A Windows update just made it harder to set Chrome as your default browser
You can no longer set Chrome as your default browser with a single click.
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What you need to know
Microsoft continues to try to move people away from Google Chrome and other non-Edge browsers. That’s one way to view the latest news about Chrome. Fresh on the heels of news aboutEdge ignoring people’s default browser settings, another report has emerged about Microsoft blocking a handy Chrome feature.Gizmodoshared that theApril Windows updateprevented users from being able to set Chrome as their default browser with a single click.
Previously, people could open Chrome and set the browser as their default by clicking a single button. The feature was an easier way to set Chrome as a default that didn’t require people to jump through the Windows 11 Settings app.
AMicrosoft forum threadhighlighted the issue:
“After today’s cumulative update for Windows 10 and 11, 2023-04, every time I open Chrome the default app settings of windows will open. I’ve tried many ways to resolve this without luck. This is happening to all 600 systems with the update. Removing the update makes the issue go away.”
Enterprise users appear to be affected the most by this bug, but it has also appeared for general consumers.
Microsoft has been accused of pushing people toward Edge too hard in the past, but there is a security reason to block this particular Chrome feature. As highlighted byTechRadar, Google would have to make edits to your system’s registry to set Chrome as the default browser. While Chrome may have made a change that users wanted, the method of the change is potentially dangerous.
Microsoft may have just shut down one pathway to make edits to the registry that could be exploited by malicious actors rather than specifically blocking Chrome.
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It’s still possible tochange your default browserto Chrome or other apps through Windows 11’s settings. You just can’t do so with a one-click button in Chrome.
Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
