Windows 11 made a change to how default apps work — and people are upset

By Dua Rashid Published August 18, 2021

Microsoft is making it harder to set default apps on Windows 11. In the forthcoming version of Windows, if you don’t select the Always use this app box when opening a new app for the first time, Microsoft will never change the default.

In the current version of Windows, you can simply go on the Start Menu, type Default Apps, look for the drop-down menu and select the desired apps for all your browsing needs. However, this is not how it currently works in the upcoming Windows 11.

Complaint on Microsoft Insider feedback hub. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Since it’s very easy to forget to toggle the Always use this app option and simply launch the app, it’s disappointing to know that you will never see this option again if you miss your chance. Users who have tested Windows 11 are upset about this, as evidenced by the number of upvotes on a complaint published on the Windows Insider feedback hub.

Recommended Videos

On the upcoming Windows, default apps have to be set by file or link type instead of a single switch that can be toggled. For instance, in the case of Chrome, this involves changing the default file type for HTM, HTML, PDF, SHTML, SVG, WEBP, XHT, XHTML, FTP, HTTP, and HTTPS.

It is a much more time-draining process as compared to Windows 10, which allows you to switch default email, maps, music, photos, videos, and web browser apps much faster. Microsoft Edge, which is the default browser that Microsoft often pushes people to use, is a good example of the company forcing apps on people.

Windows 11 brought with it quite a number of changes, some of which fans are anticipating and others that are more controversial. According to the more than 600 upvotes on the complaint filed in the Windows Insider feedback hub, these changes to default apps clearly fit into the latter category.

In a statement to The Verge, a Microsoft spokesperson says: “We’re constantly listening and learning, and welcome customer feedback that helps shape Windows. Windows 11 will continue to evolve over time; if we learn from user experience that there are ways to make improvements, we will do so.”

Windows 11 is currently in beta, where Microsoft is constantly testing changes that have been made. Let’s hope this is one change that doesn’t make it into the final version of Windows 11.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Dua is a media studies graduate student at The New School. She has been hooked on technology since she was a kid and used to…

Computing

You have one year to safely use Windows 10 before you’ll need to pay

Microsoft will be allowing consumers to join its Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for the first time next year, and it announced the program pricing today in a blog post. The official end-of-service date for Windows 10 is October 14, 2025, but by paying $30 to join the ESU program, you can receive an extra year of security updates. This will allow you to continue safely using Windows 10 until around October 2026, a full two years from now.

By the time support for Windows 10 ends, it will be almost exactly four years since Windows 11 launched and a decade since Windows 10 launched. It takes a lot of work to keep an operating system secure and running smoothly, which is why a company like Microsoft can't just endlessly support every version of Windows it's ever shipped. It would end up costing a lot more money than it made -- and that's not how businesses function.

Computing

Microsoft is forced to halt the Windows 11 24H2 update on some PCs

The Surface Pro 11 on a white table in front of a window.

Microsoft’s recent Windows 11 24H2 update is off to a bumpy start. According to a report by Bleeping Computer, users are facing compatibility issues across various hardware and software configurations, prompting the company to temporarily block the update for some devices.

The affected systems include specific Asus laptop models and configurations involving software like Voicemeeter, Safe Exam Browser, and older versions of Easy Anti-Cheat, commonly used in gaming.

Computing

Windows 11 to let you use your phone as a webcam

Using an Android phone as a webcam.

The Windows 11 update 24H2 includes a new feature called Connected Camera that lets you turn your smartphone into a webcam. The folks at PCWorld have tested the feature out, and it looks pretty easy to use, though you do need to have an Android phone to use it.

Using your phone as a webcam -- either for your desktop or your laptop -- isn't new, but native support for it has been patchy. At first, people had to use third-party apps to do the job. Then Apple users got Continuity Camera, and a few years later Android 14 users got a similar feature, too.