Would you use Edge as your default browser on Windows 11 if Microsoft nags you with a 3D banner? Microsoft thinks you would. In a new experiment, which appears to be rolling out to Edge stable on Windows 11, Microsoft has turned on a banner that uses 3D graphics to promote the browser.
First spotted by Windows Latest, Microsoft has been testing the new 3D banner for a while now, but it’s now rolling out to more people. If Edge is not your default browser and you open it directly or through files like PDFs, a new banner will remind you to change your default browser settings.
The banner explains that using Edge as your default browser can help protect you from phishing and malware attacks. It asks you to confirm this change by clicking “Set default,” and then you need to confirm again in the Windows settings app.
The pop-up screen will appear after you install the new Windows updates. If you skip the banner, you’ll get another reminder to use Edge when you open the browser.
Is there any OS besides Windows doing this?
Most Android skins. Even stock Android can get naggy at times.
And don’t even get me started on iOS if you haven’t done what Apple wants you to do. It’ll give you a pop-up at least once every day.
Oh, and Smart TVs? Don’t even think about having any control; you are a slave to the OS.
I may have done everything Apple wants me to do then. I remember getting a single Apple Music popup in the Music app years ago, but nowadays I’m subscribed to their music service anyway. Do they nag (more than once) nowadays when you’re not subscribed? That’d suck hard.
Should I ever get nagged again and again by my iPhone, I’ll switch phones. This constant nagging and not respecting my settings is the #1 reason I switched from Windows to Linux.
Other than Apple music and iCloud, they’re generally less intrusive about popups than Microsoft. Their tactic is to completely prevent competitors from integrating with the system at all rather than nag you to use a setting. For example, there’s no way to use Google maps or Spotify in all the same ways you can use Apple music or Maps.
If you aren’t signed into an Apple ID it’ll give you nag pop-ups.
If you don’t accept the iCloud T&C, even if you never use it, it’ll give you nag pop-ups.
If you haven’t set up Apple pay, it’ll give you nag pop-ups.
It’ll also give you a double nag pop-up for every new minor iOS version until you update it.
I’m sure I’m missing a bunch here.