On Windows 11, Microsoft Edge is already installed and set as the default browser. Microsoft calls it “a core component of the operating system” that “can’t be uninstalled” (the European Economic Area is the exception, see below), and says you can install other browsers and change your default at any time (Microsoft: why Edge can’t be uninstalled). So on Windows the real choice is which browser opens your links. Chrome installs alongside Edge, and nothing in Windows stops you from using it as your main browser, unless your PC is in S mode.
To get Chrome, see Chrome for Windows 10 and 11, which has Google’s official installers for regular PCs and ARM laptops.
Make Chrome the default browser on Windows 11
These are the steps from Google’s default browser help, and they match Microsoft’s own instructions for default apps:
- Select Start, then Settings.
- Go to Apps > Default apps.
- Under “Set defaults for applications,” type Chrome in the search box and select Google Chrome.
- At the top, next to “Make Google Chrome your default browser,” select Set default.
- Check the list of file types and link types below it to make sure they open in Chrome.
To go back to Edge, follow the same steps and choose Microsoft Edge instead (Microsoft’s default apps help).
If your PC is in S mode
Some laptops come with Windows 11 Home in S mode. Microsoft says S mode “allows users to only install the apps from Microsoft Store and requires Microsoft Edge for safe browsing” (Microsoft’s S mode FAQ). To use Chrome you have to switch out of S mode first:
- Open Settings > System > Activation.
- Find the Switch to Windows 11 Pro section and select Go to the Store. Do not use the link under “Upgrade your edition of Windows,” which keeps you in S mode.
- On the Microsoft Store page that opens, select Get and confirm.
Switching out is free but one-way: Microsoft says you cannot turn S mode back on. If the PC belongs to a school or employer, ask the administrator first.
ARM laptops
If your laptop has an ARM processor, such as a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, Chrome has a build for it. Google lists Windows 11 as the minimum for Chrome on ARM (Google’s install help). The Chrome system requirements page lists the rest.
Battery and memory on a Windows laptop
- Edge ties its energy saver to Windows: Microsoft says on Windows it follows Windows Battery Saver mode. Edge also puts background tabs to sleep after two hours by default (Microsoft’s performance features help).
- Chrome has its own Energy Saver, which works when your laptop is unplugged or the battery is low, and Memory Saver, which deactivates tabs you are not using. Both are in Settings > Performance (Google’s performance settings help).
To open Chrome’s performance settings, paste this into the address bar:
chrome://settings/performance
If you see a green double-leaf icon next to Edge in Windows Task Manager, that is Windows 11’s own efficiency mode, not an Edge setting. Microsoft says the two are separate, and turning one off does not turn off the other.
Can I uninstall Edge if I use Chrome?
In most countries, no. Microsoft says Edge cannot be uninstalled from Windows and that it keeps updating Edge through the browser installer or Windows updates. The exception is the European Economic Area, where Microsoft added the option to uninstall Edge in Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Setting Chrome as your default browser sends web links to Chrome, though Microsoft says some of its own apps may still open web content in Edge.
Can I bring my Edge bookmarks to Chrome?
Yes. Save your favorites from Edge as an HTML file, then in Chrome choose More > Bookmarks and lists > Import bookmarks and settings and pick that file (Google’s import help).
Which one should I use?
If you are still deciding, Chrome or Edge: which should you use? gives the short answer, and the full Chrome vs Edge comparison covers speed, memory, privacy and AI in detail.