Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Windows 10 Creators Update will bring a much-improved Microsoft Edge browser

By
Windows 10 Creators Update - Microsoft Edge Features
The Windows 10 Creators Update promises a host of new features aimed at creatives types and gamers, such as new
Recommended Videos
3D capabilities, a
Related
Game Mode, and enhanced Windows Holographic support for low-cost VR headsets. The update is expected to arrive in April 2017 and should offer Windows 10 users some nice new functionality.

Microsoft’s Edge browser team hasn’t been standing still either, and the company’s newest browser product is also slated for some nice updates. Microsoft posted a summary of all of the new Edge features coming with Creators Update, many of which are already available to Windows Insiders.

According to Microsoft research, nearly 50 percent of the typical Windows user’s time is spent surfing the web, with a significant amount of that time spent doing nothing but organizing and sorting through search results, sites, and other content. With that in mind, Microsoft is working to improve Edge’s organizational features to make it easier for Windows 10 users to keep their browsing organized.

Tab management is the primary area that Microsoft is attacking with the Windows 10 Creators Update. Users will be able to quickly access a thumbnail view of all of their open tabs, and retain a set of tabs quickly while getting rid of the rest for a cleaner browsing experience. Those tabs can be picked up later, leaving users free to perform other tasks, then return to a specific group of tabs when convenient.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

This feature joins the new tab preview bar that will make it easier to see what tabs are currently open. Clicking on a chevron opens a scrollable thumbnail view that can be controlled with touch, the mouse wheel, or touchpad. Edge will also receive new Jump List functionality to make launching new windows from the Taskbar icon easier via a simple right-click.

Microsoft also introduced a new ebook catalog in the Windows Store that uses Edge as the viewer for both purchased e-books and EPUB-formatted books without DRM. Windows 10 will support ebook features like customizable fonts and layouts along with Cortana integration, all of which will be coming to the Windows Store and Edge with Creators Update.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Next up are a number of other new initiatives, including WebVR support to enable 3D browsing. Online shopping in Edge is also being enhanced, with Payment Request API implementation and support for Microsoft Wallet on Windows 10 PCs. The Edge extension platform will continue to be expanded, with additional APIs to let developers do more things like access favorites and manage roaming data.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Clearly, Microsoft is serious about making Edge a more competitive browser and an important element of Windows 10. The company has a difficult road ahead if it wants to catch up to Google’s dominant Chrome browser, and it’s taking some important steps toward that objective in Creators Update.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mark Coppock
Mark Coppock
Computing Writer
Mark has been a geek since MS-DOS gave way to Windows and the PalmPilot was a thing. He’s translated his love for…
Microsoft may fix the most frustrating thing about Windows updates
Windows 11 updates are moving to once a year.

Most Windows users will agree that one of the most annoying things about the operating system is the updates. While Windows Updates are necessary, they often tend to come up at the worst possible time, interrupting work and gaming sessions with persistent reminders that the system needs to reboot. Microsoft might be fixing that problem in the upcoming Windows 11 24H2 build, but it's still too early to bid farewell to those ill-timed reboots.

As spotted in the latest Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26058, Microsoft is testing "hot patching" for some Windows 11 updates. Hot patching refers to a dynamic method of updating that often doesn't change the software version and may not even need a restart. In the context of Windows 11, it's pretty straightforward -- Windows will install the update, and you won't have to reboot your system.

Read more
7 beloved Windows apps that Microsoft has killed over the years
A screenshot of Internet Explorer 9.

Microsoft's history is littered with the discontinuation of once-beloved applications. Most recently, WordPad, the renowned text editor app, was conspicuously absent from the latest beta build of Windows 11, indicating an end to its 28-year-long journey. I have fond memories of using the app back in my college days when Microsoft Office was too pricey for me.

WordPad is far from the only app to get canceled by Microsoft over the years. From pioneering productivity tools to nostalgic multimedia players, let's reminisce about some of the most famous applications that Microsoft has consigned to the annals of tech history.
Internet Explorer

Read more
How to remove a Microsoft account from Windows 11
Windows 11 updates are moving to once a year.

While many people love porting their Microsoft account to their new Windows 11 PC, just as many hate the experience. One of the nicest things about having a new computer is how little tabs it has over you, and letting Microsoft in from the beginning — especially in a way that feels required — is a bit letdown for privacy-minded people.

To make matters worse, getting rid of your account feels tricky. It not only feels like it, Microsoft is your direct antagonist in getting the privacy you want. Luckily, you can make a local account that is disconnected from the rest of your life to gain back the personal feel of your computer. Here's how:
Removing a Microsoft account from Windows 11

Read more