Yes, you can turn off Edge completely on Windows 11.
Yes, you can turn off Edge completely on Windows 11.
Hello everyone, Do you have any method to completely turn off Edge on Windows 11? I rely on Firefox and often get frustrated when a search link or desktop feature forces Edge to launch instead of my preferred app. In the Startup settings, Edge is currently set to use the default app for everything.
It has its own limitations too (notably in version 11). https://github.com/ShadowWhisperer/Remove-MS-Edge
I noticed something similar before. I’m okay leaving it in place unless it bothers me too much—I’ve figured out I might not win, so I’ll just try to avoid opening it.
I wouldn't try any of those "magic" scripts. If you do, avoid returning later and complaining about W11 instability and issues. I mean, half the complaints come from people testing random scripts they find everywhere. I'm not claiming all of them are created by malicious users, but even the most skilled script kiddies don't know what Microsoft plans for future updates—then the update might fail. In European W11, you can simply uninstall Edge by removing it during de-installation. Just be careful before uninstalling Edge if you rely on it to download Chrome, since that could cause problems. If you're in a region where removal isn't possible, it might break something unexpectedly. You can still disable it from autostart, though. It doesn't turn off automatically unless you interact with Edge (like clicking the "show me what this picture is" button). In W11 IoT, you can also remove it and receive a warning about the features you lose. I'm not sure if that could affect you later. I don't want to sound alarmist, but if you keep using Windows for several years, avoid making major changes.
The W11 versions with easy Edge removal seem to use a unique approach that avoids affecting other components. I’m not sure how removing it via a script would cause issues, but it’s puzzling why no one from the EU has reported problems despite potential disruptions. Even if only a small percentage encounter issues, it should have been widely noticed.
I can simply remove it, just like with "copilot," though it seems to vary by country. Apparently I installed the US version but it still lets me uninstall as needed per DMA. Otherwise, there are third-party options... Britec tends to work well, so I’d follow his suggestions (no guarantees, of course).
I didn't do anything wrong; nothing unusual occurred. It's just another app, similar to others... (it might also delete some copilot features by accident). If you simply remove it via the UI, nothing should break. It’s likely it will reinstall with updates anyway. I’ve already uninstalled the updates app (named "waasmedic") using a script.