Microsoft really wants everyone to stop using Google Chrome, the most popular desktop browser, and switch to Chromium-based Edge. In the past, Microsoft has employed several tactics to discourage the use of Google Chrome, and it’s now exploring a new idea that tracks browser usage on Windows 11.
As first spotted by Windows Latest, Microsoft Edge’s recent Canary channel updates include several references to an internal feature that seems to influence user behaviour and browser usage. It is important to note that Microsoft is internally exploring these metrics, and they may never be shipped or used in a production channel.
I spotted a reference to “msNurturingFeatureChromePBTrigger”, which seems to be related to Chrome’s Private Browsing trigger, possibly encouraging people to use Edge when they use Chrome’s Private Browsing. Then there’s another reference called “msNurturingFeatureEdgeBrowserUsageLessThanThresholdPolicyManagerTrigger”.
The wording seems to suggest this could be an internal metric which is activated when Edge usage falls below a certain threshold.
Windows Latest noticed another interesting trigger called “msRewardsOpenActionCenterOnChromeDownloadThankyou,” which could be related to an Edge or Microsoft Rewards-related pop-up when you download Chrome.
There are several other “Use Edge, not Chrome” campaign references. Windows Latest understands that these feature flags may not directly influence your decision, but Microsoft could use the data to decide whether to retain a specific Microsoft Edge campaign.
These are likely used for internal tests only:
- msChromePBDetectionEdgeUsageLessThanFiftyTrigger: This activates if Edge usage is below 50% when Chrome’s Private Browsing is used.
- msNurturingFeatureBrowserLaunchCooldownTrigger: A feature that limits how often browsers can be opened to manage usage.
- msNurturingFeatureChromeBrowserUsageGreaterThanThresholdTrigger: Similar to the policy manager trigger but specifically activates with high Chrome usage to promote Edge.
- msNurturingFeatureEdgeBrowserUsageLessThanThresholdTrigger: Activates when Edge usage is low, prompting more frequent use.
- msNurturingFeatureNonMVUUserTrigger: Targets users who are not frequent users.
- msNurturingFeatureTotalBrowserUsageGreaterThanThresholdTrigger: Another trigger for when overall browser usage is high.
Pretty interesting, right?
So, what could these references mean? I believe they are likely used for internal testing. Microsoft could use these features to collect data and better understand how people use Edge or Chrome on Windows 11. Then, the data could be used to retain or experiment with new Edge-related banners.
It goes without saying that the ultimate goes seem to gently guide users towards using Microsoft Edge more often, especially if they are heavy Chrome users.
As mentioned at the outset, Windows 11 has previously forced users to set Bing as a default search engine by citing GPT-4 and other features.