Brave 1.30 supports Microsoft Edge's protocol on Windows to become the true default browser on Windows 10 and 11
Brave 1.30 introduces a new option for devices running Windows 10 or Windows 11, which allows the browser to become the default browser for Microsoft Edge's internal protocol. Searches and internal pages that Microsoft designed using the protocol, microsoft-edge://, will open in Brave if configured correctly.
Windows 10 and Windows 11 users who make a third-party web browser the default system browser, meaning any browser that is not Microsoft Edge, may notice that some requests are still loaded in Edge. Web search results of the Start menu are a prime example; others include help file and support links, or when uninstalled programs spawn a web page.
Third-party programs like Edge Deflector or BrokenURL were developed to bypass the limitation. These programs register as the default protocol handler for the Microsoft Edge protocol and redirect requests to another browser. Browsers have not used the method up until now to hijack the Edge protocol requests so that they are opened in the browser and not in Edge.
Brave 1.30 changes that. The developers analyzed the Microsoft-Edge protocol and how it is set, and implemented an option in the new version of Brave that gives users the option to make Brave the true default browser on the Windows device.
The feature is not automated, but setup is quick. All you have to do after upgrading to Brave 1.30 -- check brave://settings/help to see the version -- is to launch a request that uses the protocol. A simple option is to click on a web search result in the Start menu. A "choose your browser" prompt is displayed and Brave is one of the options. Check "always use this app" and pick Brave browser from the short list of options.
Configuration in Settings
Alternatively, you may set Brave in the Settings as well. Use Windows-I to open the Settings application, or go to Start > Settings.
On Windows 10:
- Navigate to Apps > Default Apps > Choose default apps by protocol.
- Locate "Microsoft-Edge" on the page that opens in the Name column.
- Left-click on Microsoft Edge in the second column and pick Brave from the "choose an app" list to make it the default for the protocol.
On Windows 11:
- Navigate to Apps > Default Apps > Choose defaults by link type.
- Locate "Microsoft-Edge" on the page that opens in the Name column.
- Left-click on Microsoft Edge in the second column and pick Brave from the "choose an app" list to make it the default for the protocol.
The change takes effect immediately. Run another web search from Start, and you will notice that results open in Brave and no longer in Microsoft Edge. Note that Bing is still used when searches are made and that it includes several parameters. Brave has a thread open on GitHub, and it may address this in a later build of the browser as well.
Brave 1.30 introduces a handful of other features. Users of the browser may enable the new "Index other search engines" option to automatically add search engines that support the OpenSearch spec to Brave. Linux and Mac admins may disable Tor via a new policy, and Brave's content blocker allows first-party requests in the standard (default) setting now. You can check out all
Closing Words
It is probably only a matter of time before other third-party browsers implement similar functionality. There is no good reason, other than pushing Microsoft Edge, to limit a browser protocol on Windows.
This isn’t functional anymore, no. It’s incredibly frustrating to be inexperienced with the various methods and workarounds to these issues, making the various “smart” features essentially useless in Windows 11 (unless you submit to their browser).
January 08 2021
As of today I could not get any of these methods to work. I may
be incompetent and would appreciate any assistance I could
get. I hated Internet Explorer and I hate Edge.
Thank you
I previously used this and it worked. However, it now appears that MS has broken it and forced edge back to default for several things.
Man, this is annoying.
To watch YouTube on PC, MacOS, or Linux, try FreeTube. I have been using it for some time and recommend it.
https://freetubeapp.io/
LOL, I posted this message in the wrong spot, meant to post it on the “Don’t track me Google” story.
Brave Browser doesn’t care that your microphone cannot be used even if you allow the permission in the website. The feature is broken, they know it for years and they don’t do anything about it.
Try using websites like dictation.io and you will see what I mean.
Are you sure that’s not because some sites such as Duolingo or even Google Slides rely on a proprietary Google API? Edge won’t work either, it must be Google Chrome.
Mention a browser and copious comments follow.
Unless there are settings that prevent Brave from being default (there aren’t), this is clickbait. If users are so uncapable, they want software to read their minds and present their perfect configuration, live with what you get, ain’t gonna happen. Otherwise, just change this stuff.
Best thing about Credge is it’s easy to remove and block; it has never existed on any of our devices. MS heading off a rerun of IE from the last century? Edge was virtually impossible to remove.
@ ULBoom
> “Best thing about Credge is it’s easy to remove and block”
Not sure how you are doing this. If you would be so kind, please share your wisdom.
You can uninstall Edgium with finoderi’s command, I also do that. But then cumulative updates and such fail to install. So I have to install Edgium, install the update, uninstall Edgium.
Check Edge build number in Apps&Features, then open cmd with admin privileges.
cd %PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\Microsoft\Edge\Application\edge-version-number-you-checked\Installer
setup.exe –uninstall –system-level –force-uninstall
@finoderi
Thank you.
Quote:
“The developers analyzed the Microsoft-Edge protocol and how it is set”
… or simply analyzed how Mozilla developer did it?
https://www.ghacks.net/2021/09/13/mozilla-reverse-engineers-microsoft-edges-default-browser-setting-behavior/
I’m just asking for my friend… I suspect fellow readers know the one.
Vendetta …? A blood feud …? Me? … who always looks on the polite side of life!
C’mon, if this politeness causes such bloodthirsty anguish among the minstrel singers of the high office of slander, it may not have been planned that way, but it may was quite intentional.
@Emil Brausewetter let me guess: a fellow countryman of yours whom you are running a personal vendetta against on this forum. Bravo for the invaluable contribution to the forum, truly impressive.
@Klaas Vaak
Maybe he WANTS to have people running personal vendettas against him. * [Editor: removed]
Firefox has done it before by reverse engineering Edge protocol.
Good to see Brave following in the footsteps of Firefox yet again
@matthiew
Who cares if Firefox publishes their findings a few days earlier? It‘s a default application mechanism, not rocket science.
@ilev
And?
…and nothing. That was the comment.
I have uninstalled Edge and replaced it with a different browser to serve as my secondary browser. I’ve also made it so Windows 11 won’t try and install Edge again in the future.
You can’t uninstall Edge. It’s a core part of the Windows OS.