Microsoft To Allow Uninstall Bing And Edge From Windows 10 and 11 Soon

The Edge browser and Bing search components that are deeply integrated into Windows 10 and Windows 11 can be uninstalled in the future. Microsoft thus complies with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). A first preview is already available.

More freedom for European users

Microsoft seems to be trying to comply with the requirements of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by March 2024 at the latest. Accordingly, Windows users in the European Economic Area (EEA) will now have more decision-making power when it comes to what were once essential system components and applications. If necessary, you can say goodbye to Microsoft’s standard browser Edge and Bing search entirely.

Uninstalling Edge and Bing will only be possible in Europe and only in conjunction with Windows 11 23H2 and Windows 10 22H2 or newer versions of the operating systems. A suitable Windows 11 preview is provided by the Redmond company in the Release Preview Channel ( Build 22631.2787 ) after part of it has already been tested in the Dev channel.

Tip: In order to try out the adjustments now, you must participate in the Windows Insider Program. This can be joined in the settings under the menu items Windows Update → Windows Insider Program. Select the insider setting “Release Preview” here.

Is this important or can it be eliminated?

Removing all components of Microsoft Edge ensures that alternative browsers such as Chrome, and Firefox. can fully fulfill their role as real standard browsers. Despite the appropriate settings, help pages or web searches via the start menu continued to be opened in Edge, which previously could only be prevented with various third-party tools.

However, if Windows 10 and Windows 11 users decide to uninstall Microsoft Bing, some functions of the operating systems will be disabled for the time being. For example, the Internet content within the start menu search or the Windows widgets that are filled via Bing and Microsoft News. However, Microsoft already provides a solution for this.

In the future, developers will be able to implement web search providers via Microsoft Store apps that can dock directly to the interoperability points for “Feeds in Windows Widgets Board” and “Web search in Windows Search”. It is therefore conceivable in the future to display Google search within the start menu or Google News content in widgets.

The internationally heavily advertised ‘Copilot in Windows’, however, continues to fall by the wayside. Due to data protection deficiencies, the AI ​​tool is currently only available in North America, the United Kingdom, and parts of Asia and South America. “We intend to add additional markets over time, including the EEA,” explains Microsoft.