On July 14, Mozilla released a research report that shows Windows 10 and Windows 11 still ignore user browser preferences in multiple ways—and the new Copilot AI assistant opens links in Edge even when you’ve chosen another browser as default. The findings land just six weeks after a coalition of browser makers demanded Microsoft end what it calls “dark patterns” that steer people toward Edge.

The report, titled “Over the Edge 2.0,” was commissioned by Mozilla and carried out by independent researchers Harry Brignull and Cennydd Bowles. They tested the browser-choice experience on Windows 10 and Windows 11 in the US, UK, India, and Germany, documenting a range of design tricks that nudge, obstruct, or override your choice.

The Report’s Key Findings

Brignull and Bowles found that simply picking a default browser in Settings doesn’t stop Windows from steering you back to Edge. The techniques include tricky wording, visual interference, preselected checkboxes, persistent nagging, and outright roadblocks. These appear at multiple points: when you download a rival browser through Bing, when you visit a Chrome download page with Edge, when you set a default, and even after you’ve been using another browser for a while.

One of the sharpest claims involves Windows Backup. The researchers backed up a Windows 10 PC that had an alternative browser installed and set as default, then restored it to a new Windows 11 machine. The rival browser was not transferred, and Edge silently became the default. With Windows 10’s end of support having landed in October 2025, millions of people and organizations are now migrating devices—making this a particularly sore spot.

When Windows Ignores Your Choice

The gap between what you select in Settings and what Windows actually does has been a recurring headache. The report confirms that many Microsoft-controlled touchpoints still invoke Edge regardless of your default. These include:

  • Windows Search: Click a web result in the search box, and you may land in Edge.
  • Widgets: Links from the widgets board often ignore your browser preference.
  • Teams and Outlook: Links in these Microsoft 365 apps can bypass your default.
  • Setup flows: The initial “Let’s finish setting up your PC” prompts push Edge.
  • Copilot interactions: Links generated by the AI assistant open in Edge.
  • PDF files: An HTTP/HTTPS link inside a PDF might launch Edge even if your default is set.

This fragmentation means that your “default” is only honored for basic web links you click in other apps—and not even always then. It’s a deliberate design choice that keeps Edge with one foot in the door.

Why Copilot Changes the Game

Copilot marks a new twist. It’s no longer just a sidebar; Microsoft is weaving the assistant across Windows, Microsoft 365, and Bing. Each place where Copilot can serve a link becomes another escape hatch for Edge. If the assistant routinely bypasses your default browser, it makes the setting feel meaningless.

Mozilla’s researchers also raise a privacy concern: a possible “pipeline” of consent prompts across Windows and Edge. Their worry is that separate data-sharing toggles, layered one on top of another, could combine to route more of your browsing activity into Microsoft’s advertising and personalization systems—even when that activity begins in a rival browser. The report stops short of proving data exfiltration, but it points to a murky chain of permissions that users can’t easily untangle.

Europe Proves a Different Path is Possible

The report’s most telling evidence is comparative. When Windows was configured for Germany (representing the European Economic Area), the researchers found far fewer dark patterns. The annoying Bing panel that says “All you need is right here” was absent. The Windows 10 “You’re almost done setting up your PC” journey that encouraged Edge adoption was gone. Even Copilot’s data-sharing toggles defaulted to Off in the EEA and the UK, while they defaulted to On in the US and India.

The European Commission has previously forced Microsoft to make Edge and Bing uninstallable on Windows in the EEA and to stop recommending Edge as the default in various experiences. Mozilla’s conclusion is blunt: the regional split demonstrates these are product design choices, not unavoidable technical constraints. If Microsoft can respect browser preference more consistently in Europe, it can do the same everywhere else.

What You Can Do to Keep Your Browser Choice

For home users, the lesson is to double-check your default after any system change. Here’s a short checklist:

  • After a feature update or PC migration: Go to Settings > Apps > Default apps, and confirm your browser is set for HTTP, HTTPS, .htm, .html, and PDF.
  • After copying a backup to a new PC: Immediately check if your browser is still the default. Reinstall it if necessary.
  • Test key touchpoints: Perform a web search from the Windows Search box, click a link in a Teams message or Outlook email, and open a Copilot query. If any of these launch Edge, you may need to dig deeper into file associations or use a third-party tool to force the switch.
  • When downloading a rival browser: Be prepared for nags and screens that try to keep you on Edge. Read each prompt carefully and decline any offer that suggests “recommended settings.”

For IT administrators, the situation calls for enforced policy rather than reliance on the user-facing default setting. Use Group Policy or Intune Configuration Service Providers to lock in your organization’s browser preference. Test after every feature update, device replacement, or Windows Backup restore. Pay special attention to links opened from Microsoft 365 apps and Copilot; these often bypass the system default even on managed devices. Your validation script should cover Windows Search, widgets, Teams, Outlook, PDF associations, and first-run experiences.

How Industry Pressure is Shaping This Fight

This isn’t just a Mozilla gripe. On June 3, the Browser Choice Alliance—whose members include Google, Opera, Vivaldi, Wavebox, BrowserWorks, and Midori—sent an open letter to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. The letter accuses Microsoft of using Windows’ dominance to “restrict, distort and subvert user choice” and demands a level playing field.

Specific asks include: a simple one-click default switch that covers all web links and file types; an end to promotional interference when downloading a rival browser; no more default resets after updates; and the ability for other browser makers to compete for preinstallation on new PCs. Microsoft has not publicly responded to the Mozilla report or directly addressed the alliance’s letter.

The alliance’s letter and the Mozilla report together frame the issue as more than a minor annoyance. A browser is the gateway to search, cloud apps, identity, and advertising. Every time Edge wrestles back the default, it redirects your queries, your logins, and your data toward Microsoft’s ecosystem.

The Road Ahead

The big question now is whether Mozilla’s findings and the Browser Choice Alliance’s demands will push Microsoft toward a global standard that matches Europe’s—or whether Edge will keep its privileged shortcuts. With Windows 10 migrations underway, the default reset problem could hit millions of users in the coming months. Until Microsoft chooses to respect your choice in all contexts, the burden remains on you to verify that your browser setting actually sticks.