Web browsers are a truly crucial aspect of how people end up spending their time on the internet and get to the websites that matter most to them. While Google Chrome has been the single biggest name in the browser industry for quite some time now, suffice it to say that Microsoft Edge has done a fair bit to reduce Chrome’s monopoly and many users have flocked to it since it provided certain features and benefits that Chrome did not.
Recent updates to both Chrome as well as Edge caused a bit of an uproar, though, since they both had a similar change that many users did not like all that much at all. This change was that users could no longer delete search engines that each browser included as a default. Previously, users had full control over what search engines were incorporated into either their Chrome or Edge browsers. However, Chrome 97 and Edge 97 no longer made this possible, with users only being able to edit these search engines instead of being able to delete them.
Suffice it to say that most users were thoroughly displeased by this because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up making it impossible for them to have any actual control over the browsers that they were attempting to utilize. This feature rolled out in both browsers due to the reason that they both are made with the Chromium platform, so many updates between them are shared to one extent or another.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that these changes may have actually been a mistake that resulted from Chrome attempting to simplify its search engines page. One reason for why this occurred may have been that they were trying to make it more difficult for malicious actors to hijack search engines, and now that this mistake has been noted both browsers are going to be reversing the change in upcoming versions so that users can delete default search engines once again.
Another potential reason for this change may have been accidental search engine deletions. Chrome will now be giving users a prompt to make sure that the deletion is intentional so that users don’t end up being left without their search engine of choice. This is definitely a far more sensible way to go about this endeavor, and it is something that users would appreciate for the most part.
Chrome 98 is being released on the first of February, with Chrome 99 slated for release exactly a month after that date. Hence, users can rejoice knowing that in just a few short weeks they will have full control of default search engines on their favorite browsers once again. There is often concern that a browser will take control away without users realizing it, and the quiet nature of this update in Chrome 97 definitely took quite a few users by surprise.
However, now that the change is being reversed it looks like Chrome and Edge can go back to competing with one another for the top spot in the browser world.
Read next: Chrome Gives Users Better Control Over Extensions Permissions
Recent updates to both Chrome as well as Edge caused a bit of an uproar, though, since they both had a similar change that many users did not like all that much at all. This change was that users could no longer delete search engines that each browser included as a default. Previously, users had full control over what search engines were incorporated into either their Chrome or Edge browsers. However, Chrome 97 and Edge 97 no longer made this possible, with users only being able to edit these search engines instead of being able to delete them.
Suffice it to say that most users were thoroughly displeased by this because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up making it impossible for them to have any actual control over the browsers that they were attempting to utilize. This feature rolled out in both browsers due to the reason that they both are made with the Chromium platform, so many updates between them are shared to one extent or another.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that these changes may have actually been a mistake that resulted from Chrome attempting to simplify its search engines page. One reason for why this occurred may have been that they were trying to make it more difficult for malicious actors to hijack search engines, and now that this mistake has been noted both browsers are going to be reversing the change in upcoming versions so that users can delete default search engines once again.
Another potential reason for this change may have been accidental search engine deletions. Chrome will now be giving users a prompt to make sure that the deletion is intentional so that users don’t end up being left without their search engine of choice. This is definitely a far more sensible way to go about this endeavor, and it is something that users would appreciate for the most part.
Chrome 98 is being released on the first of February, with Chrome 99 slated for release exactly a month after that date. Hence, users can rejoice knowing that in just a few short weeks they will have full control of default search engines on their favorite browsers once again. There is often concern that a browser will take control away without users realizing it, and the quiet nature of this update in Chrome 97 definitely took quite a few users by surprise.
However, now that the change is being reversed it looks like Chrome and Edge can go back to competing with one another for the top spot in the browser world.
Read next: Chrome Gives Users Better Control Over Extensions Permissions