Microsoft’s relationship with web browsers has been tumultuous. It used to be the only game in town; the best web browser by default (opens in a new tab). For years, Internet Explorer (IE), the default browser that came preloaded on every Windows PC, dominated the roost. Then came the upstarts, such as Mozilla Firefox (opens in new tab) and Google Chrome (opens in new tab), which completely demolished Internet Explorer. Microsoft Edge browser was created as a result of the company’s drive to reinvent itself.
It had to be rebuilt from the ground up, and it was… fine after all of Microsoft’s efforts. It’s an improvement over IE, but it’s still no match for Chrome. So, what was Microsoft’s course of action? Simply said, it rebuilt Edge from the ground up, this time using the same Chromium architecture as its primary competitor.
Here we’ll discuss the features of the Microsoft Edge Browser.
Features of Microsoft Edge Browser
As soon as it was rebuilt with Chromium, the new Microsoft Edge was compatible with Chrome’s collection of web browser extensions. Compatibility with Chromium is required in today’s world for web browsers to attract users, as Chrome has by far the largest collection of extensions. Edge add-ons are Microsoft’s own collection, although it pales in comparison to the Chrome online shop.
1. Synchronization
As soon as it was rebuilt with Chromium, the new Microsoft Edge browser was compatible with Chrome’s collection of web browser extensions.
Compatibility with Chromium is required in today’s world for web browsers to attract users, as Chrome has by far the largest collection of extensions. Edge add-ons are Microsoft’s own collection, although it pales in comparison to the Chrome online shop.
2. PDF Reader
The browser’s built-in PDF reader will open PDF files. Edge, unlike most other browsers we’ve encountered, comes with a number of capabilities for customizing the website. There’s a highlighter, a sketching tool, a translator, a dictionary, a read-aloud feature, and the ability to put your own text on top of the page (but you can’t modify the PDF file). Students and anybody else who wants to take notes on their studies can benefit from these tools.
3. Context Menu
Microsoft Edge browser’s context menu is one of the more feature-packed context menus we’ve seen. When you right-click on various web page components, you’ll see a plethora of tools and actions that much outweigh those in Chrome and other Chromium browsers. Edge’s menu contains extra text actions such as an immersive reader, a read-aloud function, a translator, and a dictionary, in addition to the normal navigation controls and basic text actions. In the context menu, you can also make a QR code for the web page you’re on.
4. Reading View
Reading View in Edge is comparable to a feature present in Firefox and Safari, and it’s a blessing in today’s ad-ridden web, particularly if you’re reading online news or information sites. In Settings, you may pick from three different looks: light, medium, or dark. When your eyes are practically worn out, the last option is ideal for late-night online reading. There are four font sizes, but a Reading view page may be zoomed to any size you choose.
5. Multiple Users
A single Edge installation, like most current browsers, enables several user profiles. Create a profile with your own preferences, browsing history, bookmarks, and other unique data by logging in to the browser with your email address.
A single email address may be partitioned into many profiles, each with its own set of options. This is important for separating your personal and professional data, as well as for keeping your data private while sharing a device with others.
6. Tab Management
Although tab management is simple, it lacks certain essential functionality. Before they run off the screen, a single Edge window may accommodate a significant number of tabs at once. Each tab shrinks in size until the favicon is the only thing left. When the browser’s capacity to display new tabs is reached, each new tab simply disappears from view, with no scroll buttons or the “search tabs” option that most browsers default to. This means that when you go through your off-screen tabs, Edge leaves you in the dark.
Although most web browsers place tabs over the top of the page, the Microsoft Edge browser is one of the few that has a “vertical tabs” feature. All open tabs will be displayed in a panel on the left side of the screen, while the title and favicon of the current page will be displayed at the top of the browser window. A scroll bar will emerge when the number of open tabs exceeds the tab panel. If you have multiple tabs open at once, the vertical tab display makes it much easier to navigate between them.
7. Security
Microsoft Edge browser has a robust set of security capabilities, including malware prevention, phishing protection, and website detection. According to the research, it’s even better than Google’s secure browsing at preventing harmful websites.
Microsoft protects its users from cyber dangers with its own software. Microsoft SmartScreen, a cloud-based security tool that prevents phishing and malware downloads, is enabled by default for Edge users.
