Microsoft wants you to open more of your links in the Edge browser

Are you using Microsoft Edge much at the moment? You might soon be opening it up a lot more if you're using a preview version of Windows 10, because Microsoft is testing out the idea of forcing you to use Edge to open links from Windows Mail – in the same way that links from Mail on iOS have to open in Safari.

Of course you can still use an alternative browser for all your other web surfing needs, but if Edge isn't your program of choice and you spend a lot of time clicking on links from your inbox, it's easy to imagine this is going to get pretty annoying very quickly.

Microsoft is keen to point out that this is just a limited trial and may not make it into the final, public release of Windows 10 that rolls out to everyone. "As always, we look forward to feedback from our WIP [Windows Insider Program] community," says Microsoft, so if you're not a fan (or you are a fan) of the feature, be sure to let Microsoft know.

"Secure and consistent"

Apparently the move is being trialled because Microsoft Edge "provides the best, most secure and consistent experience on Windows 10 and across your devices" says Microsoft, though it is a little biased. The occasional security flaw has been known to hit Edge.

It's perhaps not a surprising move: the stripped-down Windows 10 S Mode doesn't allow any other browsers at all besides Edge at the moment, with security and stability again the reasons given for the limitations. The most recent browser market share figures suggest Edge could do with a boost, as it's hovering around the 4% mark.

There aren't too many other features of note in the preview build, though there is support for the new High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) you might have seen in other devices. If you're interested in signing up for early versions of Windows, you can join the Windows Insider Program here.