Sorry Microsoft: not even a full-page ad will make people want to use Edge

Microsoft seems to be getting more aggressive with its push to make users switch to its Edge browser.

As reported by Neowin, after a browser update, Microsoft Edge prompts you with a full-page ad that states: “Welcome back, we have new things for you to explore.” And because the page takes up the title bar, you can’t ‘X’ out of it either. You have to click the “Get Started” button at the bottom of the page to move on.

From there it brings you to another page, which is another full-screen ad for Edge that tries to convince you to make it your default browser. This time around you can uncheck the box at the bottom that states “Use Microsoft recommended browser settings,” then click the “Save and continue” box below that.

After that, you finally reach the page that thanks you for updating Edge to the latest version, indicating that this whole process might occur after every update instead of after a new install or first OS launch. There’s a chance that the frequency of this process could be in error, but it’s hard to say given Microsoft’s own history on the matter.

Microsoft needs to do better

Microsoft Edge is not a bad web browser. Unlike the exceptionally buggy and hazardous Internet Explorer that Microsoft thankfully retired, Edge is much safer, faster, and in some regards even better than Google Chrome (it’s not a memory hog like Chrome, for instance). 

However, trying to shift people away from Chrome is a tall order, especially considering the current market share for the latter browser. Not to mention the fact that Chrome recently stole one of Edge’s best features. And while I understand Microsoft is desperate for a bigger slice of the pie, forcing ads on users is not the way to go.

Edge has plenty of merits in its own right outside of its often superior performance like online shopping features, the excellent Collections feature, its accessibility features including Read aloud, and its very aesthetically pleasing layout. Not to mention that it’s also getting the Video Super Resolution (VSR) feature, which will let you upscale low-res online videos, and its ChatGPT tool.

So instead of shoving full-page, inescapable ads that are likely to turn off anyone from using the browser, Microsoft needs to better promote it by conveying all its benefits. Because as of now, those ads tell you nothing about Edge other than it’s new and more importantly, give you zero incentive to switch over to it.

Get it together, Microsoft.