Microsoft bringing back option to delete default search engines in Edge
Microsoft Edge Canary brought back the ability to delete default search engines.
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What you need to know
Microsoft Edge Canary has restored the option to delete default search engines. Until recently, it was possible to set different search engines as the default, but it was not possible to delete sites from the list of defaults to choose from. The change was spotted by Leo Varela, who shared screenshots of the new menu browser onReddit.
This isn’t new functionality for Microsoft Edge. Previous versions of the browser allowed you to delete default search engines in settings. That behavior changed at some point, which was flagged up onReddit. In response to that post from March 2022, Varela added some insight.
“Initially Edge received this change from upstream Chromium, but Google restored the option to remove default search engines in Chrome 99, so I don’t understand why Microsoft hasn’t restored this option in Edge yet, not even in the Dev and Canary versions (which are already at version 101),“said Varelain March 2022.
Google brought back the ability to remove default search engines in version 99. It took Microsoft until version 102, which is the latest version available through the Canary branch, to ship the change.
Edge Canary also gained a flag to show experimental appearance settings. Additionally, the browser’s “Follow creator” feature can now switch between recent posts and creators you follow without having to open the Collections flyout.
Microsoft has several versions of its Edge browser for testing new and experimental features. The latest version of Edge Canary lets you delete default search engine options.
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Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
