Microsoft now wants you to take a poll before installing Google Chrome

Microsoft may be open to the idea of Windows customers trying Linux, but it surely does not want you to try Chrome or other browsers. Downloading the most popular browser using Microsoft Edge is already a nightmare filled with banners and stop-gaps, and nothing seems to be stopping Microsoft from adding even more.

Last weekend, we noticed that an attempt to download Google Chrome using Microsoft Edge results in the latter opening its sidebar with a poll, asking you to explain to Microsoft how you could dare try downloading Google Chrome. Of course, the exact wording is more tame, but you get the idea.

Now, besides dismissing several banners and a full-size ad injected on the Chrome website, Edge wants you to answer a questionnaire with the following options:

We love having you!

Can you please take a minute to tell us why you are trying another browser?

• I can't search Google easily
• I can't access my Google documents
• I don't have my favorites or passwords here
• Too many ads and pop-ups
• I don't like the news feed
• It's too slow
• My websites don't work on Microsoft Edge
• My reason is not listed

It is interesting to see Microsoft listing some of the most popular complaints, such as the news feed full of yellow press and often harmful or fake stories and "too many ads and pop-ups." You can turn off the news feed and forget about its existence, but pop-up banners will test your patience to the limit. Try the Dall-E image generator, try another new tab page layout, try Bing Chat instead of Bard, download Edge on mobile, enable shopping experiences, share your browsing data with us to improve your experience, do not download Chrome, enable Microsoft rewards, switch to Bing, and so many more.

The new feedback request seems the least offensive among other questionable practices Microsoft uses to make you stay with Edge. Besides, it seems the company is testing the poll, so not everyone can see it when downloading Chrome. If only Microsoft could admit that some people just want to use Chrome.