Final week, I turned on my laptop, put in a Home windows replace, then restarted, solely to seek out that Microsoft Edge robotically opened with the Chrome tab I used to be utilizing earlier than the replace. I do not use Microsoft Edge fairly often and have Google Chrome set as my default browser. It is 9am and I am bleary-eyed, and it takes me a second to understand that Microsoft Edge has simply taken over the place I left off in Chrome. I could not imagine my eyes.
I’ve by no means imported knowledge to Microsoft Edge, nor have I confirmed whether or not I wish to import tabs. However after Home windows up to date, Edge robotically opened with all of the Chrome tabs I might been engaged on. I did not even understand I used to be utilizing Edge at first, and I used to be confused as to why all of my tabs have been all of a sudden logged out.
After the shock wore off, I confirmed that I had not unintentionally allowed this conduct. I found a setting in Microsoft Edge that imports knowledge from Google Chrome each time it’s launched. Microsoft’s description of the Edge characteristic reads: “Each time you browse on Microsoft Edge, your latest looking knowledge is all the time accessible.” This setting is disabled, and I’ve by no means been requested to show it on. You’ll be able to examine the settings at edge://settings/profiles/importBrowsingData.
So I put in the identical Home windows replace on my laptop computer, which truly brought about it to fail and I needed to do a system restore. After the system restoration was accomplished, the identical factor occurred once more. Edge robotically opens and shows all my Chrome tabs.I can not replicate the conduct on different PCs, however many X customers Replied to my post For this sentence, they’ve skilled the identical factor up to now.
This all appears to be associated to a largely unreported import characteristic in Microsoft Edge, which I’ve confirmed is disabled on my system. Zach Edwards is a privateness and knowledge provide chain researcher who just lately put in Home windows and Replied to my post on X It’s value noting that he discovered a brand new immediate throughout the set up course of, which learn as follows:
Upon your affirmation, Microsoft Edge will periodically pull in knowledge from different browsers accessible in your Home windows system. This data consists of your favorites, looking historical past, cookies, autofills, extensions, settings and different looking knowledge.
Microsoft says that the information import is completed and saved domestically, however in the event you log in and sync your looking knowledge, the information will likely be despatched to Microsoft. Microsoft shows a big blue Settle for button to encourage Home windows customers to allow the characteristic, and a darker “Not now” button if you wish to decide out.
I am not solely positive how Microsoft Edge robotically opens and imports my Chrome browser knowledge with out this setting enabled. I did discover that after putting in the replace that morning, a full-screen immediate appeared on my laptop, very similar to the prompts Microsoft makes use of to encourage individuals to modify to Edge and Bing after Home windows updates. The immediate seems however disappears in lower than a second, so it is attainable that the dialog field crashed and Edge determined to import anyway.
I’ve requested Microsoft for touch upon what I witnessed, however the firm has but to reply in time for publication.
I am not the one one who has skilled this both. A number of Home windows customers have been reporting the problem for months, asking for assistance on Reddit and Microsoft’s personal help boards. The poster has confirmed that the identical performance has been disabled, however knowledge import continues to be persevering with.
Possibly this time it was only a mistake on my half, perhaps I used to be about to expertise what everybody else had been complaining about for months. However apparently, Microsoft has launched a characteristic that may robotically import Chrome, Firefox or different browser knowledge from any internet browser aside from Edge. This could be a helpful characteristic for some, but when it is buggy, then Microsoft wants to repair it rapidly.
How Microsoft convinces individuals to show this setting on can be vital, on condition that the full-screen immediate disappeared earlier than I encountered this concern.Microsoft has Generate full screen prompt This comes after some Home windows updates tried to trick individuals into switching to Microsoft Edge and Bing because the default settings.
It isn’t all the time apparent to customers what they’re truly altering, particularly when Microsoft disguises it as “really helpful” browser settings. This may be executed simply by clicking a giant blue “Sure” button as an alternative of a much less conspicuous “Not Now” button. Microsoft has a historical past of selling its internet browsers utilizing the identical techniques we have seen from bloatware and spy ware builders. These embrace Home windows updates that launch Edge and pin it to your desktop and taskbar with out polling or prompting while you attempt to obtain Chrome.
Microsoft Edge is definitely fairly good, so I definitely hope the staff constructing it would not do extra methods to get Chrome customers to make use of it.