In Windows 11, it is much more difficult to change your default web browser. In addition, the default settings of the browser you have customized are completely ignored.
Windows 11: Make Chrome or Firefox the default browser after Microsoft makes it harder
Microsoft really wants its Edge web browser to be popular, to the point that it's actively challenging the ability to set other browsers as the default in Windows 11. As The Verge explains, while it is possible to change defaults, if you're missing the "Always use this app" toggle when launching a new browser, you'll have to start digging into menus.
The process now involves changing individual file or link type defaults one by one for the browser you want to use. It's a much longer and more confusing process than Windows 10's default apps menu approach.
Additionally, Windows 11 ignores the new defaults entirely. When you perform a search in Windows 11, Microsoft Edge will still open, regardless of which browser you have set as your default. A new dedicated widgets area in the new OS also simply ignores the defaults of alternative browsers.
