Microsoft accidentally promoted Google Chrome in its own Windows 11 ad

Microsoft has been trying to convince Windows 11 users to use its Edge browser for years, but even its ad creators seem more accustomed to the competition. The company made an awkward mistake in its January promotional campaign when it accidentally displayed Google Chrome as the default browser on the taskbar in an official video.

Photo: Lenovo

The tech world is having fun with Microsoft’s inattention in 2026. In a new ad that purports to highlight productivity and artificial intelligence in Windows 11, sharp-eyed viewers noticed a Google Chrome icon proudly standing in the spot where Microsoft usually aggressively promotes its Edge. The irony is even greater because Microsoft often displays warnings within the system itself to discourage users from downloading Chrome.

As soon as news of the blunder hit social media, Microsoft pulled the video and re-uploaded it in a “fixed” version. In the new version, the Chrome icon was digitally removed or replaced with an Edge icon, but footage of the original ad has already made the rounds online. Analysts believe this is a result of the use of actual employees’ computers to record the ad content, suggesting that even within Microsoft, Edge is not necessarily the first choice for everyday work.

The incident has sparked a new wave of debate about Microsoft's advertising practices within the operating system. While the company has quietly been fixing its ad mistakes, users in 2026 are still reporting increased calls to use Edge and Bing. The gaffe serves as a fun reminder that the battle for browser supremacy is still very much alive, and that sometimes the best advertising for the competition is your own. It's a minor PR defeat for Microsoft, but one that will go down in the digital archives as one of the most ironic moments of the year.