Microsoft seemingly redesigning Windows 11 settings UI for default apps like browsers

Earlier this year, in September, Microsoft finally acknowledged the importance of default app choices. The company now understands how such choices can impact the workflow and performance of a user. You can check out this article to read what the tech giant had to say in full.

For those who may not have followed what the fuss about default app choices in Windows 11 is, Microsoft has been making an active effort to limit and influence users to try and make them stick to Microsoft products for default apps, and it is most visible in the case of browsers.

It all started when Windows 11 was first released and accusations came in from third-party app providers about Microsoft's unfair practices. Vivaldi for example slammed the Redmond giant for being "openly abusive" and "desperate" and wanted the EU to step in too. And earlier this year, Microsoft also quietly added a "UCPD" driver to block out third-party Registry hacks for default app switches.

Fast forward to today, the company is now looking to make some UI changes in the Windows 11 Settings app for the default app choice section. Currently though, as discovered by X user and Windows enthusiast Albacore, the page is filled with placeholders like half-baked ViewModels, and misaligned text descriptions.

The change was noticed on Windows 11 24H2 build 26120.2213 which was released recently under KB5045885.

As you can see in the image above, there appears to be an updated version of the text, as the Default apps selection page now says "Set a default for a file type or link type." Hence at the moment, it is not quite clear what the final product post the overhaul will be like.