Skip to main content

Microsoft’s Edge browser to get much-needed boost in next Windows 10 build

windows 10 insiders will get their hands on microsoft edge extensions this month feature
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Microsoft is hoping to turn Edge into the browser of the future, and to do that it plans to update it a lot more in upcoming Redstone builds for Windows 10. The updates, which draw inspiration in their naming from the blocky building title Minecraft, will add new features to the browser, rather than just close security holes or fix outstanding bugs.

In upcoming Redstone builds the Edge browser has an added save-download prompt, which lets users decided whether they want a file permanently ensconced on their storage drive, or if they would rather just run it when it arrives. Previously there was no such prompt, meaning Edge users on Windows 10 had no option but to hard-download everything they wanted to take a look at.

More important, though, it was considered a nasty security hole as it essentially allowed websites to dictate what files were downloaded when visiting — vastly different from the user-approved ethos Microsoft has opted for with important tasks in Windows 10.

That’s not all we can look forward to from the Redstone updates, however. Winbeta has it that Edge is also getting a few new clever tricks, including Web notifications, and InPrivate tabs will soon be easier to open on the mobile version of Edge, with a new button that can open it directly from the tab screen.

These features, combined with upcoming extensions that will add of third-party functionality to the browser, show that Microsoft is making a real commitment to move people along from the Internet Explorers of old — and wants to capture more of the browser market, which these days is dominated by Chrome.

It’s using a carrot and stick to do it, of course. While on one hand it has upcoming features that should entice some users, Microsoft has also warned that older versions of Internet Explorer on certain operating systems are no longer fully secure, as extended support has now come to an end.

What would it take for you to switch from your browser of choice to the latest version of Edge?

Editors' Recommendations

Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is the Evergreen Coordinator for Computing, overseeing a team of writers addressing all the latest how to…
Microsoft is already expanding Bing Chat to Skype and phones
Microsoft Edge browser showing Bing Chat on an iPhone.

Bing Chat, the AI chatbot powered by ChatGPT, is one of Microsoft's most exciting products, and the Windows developer is wasting no time in incorporating artificial intelligence into more of its products, including three of its mobile apps: Skype, Bing mobile, and Edge.

Microsoft announced the news in a blog post this morning. The Edge browser and the Bing app are obvious choices for adding AI-enhanced search, and early access users will begin seeing Bing Chat in those apps soon. We'd seen hints about Bing Chat on mobile, just two days ago, so Microsoft is moving quickly.

Read more
5 features I’m itching to try in Microsoft’s ChatGPT-powered Edge Browser
Microsoft's redesigned Bing and Edge search engines.

Microsoft has just announced that its new AI, powered by ChatGPT, is coming to the Edge browser and Bing search engine. The addition of advanced AI will redefine the way these two Microsoft products work, and there are some major changes on the horizon.

The Microsoft-backed ChatGPT is a conversational AI that you can ask questions and get all sorts of answers from -- even things like your astrological makeup. Microsoft is eager to to take that experience out of a website and into the browser, and there are a ton of features I'm itching to try out.
A reimagined search engine

Read more
Microsoft is bringing ChatGPT to your browser, and you can test it out right now
Microsoft's redesigned Bing search engine.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confirmed in a private briefing with the press that a ChatGPT-powered version of the Edge browser and Bing search engine is available now. The overhauled search and web browsing experience is designed for natural-language questions, replacing critical aspects of the browser with AI tools.

That might sound familiar. Google and other search engines have been leveraging AI for several years to compile search results, but Microsoft's take is different. It's "your AI copilot for the web," offering up new search, answer, chat, and create functions.

Read more