten an ad from the OS on Android. I know some manufacturers, Samsung in particular, include ads but that's not "Android" so much as "Samsung's shitty skin of Android."

The closest I've gotten to an ad on Pixel is a thing to review new features after updates.

[–] sunzu@kbin.run 1 points 4 months ago

I think you are missing the point here and how ad tracking works tbh.

Googled android is deff sucking u try on data and them using that data to shows ads where they see you serfing.

[–] Brkdncr@lemmy.world -4 points 4 months ago

It’s probably the browser, not the OS, that’s doing this. The teams are separate although someone in upper management oversees them both.