Microsoft just recently announced that it was making changes to Windows 11 for users in the European Economic Area (EEA) in order to comply with the Digital Markets Act in that region. As I wrote the news for that announcement, though, I realized that this could actually be one of the most exciting Windows 11 announcements in months. These updates make the operating system better and more user-friendly, and they're too good to be limited to any specific region — they should be available to everyone no matter where they buy their laptop.

What the EEA changes mean for Windows 11

Microsoft can no longer force its services on you

First off, let's quickly go over what these EEA-specific changes mean. The two biggest announcements have to do with Windows Search and Widgets. Microsoft is adding interoperability to both of these areas of the OS, meaning you'll be able to choose custom search providers to provide results in Windows Search and add custom feeds to the Widgets panel rather than just using Microsoft Start.

Other changes exclusive to the EEA include the ability to actually uninstall Microsoft Edge, which is great to see. I actually like Edge, but not everybody wants to use it, and it shouldn't be forced on people. Microsoft also mentioned that in the EEA, links can be opened in any browser by default, although the apps ultimately choose how to open links, and certain Microsoft apps may choose to open links in Edge.

This is actually kind of interesting, seeing as Windows Search and Widgets currently both open links in Edge regardless of your default browser, and they do so by using a custom protocol that only Edge can open. Microsoft's wording doesn't make it totally clear if this behavior will change, but since apps choose what browser to use when opening links, having a third-party app powering these experiences should mean that clicking links won't force you to go to Edge.

Making Windows 11 better

These rules actually improve the user experience

I'm not necessarily in favor of regulations forcing companies to make these kinds of changes, but in this case, users are going to clearly benefit. Most notably, I think the Widgets panel can actually be good now.

I've already complained about Widgets in the past, and a big part is that the news feed is absolutely useless. Microsoft has been making this panel worse as time passes, reducing the area for widgets and increasing the visibility of its "news." And Microsoft Start is a horrible source of news. It has a limited number of sources and surfaces all kinds of useless articles, some with all kinds of clickbait-y titles. It's not at all a curated news source, or at least it doesn't feel like it — it's more like an RSS feed aggregator of the worst kinds of content on the internet. It doesn't tailor it to your interests either, showing me unimportant topics like horoscopes and celebrity gossip.

With these EEA changes, though, you can set your own custom sources for feeds, and they can be installed from the Microsoft Store. RSS feed aggregators can actually be really useful when they're controlled by the user. I used Feedly for a long time, and using the built-in feed reader in Vivaldi is awesome. So the idea of being able to create a feed of news I actually care about from sources actually worth following is enticing with Widgets. If platforms like Feedly jump on this, I'd be first in line to set it up, and I'd use the Widgets panel a lot more.

This is a legitimately major improvement to the user experience. And once Microsoft allows third-party news sources in Widgets, I'm sure it'll also be less pushy with bringing news feeds to the forefront, so maybe you can actually have a reasonable amount of space for widgets and a more customizable UI — another change I've been wanting for a while.

This goes for search, too. While I find that Bing works alright for the most part, most people would rather use something else, and being able to access your favorite search engine from your desktop can be super useful. Plus, it could have the added benefit of opening links in your default browser rather than Edge, which would also be great.

Most importantly, these changes are expanding the functionality of the OS. Any time a product gives you more options for using it, that's an upgrade. Being able to use your favorite search engine, your preferred news sources — that shouldn't be something Microsoft does to comply with rules. It should be done because it makes users happy.

Thankfully, this kind of thing keeps happening. Companies are consistently forced by regulators (especially in the EU) to make changes to their products in order to comply with antitrust rules and other legislation. Most times, these changes should realistically happen everywhere, not just in Europe. But these changes really are too good to be limited to a small set of users, I want them to benefit everyone, not just those in Europe.

Microsoft will need to make its products worth using

You can't rely on OS restrictions to increase your user count

Once these changes become effective (Microsoft plans to comply with the DMA by March 6, 2024), Microsoft will have to put more effort into making its products more appealing, and that's a good thing. More and more, Microsoft has been trying to shove its products and services down users' throats by placing ads just about everywhere. Heck, a while back, there was even a test for ads in File Explorer. Having all these locked-down features makes it so that, inevitably, someone will use a Microsoft service, even if they didn't intend to. I can't tell you how many times I've opened Bing because I was searching for an app on my PC, and I happened to misspell it, prompting Windows search to take me to the web instead. That kind of thing likely inflates user numbers in an unrealistic way.

If users have more choices, Microsoft will have to try and actually make these products worth something if the company doesn't want them to die out. Improve the quality of Microsoft Start, make it more customizable, and do something to make that news feed and the Widgets panel worth it. Improve Bing search and its features. Ultimately, these things should benefit everyone. You can switch to a better service, or you can benefit from improvements to Microsoft's products once they start trying to compete.

Regardless, Microsoft has to take the first step and make these changes available everywhere. Hopefully, the company listens, and we'll see that happen sooner rather than later.