Windows 11 Moment 5 could land in February with the option to remove Microsoft Edge

If you're waiting for the next big update to Windows 11, you likely won't have to wait much longer. The update, also known as Moment 5 or February 2024 Moment, may not be as significant as previous updates in terms of new features, but it will still introduce some important changes.

Key among the changes is the ability to uninstall Microsoft Edge -- something large swathes of users have been begging for since Windows 11 emerged. Many of the changes and additions to be introduced with the update are to ensure Windows 11 complies with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in the European Union, and this (coupled with the name of the update) is why we can be near-certain about the release date.

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Microsoft needs to make Windows 11 DMA-compliant by early March 2024, so we can expect to see it released by then.

The internal name, February 2024 Moment, suggests that Microsoft plans to release the update, or at least a preview version, in February.

While the ability to purge Windows 11 of Microsoft Edge is something that will be welcomed by EU residents, it is not yet clear whether Microsoft intends to offer the same flexibility to those living in other parts of the world.

Other aspects of the DMA mean that EU users will be given the chance to personalize Windows Search so it does not use Bing.

Other changes scheduled for 2024 include improvements to Nearby Sharing, a character count feature in Notepad, an option to disable the newsfeed in the widgets board, and the introduction of the Ink Anywhere feature.

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