So here’s how it works: when you launch a browser for the first time, you’re prompted with what you want to do and you have the option to click on “Always use this app” to set it as the default. This is similar behavior to Windows 10, but if for some reason you forgot to check that box, you’ll never see that prompt again.
Instead, you’ll now need to dive into the Windows 11 settings to change it, and even then you will have to make multiple changes on how to handle HTML, HTM, PDF, HTTP, XHTML, and etc., types of files. This means that users will need to go through multiple steps in order to set their default browser, so while it is still possible to change your default, the extra steps might put many users off, or they might not know they have to change everything.
Many of Microsoft’s competitors like those from Mozilla, Opera, and Google have since spoken up against these changes. That being said, we’re not sure if this is because Windows 11 is still in beta and that things will change ahead of the final release, or if this is the route that Microsoft will be taking.