By Zak Doffman
Publication Date: 2026-01-06 10:20:00
Major surprise in Microsoft Vs Google stakes.
Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto
Microsoft has started 2026 with a surprise for users. Chrome downloads are being hit by the Windows maker’s latest update. But that’s not the surprise. It turns out Google’s world-leading browser has a sting in its tail for its arch rival.
“Microsoft is trying a new way to stop users from downloading Google Chrome,” Windows Report warned ahead of the holidays. The latest iteration in the long-running campaign to advance Edge and Bing at Google’s expense triggered the usual backlash.
But here’s that unexpected sting in the tail. Per Windows Latest, a very awkward and very public mistake suddenly suggests “even Microsoft uses Google Chrome.”
This all stems from “a new ad that says Windows 11 is the home of gaming in an attempt to encourage users, including those who are still stuck on Windows 10, to give this…