Edge-Chromium GP - How to set google as default, bypass first run dialog, and have tab page without news?

Question

Problem With Default Search Provider

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Reading the Microsoft Group Policy docs, I've set these policies:

• Microsoft Edge->Default Search Provider->

  • Default search provider name

  Google
  

  • Default search provider search URL

  '{google:baseURL}search?q=%s&{google:RLZ}{google:originalQueryForSuggestion}{google:assistedQueryStats}{google:searchFieldtrialParameter}{google:iOSSearchLanguage}{google:searchClient}{google:sourceId}{google:contextualSearchVersion}ie={inputEncoding}'
  

This does not seem to work, Bing is still the default. Could someone assist/provide gp settings that will work?

How to Disable First Run Page?

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I cannot find a Group Policy to disable the white splash Edge Chromium welcome page on first run. I've read about registry edits under [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Edge] HideFirstRunExperience=1, but would like to keep it under Group Policy if possible rather than setting a registry change.

Is there no official group policy to disable the first run experience?

How to Disable the scrollable Tab page?

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I would like to keep the tab page in edge chromium, but only the tabs, not the scrollable Microsoft news section that's there by default.

Is there a group policy to remove the news section?

Answer 1

As of Edge version 81.0.416.64, I've been able to now get these to work:

Default Search Provider

• User Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge > Default Search Provider >

Enable the default search provider: Enabled
Default search provider name: Google
Default search provider url: {google:baseURL}search?q={searchTerms}&{google:RLZ}{google:originalQueryForSuggestion}{google:assistedQueryStats}{google:searchFieldtrialParameter}{google:searchClient}{google:sourceId}ie={inputEncoding}
Default search provider URL for suggestions: {google:baseURL}complete/search?output=chrome&q={searchTerms}

Disable First Run

• Policy exists in the latest ADMX templates as outlined by Deepak-MSFT in his answer.

Disabling the scrollable tab page does not seem possible through group policy. It can be changed by manually editing the users configuration file, but it's more of a hassle than it's worth at this time.