Microsoft thwarted! Set Firefox as your Windows 10 default browser with one click; here is how to

Switching browsers shouldn’t be difficult, and Mozilla just ensured that users can use Firefox as the default browser on Windows 10 with a single click.

Microsoft also makes it difficult for users to switch to other browsers on Windows 10, but it looks like Mozilla has found a way to allow users to set Firefox as the default with a single click.

Mozilla Firefox is an open source browser that is used by millions of people around the world, and competes with popular browsers like Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. While Google Chrome is currently the most widely used browser in the world, Microsoft is still trying to convince users to switch to its Edge browser, which is available on all Windows PCs. Microsoft also makes it difficult for users to switch to other browsers on Windows 10, but it looks like Mozilla has found a way to allow users to set Firefox as the default with a single click.

Microsoft currently requires users to manually set a third-party app like Chrome, Firefox, and Vivaldi as the default browser. This has to be done by visiting the Settings app and changing the default, which can be a cumbersome process. Mozilla has now found a way for users to quickly set Firefox as the default browser, without leaving the Firefox app, The Verge reports.

 

While the report states that Microsoft does not support such functionality in Windows (these protections are in place to protect users from apps that silently set their apps as the default browser) Firefox can now circumvent these protections and set itself as the default browser, which has reportedly been achieved through reverse engineering. In fact, users can head over to Mozilla as long as they have the latest version of Firefox installed -- the feature was added in version 91, while the company recently released version 92 of the browser.

However, it remains to be seen whether other companies will be able to circumvent the stringent restrictions put in place by Microsoft with Windows 11, which makes it even more difficult to switch browsers after installing the update. When Windows 11 arrives, users will reportedly have to set a default browser for specific file types, and that involves setting Chrome or Firefox as the default app to open HTM, HTML, PDF, SHTML, SVG, WEBP, XHT, XHTML, FTP, HTTP, and HTTPS files. As of now, only Firefox is reportedly able to set itself as the default browser, although other companies could soon follow suit.