- Microsoft to streamline the process to pin and set apps as default on Windows 11.
- The new changes will allow developers and Microsoft to offer the experience of pinning and setting default apps.
- This is a new standardization process that will come to users in future updates.
Microsoft announces a plan to make pinning apps and setting apps as default more transparent on Windows 11. According to the announcement, the company plans to make it easier to change default apps and give you more control over the apps you want to pin in the Taskbar, Desktop, and Start menu.
The company will accomplish these changes by providing a standardized way for app developers to offer the ability to make their apps the default or pin their apps into the Taskbar. Microsoft is also expected to follow this new process for its applications, meaning that the built-in app will no longer change your preferences and become the system default without your approval.
The company is emphasizing that this new approach will make it easier to make your preferred browser the default instead of Microsoft Edge. However, you will still not be able to make your browser the default for every task, such as opening search results from Windows Search or opening links from the Widgets feed.
According to the company, Windows 11 will soon receive an update introducing a new deep link URI (ms-settings) for apps to take you directly to the appropriate location in Settings to change the defaults.
In addition, for pinning, the operating system will introduce a new publicly available API enabling apps to pin either primary or secondary tiles to the Taskbar. Using this experience, the user will always see a toast notification to accept or decline the pinning.
It’s unclear when these changes will roll out to users, but the company plans to implement the new principles soon, starting with users enrolled in the Windows Insider Program.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].