Microsoft Edge has a sneaky new pop-up that tries to copy your Google Chrome data

Ben Schoon | Nov 12 2024 - 8:30 am PT

Microsoft has been… let’s say “aggressive” when it comes to trying to get Chrome users to give Microsoft Edge a shot, and its latest effort is a huge new pop-up that tries to get users to let Edge copy data, such as open tabs, from Google Chrome.

If you’re on Windows, you might run into Microsoft Edge automatically opening when you turn on your PC, at which point the browser throws up a huge pop-up that asks you to “Enhance your browsing experience with Copilot in Microsoft Edge.” It then goes on to explain things you can do with Microsoft’s AI features, but also has a sneaky checkbox that, checked by default, allows Edge to “Bring over your data from other browsers regularly.”

This new behavior was spotted by The Verge, and Microsoft noted that “there is an option to turn it off.”

There is a very small “X” to close out the pop-up in the top right corner, but it’s not exactly easy to see. The only other button you can use to move forward is “Confirm and continue,” and there’s no “No thanks” option as one would typically expect to see in a pop-up like this.

This isn’t the first time that Microsoft Edge has been pushy about trying to nab your data from Google Chrome and other browsers. In 2022, Microsoft launched a feature that would automatically import browser data from Chrome to Edge, but it was fully optional at the time. Early this year, Edge was stealing your Chrome data essentially without permission by leveraging this feature and turning it on during a Windows update. Microsoft later made it possible for users to opt-out before the data was copied over.

When permission is granted for this feature, Edge will copy the latest data available in Chrome, such as your bookmarks and even your open tabs.

It’s unclear how widely Microsoft’s latest attempt is rolling out, but it’s only the latest in a long line of these incidents where Microsoft leverages Windows to try and get everyone to use Edge. It’s a good browser, but Microsoft doesn’t seem willing to let that speak for itself.