Microsoft Says Windows 10 Users 'Can't Uninstall Microsoft Edge,' But There's Still A Way

Microsoft is forcing the new Chromium Edge browser on Windows users and is even telling them that they won't be able to uninstall it – even if there's an effective workaround that removes it.

Previous reports indicated that tech giant Microsoft was forcing people to use the Chromium Edge browser on their Windows computers. The browser gets forcibly installed into Windows machines via a forced update. Once the browser is already installed, it won't allow users to uninstall it.

Many Windows users are not happy with what Microsoft did, The Verge noted. The site looked at the search volume for “uninstall Microsoft Edge” in recent months and found that there has been a massive increase since it started being automatically installed to computers.

Microsoft, however, appears unapologetic. It even created a support page titled “Can't uninstall Microsoft Edge.” The image below shows that those words are written in huge letters, indicating that it knows that Windows users are looking for a way to remove the browser from their computers.

Instead of giving instructions on how to remove the browser, Microsoft simply said that it “has migrated Windows customers from the legacy version of Microsoft Edge to the new version in a phased rollout.”

It then enumerated the list of features that the new Edge version brings to users. These features include those meant for performance, privacy, productivity, security and others.

The company then ended the explainer by hammering the final nail in the coffin, stating, “The new version of Microsoft Edge is included in a Windows system update, so the option to uninstall it or use the legacy version of Microsoft Edge will no longer be available.”

The Verge noted that that last line there seems to say “you can’t uninstall it because we decided not to let you.”

Microsoft recently announced that it is ending support for the legacy version of the Edge browser on March 9, 2021. It also said that it is cutting support for Internet Explorer 11 on Nov. 11 this year. The new Edge browser seems to be the only choice for those who want Microsoft's browsers.

That said, there's a way for Windows users to revert back to the legacy version of the Edge browser even if the newer version is already installed in their devices. Here's a guide on how to do that.