STOP USING CHROME & EDGE

With more than 3.2 billion users and a 69 per cent share of the desktop browser market (www.snipca.com/38829), Google’s Chrome is by far the world’s favourite means of accessing the web. Microsoft Edge lags a long way behind, with an 8.1 per cent share, but since its relaunch as a Chromium-based browser in January 2020, it’s steadily gaining ground and has overtaken Firefox as the most popular Chrome alternative on Windows PCs (on macOS, unsurprisingly, Apple’s Safari reigns supreme).

Both Chrome and Edge are easy to use, offer thousands of useful extensions and let you sync your bookmarks, passwords and browsing history across PCs, laptops and mobile devices. Why would you even consider using anything else to get online?

Well, as we explain in this feature, there are actually lots of reasons to ditch these two browsers that go beyond “I don’t trust Google” or “I don’t like Microsoft”. Despite their popularity, both browsers are deeply flawed, in ways that we’ll explain in detail, and have failed to fix persistent problems, while creating new ones for their users.

Happily, there’s never been a better time to switch to a different and superior browser, such are the quality and variety of options on offer – from the ad-blocking champion Brave to the feature-packed Vivaldi, not forgetting the original upstarts Firefox and Opera, both of which remain excellent alternatives.

For every flaw you’ll find in Chrome and Edge – from dubious data collection to lack of innovation – there are now several browsers that address those problems and provide many benefits and uniquely useful features. We reveal and review the leading contenders on page 56.

Of course, we’re not suggesting that you never use Chrome or Edge again, or you’ll risk some websites not working properly, losing data-sync features and receiving slower security updates. But trying a new browser can enhance your online experience in ways you’ve never imagined, and help you break free from the stranglehold that Google and Microsoft exert on the web.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

• Block ads and trackers without having to install extensions
• Stop Google and Microsoft tracking you and gathering your data
• Switch to a browser that consumes less memory and power
• Transfer your bookmarks and passwords to a new browser

WHY YOU SHOULD STOP USING CHROME & EDGE

They bombard you with annoying ads

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