Microsoft has announced that it has analysed dozens of types of notifications that could be considered abusive and now attempts to block them for Edge users. It said that during this process, it identified websites that like to spam visitors and removed their notification privileges so they can’t harass users.
The company said that since May with the release of Edge 113, it has also been showing the first notification request from unfamiliar sites quietly with a subtle message in the address bar. Since making the change, the company has seen a significant decrease in the number of customers reporting notification issues.
On websites that Microsoft has not explicitly banned notifications on, users will still be allowed to see notifications if they’ve already accepted them. If you visit a website regularly, you’ll also be able to accept notifications from the website too.
If it’s your first time on the website and Microsoft Edge silenced the notification prompt, just look in the URL bar for a bell icon with a red cross. If you tap this, you will see an option to allow notifications on the website and another to manage notifications.
For Enterprise admins, Microsoft has added an option to configure a whitelist to ensure that internal applications can request notification access without a problem.
Justifying these steps, Microsoft said that spammy notifications can be “unsettling” and some users do not know how to remove notification access afterwards. In previous research, the company has found that three in five users have found them unsettling and that 12% have felt some kind of negative impact.
Microsoft said that it’s keen to learn more about your experience with spammy notifications in Edge. If you want to give your feedback, Microsoft requests you do that by going to Menu > Help and feedback > Send feedback.
Let us know in the comments if you’ve noticed a reduction in unwanted notifications since May.