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atrain204's avatar
atrain204
Steel Contributor
Dec 03, 2021

Teams needs an option to allow us to specify what browser it should use

In the nature of "hybrid work", I often work from home on my personal computer.   To keep work and personal stuff separate, I use different browsers.  Edge for work and Brave for personal stuff.

 

The problem is that Teams will always use my default browser to launch content that I'm not signed-in for.  Which means I need to manually grab links and paste them in Edge to move forward.

 

IMO, this makes for a broken user-experience.

 

Lastly, I do realize that I can create a separate Windows profile for my work stuff (which I'm likely to do) but I don't believe that is the appropriate answer, but a workaround.

 

 

  • marcoskirsch's avatar
    marcoskirsch
    Copper Contributor

    atrain204 I have been doing the same thing (Edge for work stuff and Safari for everything else). The way I accomplished this is by making Finicky my default browser. Finicky processes URLs and then simply passes them on based on configuration files. So work-related URLs go to Edge and the rest to Safari. I realize you may be on Windows so this advice is not directly applicable to you but surely there's an equivalent utility you can use.

    All this said, the reason I reached this page via a search is that recently Microsoft Teams appears to be sending all URLs to Safari, rather than my default browser. That breaks this workflow. Clicking from Outlook or any other application still does the right thing.

  • Yanxin's avatar
    Yanxin
    Copper Contributor

    atrain204 

     

    It is a computer setup task on user side.  You will be able to select your favorite browser among those installed on your computer.  You can reach the point, where you can select, as below.

     

    For Mac user, the steps are:

    • System Preference
    • General
    • Default web browser

    For windows user, the steps are: 

    • Control Panel
    • Default Programs
    • Set your default programs
    • Web browser

     

    • atrain204's avatar
      atrain204
      Steel Contributor
      Yes, I do have that setup. The problem was that I use different browsers between personal and work life. My default browser was setup for my personal use.

      Since creating a separate work profile on my computer, this has become a non-issue for me, but I still would like the option for me to tell Teams to use "Edge" as it's default browser, even if it's not the default on the OS.
  • I think it could be a function for system, not for teams.

    IMO, Teams could make this happens, as it's a switch/openwith/redirect function
    but it should be a system level settings which should be set by admin, not set through APP.

    I think "Teams will always use my default browser to launch content" means URL in Teams desktop app. but about "how to open a URL" is actually like: when you try to open www.bing.com, system will check the settings then open it with a tool(maybe browser), then browser check the settings if it will open it or redirect it, then URL will run and check if it run with the current browser or redirect again.

    the complex things is enough and it's not a good idea to make Teams join it, consider policy like GPO/MAM already join in and sometimes lead to chaos. and just like normally no app will ask you which browser you want to use when you click the link(unless it's the first time, which means no settings for it, or means system don't know what to do and programmer give you a way to choose)
    • atrain204's avatar
      atrain204
      Steel Contributor
      Ended up creating a dedicated work profile on my computer, which allows me to use Edge as my default. Not what I wanted to do, but it resolved most of my problems.

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