Microsoft Tests Forcing Mail Users Clicking a Link to Use Edge

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Microsoft Tests Forcing Mail Users Clicking a Link to Use Edge

engine

6:34 pm on Mar 16, 2018 (gmt 0)

Microsoft Windows 10 Insiders preview Build 17623 will get the latest with what seems an annoying attribute: Forcing users that click on an e-mail link to open it in Edge browser.

Somehow, I can't imagine that will go down well with anyone that uses and alternative browser as a default.

For Windows Insiders in the Skip Ahead ring, we will begin testing a change where links clicked on within the Windows Mail app will open in Microsoft Edge, which provides the best, most secure and consistent experience on Windows 10 and across your devices.

Microsoft Testing Forcing Mail Users Clicking a Link to Use Edge [blogs.windows.com]

robzilla

1:30 pm on Mar 19, 2018 (gmt 0)

Microsoft Edge [...] provides the best, most secure and consistent experience on Windows 10 and across your devices.

Whew, cocky. Didn't know Edge even existed for Android.

I don't use Windows Mail anyway, jumped from Outlook to Thunderbird to Postbox.

mack

3:52 pm on Mar 19, 2018 (gmt 0)

Wonder how this will go down in the EU :-) remember "Browser Choice"?

Mack.

EditorialGuy

5:54 pm on Mar 19, 2018 (gmt 0)

Didn't know Edge even existed for Android.

I didn't, either, until I went looking for a way to watch The Rachel Maddow Show on my phone without jumping through hoops.

As for having Windows Mail open links in Microsoft Edge by default, that might be justifiable, but users should be able to change the setting if they want to. (I'm glad I stuck with Thunderbird when I moved to Windows 10!)

engine

6:12 pm on Mar 19, 2018 (gmt 0)

Remember, this is a preview build for Windows Insiders.
I can understand why MS would want to retain the link in its own tech, but, yes, it's not going to be good if users cannot choose.

It'll be interesting to see if this test remains so into release beyond preview. I suspect not.

keyplyr

8:03 pm on Mar 19, 2018 (gmt 0)

Not just for Windows Insiders. I've been seeing it happen on websites that don't code to support all mail clients. Usually the types that just cut'n paste code they saw somewhere.

Example: an "email us" link that is only coded to support Windows Mail instead of offering a choice of Gmail, Yahoo, etc.

I've seen this Edge notice for about a month now.

engine

9:15 am on Mar 20, 2018 (gmt 0)

Oh, really, that's strange it's already there.

Are you able to change that to alternative browsers?

keyplyr

9:27 am on Mar 20, 2018 (gmt 0)

Maybe they've been testing, but it's been live for a while now.

So, I use Chrome on my 2 Windows devices. A couple times a week, for several weeks now, when attempting to access a company's contact email by clicking on the email address, I have gotten a big blue screen saying something like...

Microsoft Mail... you must use the Edge Browser to continue. Switch to Edge now

I don't know what happens next because I don't launch Edge, but I assume the Windows Mail app would open. I have not tried to proceed using Chrome. In fact, I have never opened the Windows Mail app on either of my Windows devices so...

glitterball

11:41 am on Mar 20, 2018 (gmt 0)

@keyplyr that is strange: if you come across an example again, could you post the html code snippet here of how they have implemented that?

keyplyr

5:54 pm on Mar 20, 2018 (gmt 0)

Seems if you are using the Windows 10 OS (with the Windows Mail app) that's the default if someone just used an email link on their page and not the more advanced code of letting the user choose which mail app.

glitterball

6:45 pm on Mar 20, 2018 (gmt 0)

@keyplyr Ok, I thought that you meant that it was specific to certain websites.