Microsoft To Make Setting Default Apps Easier on Windows 11

Windows 11 users will soon have an easier time setting up their default apps.

Microsoft recently announced it is releasing a new uniform resource identifier (URI) that allows users to change specific settings easier.

The company has yet to announce an exact date when it would make this change available to all users.

Microsoft New URI Details

Microsoft mentioned in a blog post posted on Mar. 17 that it would soon introduce a new Settings deep link URI for applications that would allow developers to send users to the correct section of the Settings menu to change the default app Windows 11 uses for specific links and file types.

The California-based tech giant mentioned that doing so reaffirms its long-standing approach to "put people in control of their Windows PC experience and to empower developers to take advantage of [its] open platform."

For those unaware, a default app is software the computer opens automatically whenever a user tries to open a specific file format, per Tech Radar. For example, an HTML file would normally open in Microsoft Edge because Windows 11 has Edge as its default browser, initially.

However, users can change the default app to the web browser of their choice so they can open HTML files on Chrome or Firefox. The same is true with MP3 and MP4 files and even pdf documents.

The Verge noted that the changes Microsoft wants to make through its new URI and default app settings could make computers feel similar to what people are used to from iOS or Android mobile devices.

Microsoft's changes to Windows 11's URI is a much-requested change since its release in 2021. According to Engadget, Windows 11 users previously had problems changing the operating system's default apps, with it requiring a complicated process to do so.

For instance, if a user doesn't want Edge to open a webpage or PDF, they'll have to launch Windows 11's Settings menu and change the default app by file and link type - an unnecessarily long and convoluted process compared to what Windows 10 has.

Microsoft's Changes To Pinning Tiles

Aside from the new URI, Microsoft also announced it would soon introduce a new publicly available API that allows apps to pin either primary or secondary tules to the taskbar. Simply put, Windows 11's new API will give users more control over what apps they can put on their desktop, start menu, and taskbar.

Whenever an app wants to request to be pinned, a new notification will pop up that explains its intention to do so, along with two options for users to choose if they want the app to be pinned on the desired location or not.

"This API will always invoke a trusted Windows user experience to clarify what is being requested to be pinned and to confirm that the user indeed wants to allow the pin to occur," Microsoft said.

Microsoft will also release this new app pinning API, along with its new URI, in the coming months, though the company has yet to provide a specific date when it would do so.