Microsoft adds ‘warning’ in Windows 10 when you try to install Google Chrome [Update]

Ben Schoon | Sep 12 2018 - 7:07 am PT

Google Chrome has been around for 10 years and at this point, it’s one of the most popular browsers on the planet. That’s put a lot of pressure on Microsoft to convince Windows users to go with its own browser option, and now it seems Microsoft is adding a warning when you try to install Google’s browser.

Microsoft has been trying for years to direct users to its own browser, going so far as to add pop-ups and prompts that direct users to keep using Edge when they use Chrome or Firefox. Now, though, the company is trying to redirect users before they’ve even installed the new browser.

The latest Insider release of Windows 10, which also adds some handy features for Android users, contains a new pop-up that warns users not to install Chrome or Firefox. Many users have noted on Twitter (via The Verge) that this prompt shows up when downloading the Chrome installer or the Firefox installer on this latest Windows release. The pop-up “points out” that users already have Microsoft Edge installed on their machines, mentioning that it is the “safer, faster browsers for Windows 10.”

Obviously, this prompt doesn’t block the installation, but it’s a pretty blatant way to try and stop users from downloading a competitor’s product. Of course, this is only live for the time being in what equates to a beta release of Windows 10, so it’s unclear if this prompt will make its way to a more public release of the operating system. Update: Apparently, this prompt won’t be live in the October update for Windows 10.

https://twitter.com/SeanKHoffman/status/1039573136168169475