In February 2023, according to StatCounter, Microsoft Edge became the third most popular browser in the world, behind Safari and Chrome,[25] while as of January 2025[update], Edge is second most popular PC/desktop web browser with Safari sliding to 3rd place[26] (including 2nd place in the U.S. or rather there tied with Safari). By 2022[update], Edge was used by 11% of PCs worldwide.[27]
Features
The new Microsoft Edge is the default web browser, replacing Edge Legacy.
In Windows 11, Edge is the only browser available from Microsoft (for compatibility[28][29] with Google Chrome).[30] However, it includes an "Internet Explorer mode", which is aimed at fixing compatibility issues; it provides the legacy MSHTML browser engine and supports the legacy ActiveX and BHO technologies.[31]
New Edge also has a new feature called vertical tabs which allow users to move tabs on the left side of the screen.[32]
As of December 2022, there are more than 9,000 extensions—called add-ons—available for Edge.[33]
On February 7, 2023, Microsoft announced a major overhaul to Edge, revamping the user interface with Fluent Design, along with adding a Bing Chat (later known as Microsoft Copilot) button, which replaces the Discover button.[34]
Microsoft also added compatibility for split screen, i.e., 2 tabs can be viewed at the same time. A new feature, "Workspaces" was introduced, which basically lets the user create different spaces for various things. These workspaces are also collaborative, users can invite friends or colleagues and seamlessly have completely separate workspace for collaboration.
Edge for Business
Starting with Edge version 116, Microsoft released Microsoft Edge for Business. A new business mode for Edge that enables end users to completely separates work and personal browsing into dedicated browser windows, in addition to offering other features aimed at admins.[35]
Release channels
On April 8, 2019, Microsoft announced the introduction of four preview channels: Canary, Dev, Beta, and Stable and launched the Canary and Dev channels that same day with the first preview builds, for those channels, of the new Edge. Microsoft collectively calls the Canary, Dev, and Beta channels the "Microsoft Edge insider channels".[36] As a result, Edge updates were decoupled from new versions of Windows. Major versions of Edge Stable are now scheduled for release every 4 weeks, closely following Chromium version releases.
Screenshot of Surf being played on Microsoft Edge for macOS
In May 2020, an update to Microsoft Edge added Surf, a browser game where players control a surfer attempting to evade obstacles and collect power-ups. Similar to Google Chrome's Dinosaur Game, Surf is accessible from the browser's offline error page and can also be accessed by entering edge://surf into the address bar. The game features three game modes (classic, time trial, and slalom), has character customization, and supports keyboard, mouse, touch, and gamepad controls.[37][38] Its gameplay has been compared to the 1991 Microsoft video game SkiFree.[39][40]
In 2021, Surf was updated with limited-time seasonal theming resembling SkiFree. Instead of surfing, the player skis down a mountain while being chased by a yeti.[41]
Development
In November 2017, Microsoft released ports of Edge for Android and iOS.[11][12] The apps feature integration and synchronization with the desktop version on Windows PCs. Due to platform restrictions and other factors, these ports did not use the same layout engine as the current desktop version at the time (Edge Legacy) and instead use OS-native Blink and WebKit-based engines.[42][43][6]
Codenamed "Anaheim", on December 6, 2018, Microsoft announced its intent to base Edge on the Chromium source code, using the same browser engine as Google Chrome but with enhancements developed by Microsoft. It was also announced that there will be versions of Edge available for older Windows versions, including Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1, and macOS, plus that all versions will be updated on a more frequent basis.[44][45] According to Microsoft executive Joe Belfiore, the decision for the change came after CEO Satya Nadella told the team in 2017 that the product needed to be better and pushed for replacing its in-house rendering engine with an open source one.[46]
Microsoft Edge running on macOS
On April 8, 2019, the first builds of the new Edge for Windows were released to the public.[47] On May 20, 2019, the first preview builds of Edge for macOS were released to the public, marking the first time in 13 years that a Microsoft browser was available on the Mac platform.[48] The last time a Microsoft browser was available on the Mac platform was Internet Explorer for Mac, which was withdrawn in January 2006.
On June 18, 2019, IAmA post on Reddit, an Edge developer stated that it was theoretically possible for a Linux version to be developed in the future, but no work had actually started on that possibility.[49] On June 19, 2019, Microsoft made Edge available on old Windows versions for testing.[50] Then on August 20, 2019, Microsoft made its first beta build of Edge available for Windows and macOS.[51] At Microsoft Ignite, Microsoft released an updated version of the Edge logo.[52]
The new Edge was released on January 15, 2020, and was gradually rolled out to all Windows 10 users.[53][54] The new Edge was also rolled out to Windows users via Windows Update.[55]Windows Vista and earlier were not supported at the time Edge started supporting older Windows versions.
On September 22, 2020, Microsoft announced that a beta version of Edge for Linux would be available in preview form in October 2020.[18] This comes after the company announced in November 2019 that a Linux version would be developed and confirmed in May 2020 that the Linux version was in development.[56][57] The first preview build for Linux was released on October 20, 2020.[19]
Full support for the new Edge on older Windows versions was scheduled to end on January 15, 2022, but was later extended to January 15, 2023.[58][24]
On April 29, 2022, Microsoft announced integrated VPN support for Microsoft Edge, coming in line with this privacy feature with Chrome and Firefox. There will be a free version of the integrated Edge VPN available but is limited to 1 GB of data transfer.[59]
On November 14, 2024, Microsoft announced that they will drop support for CPUs that lack the SSE3 instruction set with the release of Edge version 128.[60]
As of March 2, 2025, the Edge Canary channel has begun automatically disabling Manifest V2 extensions, notably impacting the uBlock Origin extension. However, thus far, they can be manually turned back on, and this doesn't affect the Dev, Beta, and Stable channels. This move, part of the transition to Manifest V3 (first imposed by Google in Google Chrome and subsequently in Chromium), has sparked notable debate among privacy advocates and users.[61][62][63]
Future updates will roll out gradually to protect users from accidental buggy updates
Improvements to Microsoft Defender SmartScreen
Added the ability to exempt certain cookies from automatically clearing when the browser closes
Added Automatic Profile Switching
Collections improvements
The user can now drag and drop to add an item to a collection without opening the collection
Users can now add multiple items to a collection at once
Users can add all tabs in an Edge window into a new collection without adding them individually
Extensions from both the Microsoft and Chrome Stores will synchronize with Microsoft Edge on all the user's devices.
Improved message on the Downloads management page for insecure downloads that have been blocked
Immersive Reader improvements:
Added support for Adverbs in the Parts of Speech experience in Immersive Reader
Added the ability to select any content on a webpage and open it in Immersive Reader. This enables users to use the Immersive Reader and all the Learning Tools, such as Line Focus and Read Aloud, across all websites
Link doctor provides host correction and a search query to users when they mistype a URL
Allowed users to save their decision to launch an external protocol for a specific site
Users can set Microsoft Edge as their default browser directly from Microsoft Edge Settings, instead of having to search through the operating system settings
Several DevTools updates, including new remote debugging support, UI improvements, and more
MCAS (Microsoft Cloud Access Security) warn scenario is now available
Reduced download delay for Internet Explorer mode site list to 0 seconds (down from 60 seconds) in the absence of a cached site list
Also added group policy support for cases when Internet Explorer mode home page navigations needs to be delayed until the site list is downloaded.
Allowed users to sign into the browser when Microsoft Edge is "run as administrator". This will help customers running Microsoft Edge in remote-desktop and sandbox scenarios
Added full mouse support when in full-screen mode. Mouse can be utilized to access tabs, the address bar, and other items without having to exit full-screen mode
Added a custom nickname option to saved debit or credit cards, making it easier to distinguish and differentiate cards when making online purchases. Giving nicknames to cards lets the user choose the correct card when using autofill to select a payment method
TLS/1.0 and TLS/1.1 are disabled by default
To help discover impacted sites, you can set the edge://flags/#display-legacy-tls-warnings flag to cause Microsoft Edge to display a non-blocking "Not Secure" notice when loading pages that require legacy TLS protocols. The SSLVersionMin policy permits re-enabling of TLS/1.0 and TLS/1.1. This policy will remain available until at least Microsoft Edge version 88
Collections improvements
Added a note capability allowing you to add a note or comment to an item in a collection
Added background color of notes in collections. Color coding can help organize information and increase productivity
Improved performance when exporting collections to Excel
Storage Access API support, which allows access to first-party storage in a third-party context when a user provides a direct intent to allow storage that would otherwise be blocked by the browser's current configuration
Native File System API support, which allows sites can be given permission to edit files or folders via the Native File System API
PDF improvements
Added Read Aloud for PDF
When saving an edit made to a PDF it can be sent back to the original file instead of a copy
Added an option to translate in Immersive Reader.
DevTools now supports customizing keyboard shortcuts to match any editor/IDE, which includes VS Code
Microsoft's switch to Blink as Edge's engine has faced mixed reception. The move increases the consistency of web platform compatibility between major browsers. For this reason, the move has attracted criticism, as it reduces diversity in the overall web browser market and increases the influence of Google on the overall browser market by Microsoft ceding its independently developed browser engine.[117][118]
Edge sends the images that the users view online to Microsoft servers by default, although Microsoft has stated that it encrypts images before transfer.[119] According to Douglas J. Leith, a computer science professor from Trinity College, Dublin, Microsoft Edge is among the least private browsers. He explained, "from a privacy perspective Microsoft Edge and Yandex are much more worrisome than the other browsers studied. Both send identifiers that are linked to the device hardware and so persist across fresh browser installs and can also be used to link different apps running on the same device. Edge sends the hardware UUID of the device to Microsoft, a strong and enduring identifier than cannot be easily changed or deleted."[120] In response, a spokesperson from Microsoft Edge explained that it uses user diagnostic data to improve the product.[121]
In June 2020, users criticized newly released Windows updates that installed Edge and imported some user data from Chrome and Firefox prior to obtaining user permission. Microsoft responded by stating that if a user rejects giving Edge data import permission, then Edge will delete the imported data. However, if the browser crashes before the user has a chance to reject the import, then the already imported data will not be cleared.[122][123]The Verge called these "spyware tactics" and called Edge's "first run experience" a "dark pattern".[124]
Microsoft uses proprietary URL handlers in Windows 10 and 11 to redirect URLs accessed via system search functions to Edge, deliberately ignoring the user's choice of default browser. In November 2021, a patch was released to frustrate a workaround employed by the third-party tool "EdgeDeflector", with a Microsoft spokesperson stating that search in the Windows shell is an "end-to-end customer experience" that is not designed to be modified.[125] The developer of EdgeDeflector, Daniel Aleksandersen, called this "clearly a user-hostile move that sees Windows compromise its own product usability in order to make it more difficult to use competing products."[126]
In November 2021, Microsoft announced that it would display integrated advertising for the buy now, pay later service Zip Pay in Edge during online purchases eligible for financing via the service,[127][128] and allow users to link their Microsoft account to expedite registration for the service. Microsoft claims that it "does not collect a fee for connecting users to loan providers."[127] This decision was met with criticism from users and the press, arguing that the feature was added bloat.[127][128]
Example of a Windows 11 prompt of Microsoft Edge "Recommended settings"
In December 2021, Microsoft began testing the display of in-browser prompts on the Google Chrome website to discourage downloading the browser.[129][130] Similar prompts intended to discourage Google Chrome downloads also appear when searching for "Chrome" or "browser" on Microsoft Bing search engine.[131] In February 2023, users reported seeing large banner advertisements for Microsoft Edge on the Chrome download page, a move that was criticized for deceptively altering part of Google's official website.[132] In October 2023, Microsoft began testing the display of a sidebar containing a survey related to Chrome when the browser is downloaded.[133]
^Microsoft Edge and Chromium Open Source: Our Intent, Microsoft Edge, October 18, 2020, archived from the original on November 17, 2021, retrieved November 17, 2021, our unique web-platform codebase still faces occasional compatibility problems as web developers focus less on HTML standards and rationally focus on widely used platforms like Chrome
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