Microsoft Edge Wants to Know Why You're Ditching it for Chrome

Microsoft Edge
(Image credit: Microsoft)

If you've downloaded Chrome through Microsoft Edge anytime over the past few years, you'll know that Microsoft subtly adds little pop-ups on the Chrome download page, encouraging users to try and stick with its Edge browser. However — as reported by PCWorld, Microsoft has taken things a step further by adding a survey to the Chrome download page, asking users why they want to switch browsers.

The poll doesn't replace any of Microsoft's previous pop-ups — instead it adds to them by revealing itself through Edge's Action Center, which takes up nearly a quarter of the browser's real estate when open. The poll asks users why they want to switch to another browser, providing eight detailed answers for users to select including "I can't search Google easily", "I can't access my Google Documents", and ironically "Too many ads and pop-ups" to name a few.

(Image credit: PCWorld)

Microsoft's tactics will probably irritate users more than anything else, especially for users who actively use Chrome-specific features for work or entertainment.

Despite the fact that Edge comes with every single Windows 10 and Windows 11 install, its active user base is still minimal. According to Similarweb, Edge commands a measly 5.41% of the total browser market share right now, with Chrome taking up a whopping 60.47% market share. Safari is the only browser that approaches Chrome's popularity with a 26.55% browser market share.

Microsoft has been doing a good job adding more features to Edge with every single update, including recent integration with Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant. But it's still not enough to overcome Chrome's greatest strength, including integration with the Google ecosystem.

Adding more "bloatware" to the Chrome download page isn't helping Microsoft's strategy, and if anything, lets everyone know how desperate it is to hold on to its small Edge user base. Maybe one day, Microsoft will realize that winning over users with better features and performance is more rewarding than begging users to use its own browser.

Aaron Klotz
Contributing Writer

Aaron Klotz is a contributing writer for Tom’s Hardware, covering news related to computer hardware such as CPUs, and graphics cards.

  • srimasis
    Been using edge from the past couple of years. Never installed chrome again. The pdf markup highlight and side tabs are the best features one could ask for. Now I can happily open 90-100 tabs and don't get lost in them.
    Reply
  • toffty
    Chrome? As if I want that spyware on my pc. I use Firefox.
    Reply
  • elforeign
    I was a lifelong Chrome user since early 2Ks, switched to Edge earlier this year because it's so much faster than Chrome now when having multiple tabs open. Seems less buggy as well.

    Alas, it's built on a Chromium foundation so who really knows. I'll switch to whatever works with the least amount of hassle. So far, that's Edge for me.

    I do like Safari as well when using my iOS devices.
    Reply
  • evdjj3j
    Meanwhile Google asks me to log in every time I try to search.
    Reply
  • Alvar "Miles" Udell
    I switched to Edge after it switched to Chromium and opened Edge up to the Chrome store. Mozilla kept making Firefox worse, having used Firefox since version 3.

    I imagine most people use Chrome because it's the default on Android phones (except Samsung) and it allows for easy syncing, and most people have probably used Chrome since it launched and have a "It works fine so why switch when the competitor isn't offering anything better that I need" mentality, which isn't a bad. It's the same reason most people use Google search instead of Bing, and Google office programs instead of Microsoft's on their phones even though they're both free.
    Reply
  • BillyBuerger
    This seems to be Microsoft's motto these days. Annoy the heck out of their users with constant spam and ads for their own software and services. Edge isn't bad as a browser but it feels like they took a simple browser and turned it into an host for ads by putting shopping things and crap all over it. It's a browser, let it be a browser. I'm still sticking with Firefox as I'm used to it and I haven't seen any reason to switch. I rarely ever install Chrome as if I need a second browser for something, I'll use Edge since it's there. I'll just bitch every time it pops something up at me.
    Reply
  • hotaru251
    toffty said:
    Chrome? As if I want that spyware on my pc. I use Firefox.
    best browser.

    I avoid chromium browsers liek the plague.

    and of all the browsers Mozilla's least likely to sell my data (cant be 100% but thats life)
    Alvar Miles Udell said:
    most people use Chrome because
    they havent tried modern browser.

    Chrome when it was new was actually great....but that was then. Its gotten bloated & firefox has caught up w/o deciding my ram is an all you can eat buffet (and my data is free real estate)
    Reply
  • umeng2002_2
    What MS just did is exactly why.
    Reply
  • derekullo
    Reminds me of the College Humor/DropOut Skype CEO Video
    Which quite poetically probably hits a similar nerve with Microsoft for Edge!

    We have been here since the beginning,
    and you cannot tell me that all these people out here
    didn't switch on purpose just to **** with me.
    As God as my witness, you ungrateful f***s,
    I will have my revenge!
    Reply
  • Alvar "Miles" Udell
    hotaru251 said:
    best browser.

    I avoid chromium browsers liek the plague.

    and of all the browsers Mozilla's least likely to sell my data (cant be 100% but thats life)

    they havent tried modern browser.

    Chrome when it was new was actually great....but that was then. Its gotten bloated & firefox has caught up w/o deciding my ram is an all you can eat buffet (and my data is free real estate)
    Edge is also better for battery life.

    https://windowsreport.com/best-browsers-battery-life/
    Reply