Google Preps One-Click Option to Make Chrome Default and Pin It to Windows 11 Taskbar
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After Microsoft’s recent tactic of prompting heavy Chrome users to pin Edge to the taskbar, Google is responding with a similar move. It’s testing a new option in Chrome’s settings that would let users set Chrome as the default browser and pin it to the Windows 11 taskbar with a single click.
Google is preparing to tweak one of Chrome’s most important settings on Windows. The familiar “Make default” button in Chrome’s Settings, currently used to set Chrome as the default browser, may soon do more.
Chrome to add Taskbar Pinning on Windows
A recent Chromium code change describes the feature as: “WIP Add option to pin to taskbar in settings.” Once implemented, the button text will read: “Make Google Chrome the default browser and pin it to the taskbar.” Google appears to be targeting this for a future Chrome release focused on user re-engagement.
In the past, Mozilla tried a similar thing with Firefox. They briefly tested a feature during the initial setup that asked users to make it their default browser and pin it to the taskbar. However, this was only a temporary experiment and never became a permanent feature. Google’s approach, which is building this option directly into Chrome’s settings, is likely to be a more permanent and lasting change.
The timing may also reflect regulatory changes in Europe. Under the EU’s Digital Markets Act, Windows now automatically pins non-Edge browsers like Chrome to the taskbar when they’re set as default unless users opt out. Google’s move could simply align with these requirements, but it also ensures that Chrome remains visible and accessible for users who switch.
Google isn’t stopping there. Chrome will soon add quick access to recent Tab Groups from the New Tab Page, integrate an AI-powered mode into Lens, and add support for Vertical Tabs.
