Windows 11 Build 22494 Blocks Non‑Edge Browsers via microsoft‑edge:// Protocol

Microsoft’s Windows 11 build 22494 update has begun enforcing a restriction that blocks non‑Edge browsers from opening links that use the microsoft-edge:// protocol. Instead of the usual https scheme, these links are wrapped in a custom Edge‑specific URL, which only Microsoft Edge can interpret.

The restriction applies to several system components, including Windows 11 widgets, News & Interests, help links in Settings, start‑menu search links, Cortana links, and links sent from paired Android devices. Even if users set a different default browser, these links will still launch Edge and prompt the user to make Edge the default.

Since 2017, developers have used tools like EdgeDeflector to intercept the microsoft-edge:// protocol and redirect it to a standard https:// URL, allowing the default browser to handle the link. Browsers such as Brave and Firefox later added native support for this protocol, offering users a choice when such links are clicked.

However, with the new builds 22483 and 22494, Microsoft has closed this loophole: EdgeDeflector and similar utilities no longer work, and the microsoft-edge:// protocol cannot be reassigned through registry edits, package modifications, or other work‑arounds. Users are now limited to the Edge family (Edge Dev, Edge, Edge Insider Beta) for handling these links.

Additionally, Windows 11 has removed the generic default web‑browser setting for http:// and https:// schemes, requiring separate link associations for file types such as .htm, .html, and .pdf. This change further complicates the use of alternative browsers and is viewed by many as an anti‑competitive move that harms user choice and system usability.

Developer Daniel Aleksandersen, creator of EdgeDeflector, criticized the update, suggesting Microsoft is deliberately creating more obstacles to default‑browser changes, and noted the lack of response from Microsoft regarding these concerns.