Improvements Have Been Added To Microsoft Edge Browser

If you use Microsoft Edge on Windows, macOS, iOS, or Android, you’ll probably want to install the July 2020 update as soon as possible because it contains a raft of improvements to the browser.

First and most importantly, Microsoft Edge is joining the FastTrack Ready Partner Program, beginning in August.

If you’d like to help guide the development and further refinement of Microsoft Edge, the threshold for doing so is 150 or more paid seats of Windows 10 Enterprise. If that describes your organization, you’ll soon be able to play an active role in guiding the development of the browser you use.

Second, Edge is, at long last, getting support for Microsoft Endpoint DLP, which should help mitigate privacy concerns and data leakage when using the browser on Windows 10 devices. On top of that, the latest update makes Automatic Profile Switching available to everyone.

Here is an example of how this subtly changes the experience. If you’re using your personal profile and you try to access a link that, per your browsing history, you normally access via your work profile, Edge will prompt you to switch profiles before opening that link.

If that wasn’t enough to consider upgrading, if you use Edge on a mobile device, with the latest build, you’ll now be able to utilize the “Collections” feature on your smartphone. This enables you to collect and organize web-based content, and sync your collections across devices. Very handy. Plus, desktop users are now able to add notes to items in a collection, simply by right clicking an item in the collection and left clicking “Add note.”

Finally, the latest version of Edge adds support for Read Aloud for PDF, which allows users to “listen” to PDF content while they’re busy doing other things. We love the Read Aloud for PDF feature and are thrilled to see it making its way to Edge.

For all these reasons and more, you need the latest Edge update. Check it out. You’ll be glad you did.

New Chromium Based Edge Browser Update From Windows 10

Microsoft has been talking for months about their new Edge browser based on Chromium technology. Users will finally be able to see it in action as of the KB4559309 Windows 10 update, which will replace the legacy Edge browser with the company’s latest offering.

It should be noted that previous Windows 10 releases did include the new Chromium-based Edge browser, but it was installed alongside the legacy Edge browser.

Also, in order to use the new Chromium-based browser, you had to make the conscious choice to open the new browser. Your legacy Edge browser would open by default.

That changes with the KB4559309 update, which purges the legacy Edge browser. At that point, if you want to use a Microsoft-based browser, your only option will be the new Chromium Edge. Any attempt to open the legacy browser will automatically redirect to the new product.

As part of the update, all of your user data stored in the legacy Edge browser will be ported to the new code. That includes tabs from previous sessions, saved passwords, and bookmarked websites. A small point, but one still worth mentioning, is the fact that unlike previous updates, a system restart is not required to begin making use of the new browser.

If you don’t want to have the new Edge browser installed on your device, you can prevent it. However, doing so requires you to go deep into the system, adding a “DoNotUpdateToEdgeWithChromium” key in your Windows Registry.

That, however, is not a step recommended for anyone except the most experienced Windows users. That is because any time you start playing in the Registry, you run the risk of doing serious damage to the system, so proceed with extreme caution.

On balance, the new Chromium-based Edge browser looks like a good upgrade and the early sense is that most users will be pleased with the change. Stay tuned, because it’s coming soon!