Microsoft is testing another Edge trick to convert Chrome users

Microsoft really, really, really wants you to start using Edge as your primary browser. The company has employed all kinds of tricks in the past to sway users, like forcing links to open in Edge, asking why you downloaded Chrome, and sneakily importing your Chrome data. As of this writing, the company isn’t yet out of ideas.

In the latest version of Edge Canary—the most cutting-edge channel that’s updated daily with the newest developments—the browser now contains hints that point to a new internal feature that involves a “pin Edge when you close the browser” prompt, reports Windows Latest.

To be fair, “pin Edge” prompts aren’t new. But the new feature flags in Edge Canary show that Microsoft might be trying a new tactic soon. Specifically, if you’re a heavy Chrome user, you might be shown a pop-up request to pin Edge to the Windows taskbar. If you aren’t, you may never see the pop-up.

Going by two of the new feature flags, the new “pin Edge” prompt seems to be targeting users with “over 90 percent Chrome usage” and/or users who are designted as “Chrome engaged.” It’s hard to know what exactly those terms mean, but it likely means anyone who primarily uses Chrome more than any other web browser.

Clearly, the aim is to bring Edge to the forefront for users who have forgotten or neglected the browser. It’s unclear when this feature will start rolling out, or if it will ever be rolled out. Since these are just feature flags for now, it could just be an internal company test.

Microsoft’s ongoing strategy to aggressively market Edge has been criticized in the past and has even led to antitrust complaints.