No Bing, no Edge, no upselling: De-crufted Windows 11 coming to Europe soon
Enlarge / Users in the extended European Economic Area will soon be able to avoid most of the things that feel so exhausting about Windows 11. (credit: Andrew Cunningham)
Using Windows these days means putting up with many, many pitches to use and purchase other Microsoft products. Some are subtle, like the built-in Edge browser suggesting you use its "recommended settings" after each major update. Some are not so subtle, like testing a "quiz" that made some users explain why they're trying to quit the OneDrive app.
Those living in the European Economic Area (EEA)-which includes the EU and adds Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway-will soon get the volume turned down on their Windows 11 systems. To meet the demands of the European Commission's Digital Markets Act-slated to be enforced in March 2024-Microsoft must make its apps easier to uninstall, its default settings easier to change, and its attempts at steering people toward its services easier to avoid.
Microsoft writes in a blog post that many of these changes will be available in a preview update of Windows 11 (version 23H2) this month. Windows 10 will get similar changes "at a later date." A couple of changes affect all Windows 10 and 11 users: