If Windows 10 users are looking to uninstall Microsoft Edge, there’s a catch -- they can’t. Since the newest version of Microsoft Edge is part of a general Windows system update, that means no one can uninstall it. It also means that the legacy version of Microsoft Edge isn’t available any longer.

Microsoft Edge was first released in 2015, as a replacement for Internet Explorer. It’s the default browser on all Microsoft platforms, including Xbox One, and is also compatible with macOS and Android devices. In January of 2020, Microsoft released an updated version which featured Chromium technology -- meaning it’s based on the same technology behind Google Chrome. As a result, Edge also has a variety of useful add-ons and extensions, similar to Chrome. These include Amazon Assistant, Tampermonkey and Honey. Updates in May included the ability to sync extensions, which allows users to bring over extensions they used in previous versions, without having to reinstall them. Most recently, Microsoft Edge rolled out another new version in June, this time with the caveat that users were automatically brought into the new experience, rather than being able to download it themselves.

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According to Microsoft, users who want to uninstall the Chromium-based Microsoft edge don’t have any choice in the matter. Evidently, this is down to Microsoft wanting to ensure its customers have the best of the best, from general performance to privacy and security, along with support features. Microsoft also explains that, because the newest version of Edge is part of a general Windows 10 update, it’s not possible to uninstall it. This also explains why users can’t go back to earlier iterations of the browser. Essentially, the Windows 10 update likely includes applications which run on Edge, so Edge is now necessary to have on a Windows 10 computer.

Microsoft Edge Still Falls Behind

While the current version of Edge does run on Chromium, that doesn’t mean it is on par with Google Chrome. For one thing, when compared in a study to other popular web browsers, including Chrome and Safari, Edge was lacking in terms of security -- which is ironic, considering that security is one of the reasons Microsoft cited for preventing users from uninstalling Edge. In the same study, it was discovered that Edge sends whatever information a user types to Bing. This means any search history, from looking up a recipe or logging into Facebook, is sent to the Microsoft search engine. While that could be considered a privacy issue, privacy is another reason Microsoft says it isn’t letting people uninstall Edge.

In addition, Microsoft Edge includes ads when a user scrolls through their new tab page. It definitely isn’t the only browser to do this, to be fair, but Chrome, for example, is cracking down on video ads. Then there is Firefox which has been beefing up security by updating Lockwise, its password protection service, to include alerts for data breaches, or letting users know when a password could be stronger. No browser is without its faults, whether it comes to aesthetic or security, but it seems like Microsoft Edge is destined to fall short when compared to its more popular brethren. Not to mention, stopping users from uninstalling the current version of Microsoft Edge isn’t likely to change that.

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Source: Microsoft