July 31, 2025 – According to a blog post by tech media outlet Windows Latest on July 30, Microsoft has made changes to the MSN news feed widget panel in Windows 11 in response to EU regulations. Now, when users click on news items in the panel, instead of being forced to open links in Microsoft Edge, the system will use the user’s preset default browser, such as Chrome.
Many Windows 11 users rely on the widget panel to stay updated on news headlines, check their phone’s battery status, and view notifications. However, previously, even if a user had set a browser other than Edge as their default, clicking on links in the widget panel would still open them in Microsoft Edge.
In June of this year, Microsoft announced that it would modify the rules governing the widget panel to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The company stated that it would configure the panel to open links using the default browser set in the Windows 11 system.
This new rule has now taken effect in EU regions, but it is currently exclusive to Windows 11. Since the widget panel and the lock screen mainly depend on the Start Experiences App, this adjustment does not apply to Windows 10.
