Microsoft is Making it Harder To Switch Default Browsers in Windows 11 (theverge.com) 219
Microsoft's upcoming release of Windows 11 will make it even harder to switch default browsers and ignores browser defaults in new areas of the operating system. While Microsoft is making many positive changes to the Windows 11 UI, the default apps experience is a step back and browser competitors like Mozilla, Opera, and Vivaldi are concerned. From a report: In Windows 11, Microsoft has changed the way you set default apps. Like Windows 10, there's a prompt that appears when you install a new browser and open a web link for the first time. It's the only opportunity to easily switch browsers, though. Unless you tick "always use this app," the default will never be changed. It's incredibly easy to forget to toggle the "always use this app" option, and simply launch the browser you want from this prompt and never see this default choice again when you click web links.
If you do forget to set your default browser at first launch, the experience for switching defaults is now very confusing compared to Windows 10. Chrome and many other rival browsers will often prompt users to set them as default and will throw Windows users into the default apps part of settings to enable this. Microsoft has changed the way default apps are assigned in Windows 11, which means you now have to set defaults by file or link type instead of a single switch. In the case of Chrome, that means changing the default file type for HTM, HTML, PDF, SHTML, SVG, WEBP, XHT, XHTML, FTP, HTTP, and HTTPS. Firefox's statement: We have been increasingly worried about the trend on Windows. Since Windows 10, users have had to take additional and unnecessary steps to set and retain their default browser settings. These barriers are confusing at best and seem designed to undermine a user's choice for a non-Microsoft browser.
If you do forget to set your default browser at first launch, the experience for switching defaults is now very confusing compared to Windows 10. Chrome and many other rival browsers will often prompt users to set them as default and will throw Windows users into the default apps part of settings to enable this. Microsoft has changed the way default apps are assigned in Windows 11, which means you now have to set defaults by file or link type instead of a single switch. In the case of Chrome, that means changing the default file type for HTM, HTML, PDF, SHTML, SVG, WEBP, XHT, XHTML, FTP, HTTP, and HTTPS. Firefox's statement: We have been increasingly worried about the trend on Windows. Since Windows 10, users have had to take additional and unnecessary steps to set and retain their default browser settings. These barriers are confusing at best and seem designed to undermine a user's choice for a non-Microsoft browser.
Satya Gates? (Score:5, Insightful)
Seems they forgot their lesson from the Netscape antitrust lawsuits. Time for a newer and bigger spank?
Re:Satya Gates? (Score:5, Insightful)
The market and courts are different now. I suspect they could win this time around. If memory serves, U.S. v. Microsoft ended in a settlement rather than in a ruling. No ruling means no case precedence has been set.
They won the last time (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:They won the last time (Score:5, Insightful)
And Microsoft can just point to Google Chrome and say that they have a viable competitor and The regulators will leave them alone.
If Microsoft is actively making it difficult to remove their browser and configure another to be the default, simply pointing at Google may be insufficient.
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a viable competitor is not a defense for anticompetitive activity
That said, you're probably right that the regulators will leave them alone. Regulators are a lot more toothless now than they were 20 years ago
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And Microsoft can just point to Google Chrome and say that they have a viable competitor and The regulators will leave them alone.
Nope. Antitrust doesn't work like that. Even if you're not a major player in the market, abusing power in one area in an attempt to strongarm yourself into another is an antitrust violation, even if you have no market share.
Microsoft can use it's infinite funding to push Edge, but it can't force it as part of it's OS as that's an abuse of market power regardless of any state of their competitors.
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that's the reason Apple is able to shut out alternative App Stores and web browsers while using private APIs...
False. Other competing browsers/apps exist is Not the reason it's Okay. The reason Apple can shut out other apps is not merely that they have robust competition in the Smartphone market from Android et all, but also that they have sound compelling reasons in how they designed their platform so which are Not related to hindering competition.
It would be extremely difficult for Microsoft to est
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Yes, MS "settlements"... like that time they agreed to "pay" with free licenses of Windows and Office for schools. You know... gotta hook 'em young!
In other words: They ran their internal keygen a few times, and printed the keys out. Probably all of $50 in total actual non-worthless-imaginary-property cost.
But don't forget that the EU was not as nice, and *did* rip them a new one. I guess the old boys club doesn't extend that far...
You can bet the EU will salivate over turning MS into Goatse once again. And
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The market and courts are different now. I suspect they could win this time around. If memory serves, U.S. v. Microsoft ended in a settlement rather than in a ruling. No ruling means no case precedence has been set.
Nope. The markets are for included browsers. Intentionally making defaults hard to change is very much still something that gets you Spanked. Google found that out the hard way in Europe recently after taken to court ... ironically off the back of a Microsoft complaint.
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Re:Satya Gates? (Score:5, Insightful)
USA is a Bribeocracy.
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I think we stopped using the word bribe, even though that's precisely the way 99% of our government functions. We're a defacto plutocracy, and we've been that way long enough that at this point companies, corporations, wealthy individuals or any other entity that has enough in the bank to justify a lobbyist or five doesn't even pretend to not be above the law. Money = power. Lack of money means lack of relevance.
This is America.
I don't know what you're talking about (Score:5, Insightful)
And while I prefer Joe Biden to Bush Jr I have no illusions that Biden is going to be a trust buster. Biden's a standard corporate Democrat. His department of Justice isn't going to rock any boats. I mean he was literally called the Senator from MasterCard.
Re:I don't know what you're talking about (Score:5, Informative)
They didn't get spanked at all.
Correction: They did not get spanked at all in the USA.
EU spanked them just all right ( https://www.nytimes.com/2013/0... [nytimes.com] ), and at some point they added in EU a selection of browser while installing XP.
EU fines can now get up to 10% of the overall annual turnover of the company (https://ec.europa.eu/competition-policy/system/files/2021-01/factsheet_fines_en.pdf), I will happily see them get spanked again (unless they implement a different behavior based on location).
Honesty $730 million to make Netscape go away (Score:5, Interesting)
If the EU Was serious they would have forced the OS & Office divisions to separate globally (not just the EU legal entities), and if Microsoft refused just forced them out of their countries. It would've meant a few years of pain as they built their own OS & Office Suit (these are nation states, they can easily do that) but it would have had an actual impact.
As it stands, Microsoft won. They got everything they wanted.
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Gross. If I had to use the web ecosystem of 2001 to make desktop applications, or if I had to use the microsoft desktop application framework from back then to make web applications, I would have quit software development and learned a trade.
How to kill Windows market (Score:2)
Fortunately for them web UI standards suck the big one such that desktop-competive web apps take rocket science and tons of testing to get good enough. DOM is DUM (at least for rich GUI's).
What's needed is a decent standard state-ful GUI markup language along with a GUI browser (or pluggin). That's what would eat into a need to have Windows.
And d
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(unless they implement a different behavior based on location)
I guess I'll be installing Windows 11 N then. You said browser selection for Windows XP, but the repercussions of the ruling and a subsequent loss regarding Media player has followed through every version since.
Windows Vista N
Windows 7 N
Windows 8 N
Windows 10 N
All European specific editions to meet requirements of past spankings in Europe.
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Back then the lawsuit was because they bundled the browser with the OS. Today if a browser was missing we would consider the OS broken.
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It seems like they haven't learned anything. Well, they treat their users like shit, too. The only thing that makes Windows still so popular is - you can't buy a PC without it! It's a great shame that people cannot choose and try other systems. Once they buy a computer, they think that's it.
Push back. (Score:2)
That's OK, Microsoft is making it EASIER to switch to another OS.
Re:Push back. (Score:5, Informative)
Have you tried Linux distros lately? And, by 'lately,' I mean any time during the last 15 years?
They're just as 'consumer-ready' as Windows or macOS and have been for a long while. The hurdle is 3rd party software. Though, even there, there are plenty of excellent FOSS applications out there.
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Using something like Ubuntu is simple and easy but when you get into 3rd party software you run into issues. While steam has pushed hard for games on linux the support just isn't there for a gamer. The apps and tools for software like Adobe and AutoCad, you just aren't going to get there with Linux today. I think as cloud computing moves along though and you get more software as a service eventually the power of your desktop is not going to be a priority. We already see it with game platforms like stadia, l
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The hurdle is marketing, users simply aren't aware that linux exists, it's not really advertised anywhere or offered preinstalled etc.
A lot of users won't even use any of these third party apps, and of those that do a lot would be able to use the linux equivalents if they were aware that they existed.
Chromebooks sell better than linux, because they are offered preinstalled, are advertised and actually have less software availability than linux.
Re:Push back. (Score:5, Insightful)
Have you tried Linux distros lately? And, by 'lately,' I mean any time during the last 15 years?
Yes I have. And thank god I've been playing with computers for 15 years or I'd *still* be trying to figure out how to fix the desktop resolution in Ubuntu, or dealing with a sleep of death on my laptop.
Linux is functional, but to be honest it still requires luck. Like actual luck. I've had Linux machines purr along perfectly without issue. I've had them run in ways which make Windows and Mac look complicated by comparison. But I have also inexplicably hit some stupid simple edge cases for whatever reason where the fix involved manually editing text files in a console while reading through long complicated text files.
Better still since "Linux" isn't one thing, but rather a myriad of different distributions which all do things different ways last time I had a problem with X (the aforementioned resolution issue) it took me some 10 websites deep before I found a fix relevant to a) my distribution and b) my specific version of my distribution which inexplicably has different text files in different locations to the version prior.
And let's not get started with the number of tech savvy IT people here who can't seem to make heads or tails of the boot system. Good luck getting some grandma to figure out why systemd-resolvd is fucking around her internet connection.
At the start of the pandemic I spent 45 minutes trying to figure out how to get my Bluetooth headset working in Linux. It was paired, just no audio coming out of it and mic not working. In Windows it magically defaulted to all the correct settings when I turned it on.
Linux is usable as a desktop. If you are lucky. If you're unlucky, you better know a geek who can help you, or have some serious Googlefu.
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Consumers aren't a techie problem (Score:2)
Slashdot is a tech site and non-niche distros have been techie-ready for a long time.
The plebs won't care about browser choice and are often content with Chromebooks. Others can use Macs if they don't care for Linux. Steam Deck will make a perfectly adequate toy also usable as a desktop and that should be pointed out too.
OTOH anything making Windows even slightly more annoying to use for those who feel compelled to use it is more pressure however slight to abandon it.
Tell me again why it's important to switch to 11? (Score:5, Funny)
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Microsoft needs your money to stay in business.
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I seem to have forgotten all the critical reasons.
It's still years away, but for some the end of support [microsoft.com] for Windows 10 would be critical.
Seems obvious... (Score:2)
Tell me again why it's important to switch to 11?
The power of Gates compels you!
The power of Gates compels you!
THE POWER OF GATES COMPELS YOU!
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It's one louder.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
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This Windows goes up to eleven!
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While annoying (Score:2)
This is basically what things were like before Windows 10. You had to set file type associations manually, or clicking the "make this the default browser" would just go and make all those changes for you in the background.
It'll be a little more work for browser makers, and a dick move by Microsoft to be sure, but hardly the end of the world. I'm also betting that the EU will have something to say about this since they were more or less responsible for the menu in Windows 10.
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Windows 10 blocks programmatic access to setting the default browser. It will be harder than before.
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Windows 10 blocks programmatic access to setting the default browser. It will be harder than before.
I think if they launch a subprocess with Admin privileges (triggering an UAC prompt), they should be able to just write to the registry directly to update the file and protocol associations, even if the "switch default browser" API or whatever it is called goes away.
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They use encrypted contents for the registry key or something crazy like that. If it doesn't decode, the change is reverted.
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Wow, that is filthy.
Hiding IE (Score:5, Insightful)
Windows 10 update recently did a good job at hiding Internet Explorer. I need IE to read encrypted emails via the s/mime control. A recent windows update replaced the IE executable with Edge (or used some form of redirect) without any notification. Took me about an hour to figure out that you now have to use IE via Edge and select "Internet Explorer mode". I imagine web developers also need to use IE to test applications. This is why I hate windows. Make changes to long used applications without warning and without giving some heads up.
And why do they have to change long-used placement of icons in the task bar and why can't I right click the task bar to get task manager. And why is the network manager different with less information and less useful. Why do graphic user interface designers feel the need to rearrange things for no good reason and without any improvement in the interface.... just different.
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Win-R
iexplore.exe
[press enter key]
Pin to taskbar if you plan to use it more than once.
The part I'm disappointed about is that win10 doesn't have a "kill IE with fire" option.
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Even worse, type Iexplore.exe and it happily defaults to Edge as well.
They did update it from saying "best match found" to "Microsoft Recommended Browser" at least, but FFS, if I'm typing in the direct file name, give me the direct file!
- Yo Grark
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I think they think we like Easter Egg hunts (real ones, with eggs) or something. Switching OS version experience should not be without the mandatory hunt for where all the important shit in the menus has been shuffled off to. That's why I still use Win7. It has all the same shit, looks much better, tested longer, and we know where everything is, and the OS is not engaged in a user-hostile fight for supremacy on how the OS should look and work.
Win11: NO, THANK YOU. There STILL haven't been any killer app
Too bad (Score:5, Informative)
And update when I tell it to update.
And works after I update it.
I guess that Windows users will accept this, because when you use the best most secure OS ever made, you have to give up choices. Edge, edge, baby!
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my MacOS and Linux machines
But with Windows, you own nothing. And you will be happy.
Re:Too bad (Score:5, Funny)
my MacOS and Linux machines
But with Windows, you own nothing. And you will be happy.
Ugh - for very small values of happy. 8^)
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Work With It? (Score:2)
Microsoft is Appleâ(TM)s star campaigner (Score:5, Funny)
Whenever I get mad at Apple for something silly, Microsoft reminds me that things could be much worse.
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At least Microsoft isn't making it impossible to manage updates on new devices like Apple is.
the EU will not like this! (Score:2)
the EU will not like this!
The exact thing that got them convicted. *Twice!* (Score:2)
At least twice.
The last time, they had to pay more than a million for each *day* they arrogantly missed the due date of paying a gross register ton of money.
Literally *the day* their parole officer went away, the started the exact same shit again. (Forcing people onto IE on Windows Phone.)
Since then, countless people here on Slashdot have argued that MS has "changed", and I'm an idiot for clinging to my "old" views.
You know... like that boyfriend that beats her has " changed. I swear!".
I'll keep this articl
Ah yes the file format loophole (Score:3)
Microsoft is making it hard to want to switch... (Score:3)
to Windows 11.
Fixed that title for you.
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Nah, we covered the TPM / Secure boot story a couple of months ago in another post.
May i just add (Score:2)
That Firefox kept the file association with .pdf even after removing support for displaying pdf.
'Something changed'. Yes. MS has double agenda. Gosh. Come one, it's not even released yet. Issues with 'default apps' at least as old as the IBM PC itself, and probably older.
Can we move on instead of bitching about things that don't matter. Like, how firefox became a sluggish peace of junk, instead of the best performing browser. And i didn't even mention the horror they did with latest UI update. Move on, impr
To use is to willingly submit. (Score:5, Informative)
It's proprietary software. Use is endorsement is submission to TOS. As for any inconvenience, you can always use Windows in virtual machines on other host OS to run Windows applications without being enslaved to the OS.
Slashdot being a tech site no one reading this should have any difficulty with that. If it's new to you, read a bit. You may find as I did long ago it's more convenient to run Windows in a VM than bare metal.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-... [microsoft.com]
makes it easy to convert existing Winstalls to VM. (I had to rename the .VHD extension to lower case to import the result into Virtualbox on Ubuntu last I used it.) It worked nicely saving old XP and 7 installs when I no longer wanted the hardware they were on.
I'll still switch it (Score:2)
even if it takes a regedit. Edge sucks.
And this is why I'm never "upgrading" (Score:5, Interesting)
Currently running Window 7 which allows me to do everything I need without being harassed. Snappy response, can still find what you need without having to search for it, and it stays out of your way.
I also recently installed LinuxMint and can say I am impressed with its operation. There were a few minor things I had to do to get it installed on the same system as my W7, but that related to booting and not the OS itself. Once up and running, I have zero complaints other than a quibble about where to find settings. It seems the folks at Mint have decided to spread things to the four winds rather than one or two central locations. Fortunately I'm' not big on customizing other than getting rid of notices and turning off sounds so this is hardly an issue.
The only weird thing I have involves Firefox 89 which came with the install. No, I did not update it and was in fact considering upgrading it to a lower version since that version would have more options to configure. When I install uMatrix, it never shows in toolbar but appears to be in operation. I have the same response when installing uBlock Origin (separately, not at the same time). Firefox claims they are installed, but nothing shows for me to configure anything.
Also, of note for Firefox, even though I manually tell it to clear all cache and cookies, it doesn't. I'm still logged into sites. I have to close it then reopen for everything to be fully cleared and rooting through the options, there is nowhere to change this. As I said, I'm considering upgrading to a lower version so those options are back.
Aside from all that, it looks like Linux is in my future. Windows, other than at work, not so much. Especially with the unrelenting and unceasing harassment by Microsoft.
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I should clarify. I am not dual booting. I have Mint installed on a spare hard drive. My drive for W7 is sitting to the side. Same physical equipment for both, but on separate hard drives with only one running at a time.
I switched to Linux Mint because of Windows 10. (Score:5, Informative)
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If MS wants to lock me into Windows... (Score:3)
Can we create a simple script? (Score:2)
Haha... Nobody saw this coming (Score:5, Insightful)
There used to be an API to change default programs for file types (or direct registry edit, I am not 100% sure). Now you have to torture yourself to modify the defaults.
Yes, there were legitimate reasons. Programs installed "watchers" to hijack file type associations from each others feet. I accept that was bad. But taking the choice away from users is worse. And let us not kid ourselves, if Microsoft had Apple's 'courage' they would have removed it altogether. Now they are content with just making it extremely difficult for the average user.
[Crystal ball on] I fully expect Windows *12* to be completely locked down a la the Xbox. You would be given menus, default apps, a store, and never ending ads for things you don't want. Telemetry will be always on, and you will no longer be the "admin", especially thanks to the new TPM 3.0 chip. [/Crystal ball off].
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I accept that was bad. But taking the choice away from users is worse.
And making the user jump through hoops is ideal.
IMO the best system would be an API that lets a system set a filetype association automatically *only* if a filetype is not yet associated, and otherwise have the user jump through hoops.
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Jumping through hoops? I don't understand. Have they changes things that much? Just typing 'Default Apps' in the search box takes care of that. Is it any different with Windows 11?
Is not only browsers, other Apps like VLC... (Score:5, Informative)
or irfanview, or GIMP will be impacted as well.
Basically, any happ that handles multiple file formats, that has an out the box counterpart will be affected.
I think this is trully done to enhance security, by making it harder for trojan type apps to kidnap extensions, but the side-effect of making it harder to switch from the default Apps is seen as a net positive inside microsoft.
Expect apps to ship with scripts that tweak the registry and gorup policies to make it easier to switch in case you miss the toggle in 3... 2... 1...
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It is funny that you mention security in the context of Microsoft. If Microsoft truly were concerned about secuirty, they would fix their broken Windows update process.
You are right. And yet, there are many security holes in every SW. Just yesterday QNX (an OS with stellar technical reputation) was shown to have a vuln.
https://www.politico.com/news/... [politico.com]
And just two days ago, Linux (or more exactly, glibc) was shown to have a botched patch that, while trying to fix a vuln, made it even worse.
https://it.slashdot.org/story/... [slashdot.org]
And a month ago, a nasty systemd bug emerged (systemd is not part of the Linux kernel but is part of pretty much every important Linux distro, especiall
... plans put in motion for Linux PC gaming ... (Score:5, Informative)
The last bastion for many *nix users, who are also PC Gamers, is to ditch windows for that purpose.
Yep, "first world problems", but we've had to endure a situation where the main platform for PC gaming has been windows.
It still is, yet now the alternative - using Wine - is, for many titles, a robust workable solution.
We can thank Valve software (and indeed the developers behind wine, probably most importantly), for continued development in the world of Linux gaming.
I'm almost there. Finished R2D2 (yeah, I only get the big titles years after the fact, when they are reasonably priced), my windows gaming partitions have been squeezed into the bare essential place as a "fallback", I've freed up a 1tb nvme drive and installed Pop!_OS (crazy name, slick distro for gaming)
I've managed to get 60% of my games working flawlessly - in many cases, BETTER than windows.
20% are good enough to play, the other 20% are a little problematic, but I've already played them - and there's solutions to explore to fix the issues.
I did try this before, about a year back, but came unstuck with a few titles, which I've subsequently finished anyway.
So, what about new titles that don't run that well on Linux, or even at all?
I guess I'll just vote with my wallet and not bother with them.
Windows 11, as far as I'm concerned, is something I'm never going to install - done with Windows... almost.
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I don't even want to game. I don't care about games. I want Adobe CC, that's all. And yes, I know about Gimp and Darktable. Great for casual use, not yet up to professional standards.
Adobe had announced a few years ago an all-web version of their tools that would in theory run on any computer with a browser. Never came about as far as I know. I wonder if it was Microsoft going nope, you ain't doing that.
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The last bastion for many *nix users, who are also PC Gamers, is to ditch windows for that purpose.
Actually no, there are other bastions.
I am a consultant, and have a mac (as I am more productive on that platform) and I was/am a gamer too, so gaming is not an option as of late (I am condemned to play old favourites that my HW still support), as the titles I like are few and far between for the platform AND the HW is underpowered.
What keep me on windows is Office SW. Granted, thak goodness word, excel and powerpoint work on Mac but Visio and MS-Project do not.
Ditto for Hedex (an electronic manual of Huawe
MS is a new company now (Score:4, Insightful)
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Where are the MS apologists now?
The ones who said that MS is a new, better, company and embraces FOSS etc.
Yeah, we knew that was all a marketing ploy.
Pissing Customers Off (Score:2)
Microsoft is being a total dick here. When I set my shit to whatever program I WANT TO USE, they don't need to switch it back. They also should not make it such a pain for users to swtich, it is obviously anti-competitive behavior.
I believe they are taking cues from Apple though... you can have your default browser be DuckDuckGo on an iphone, but certain things will still open up the extremely-not-privacy-friendly safari browser. Accidentally tap and hold-hover over a link the wrong way?... bam, opens in sa
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Microsoft doesn't really have a choice. They've shat that bed so SO badly, that the only way they could win the browser wars anymore is by using their OS leverage to force the issue. What I have to wonder is, how many people will just stop using Windows rather than put up with it?
Deprecated computing (Score:2)
All the more reason to stop using Windows (Score:2)
For the average home user the OS is irrelevant. Most of what you do occurs in a browser, which is OS agnostic.
Browser: Take a pass on Edge or IE. You can use Chrome (or Brave if you are more privacy conscious), or Firefox or Safari if you're on a Mac. They all work perfectly fine without using Windows.
Email: You can use a browser for that too. If you want a desktop client try Thunderbird or Mail if you're on a Mac.
Office Suite: Ditch MS Office and try out LibreOffice. It's free and will handle 99% of any us
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The only thing I use Windows for that's not in a browser is Adobe Creative Cloud. The moment it's available on Linux I am Gone with a capital G.
Probably need to get a 500M fine again (Score:2)
Like last time when they did this crap.
We need an app for that (Score:2)
I have to wonder if there isn't a bit of programming, maybe some PowerShell code, that wouldn't fix all of that. A script that sets the default browser for every protocol and file type that browsers support.
Data point (Score:2)
On my Windows 11 dev channel (fast ring insider preview) system I pushed the button formerly known as the start button, typed "default" and clicked default apps. Then under "Set defaults for applications" I typed Chrome, clicked it, and it showed all the associations. Clicking on .html brought up the box to change it. Clicking Chrome then OK did the needful.
Yes this is harder than it should be, and I'd like to understand why. I'd guess it's to stop malware from dropping a hacked version of Chromium on t
Not really new (Score:2)
It was already per file extension for the default media player. You can set it in the Settings, but it will still ask you the first time you click a new unset file type.
MS being uncompetitive? Say it's not so! (Score:2)
Is anyone really surprised? They've acted in uncompetitive, underhanded ways since their inception. Any time they were in a position to abuse their monopoly position they've done so.This is par for the course. They as equally underhanded in corporate dealings. I work for a MS partner that is an SI&C consulting company that specializes in managed services. We've hawked MS products for years and since Azure came along, despite us being a MS partner, they go directly to our customers to move them from our
Why PDF? (Score:3)
Why would you want to open a PDF in a browser - with all it's associated open attack surfaces - instead of a relatively ("relatively") small PDF viewer with a rather smaller range of attack surfaces.
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I actually agree. But it's not the quality of the browser that's the problem here.
Re:and yet... (Score:5, Interesting)
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"Normies" - reflexive pomposity at work.
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Most normies today don't know Winamp and will get their asses whipped.
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Not normies, Llamas!
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Lamas are priests. Llamas are animals. The original Winamp came with a .WAV file that confirmed it's after-install operation. It was a voice announcer saying: "Winamp - it really whips the llama's ass!", and then some bleating sounds.
TL;DR it's an in-joke for people who actually used Winamp back in the day.
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So.... I returned my iphone and bought something that would run DuckDuckGo. So, nothing, I guess.