New version of Microsoft Edge could save you from using bad passwords online

By Arif Bacchus Published July 22, 2021

Microsoft’s Edge web browser just got a new feature that ensures you’re a bit safer when browsing the web.

Now rolling out in version 92 of Edge is a new password health dashboard, to help you decide if the password you’ve saved is strong enough, or used on another website.

A demo of the new Password Health Dashboard in Edge.

Once Edge is updated to version 92, you can try out this feature by tapping the Profile section in Edge’s settings menu. Then, you can look under Saved Passwords. From there, you’ll see a health meter that showcases how strong and healthy your password is. Edge will let you know if the password is leaked, if it is weak and reused, or if it is a weak password or reused password. There will also be an indicator for no known issues, and if you’ve decided to hide the health of the password.

Recommended Videos

In addition to this feature on the desktop version of Microsoft Edge, there’s the ability to use saved credentials in Edge on mobile to sign in to other apps and browsers. This works with apps like Instagram, Pinterest. “All of this is designed to put you first and help you — and the ones you love — stay safer online,” said Liat Ben-Zur, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Though not directly related to the Edge 92 release, Microsoft is announcing the new Microsoft Outlook browser extension. With the extension, you can enjoy mail, calendar, contacts, and tasks from within Edge without having to open a new tab. It is available for download on the Edge Add-Ons store.

Edge 92 also brings some improvements for the Collections feature. You can now save web captures, which are in-browser screenshots, into the Collections area in Edge. This should make it easier to revisit web captures, and stay in the flow of looking for recipes or even shopping.

Another small feature in this release is the ability to share your response to the news and headlines on the New Tab Page. Microsoft says you’ll be able to use emojis to like, love, or share thoughts about news and content feeds. You even can read comments from others, or sign in, set up a profile, and take part in the conversation.

Microsoft Edge should auto-update to version 92 when it is available for download. You can manually download today by clicking the three dots at the top right of your screen, choosing Settings, and then clicking About Microsoft Edge.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…

Computing

My quest to fully remove Microsoft Edge is finally complete

Microsoft Defender and Edge Security settings are open on a PC monitor.

I'm on a mission to eradicate Microsoft Edge from my PC.

It's not a slight against Microsoft -- I just don't particularly care for the Edge browser compared to some of the other best browsers out there. But Edge is different because Microsoft has tried -- and mostly failed -- to court its massive Windows user base, with some unsavory tactics, including making it nearly impossible to set a different default browser to massive, screen-overtaking popups when searching for the Chrome installer.

Computing

You have one year to safely use Windows 10 before you’ll need to pay

Microsoft will be allowing consumers to join its Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for the first time next year, and it announced the program pricing today in a blog post. The official end-of-service date for Windows 10 is October 14, 2025, but by paying $30 to join the ESU program, you can receive an extra year of security updates. This will allow you to continue safely using Windows 10 until around October 2026, a full two years from now.

By the time support for Windows 10 ends, it will be almost exactly four years since Windows 11 launched and a decade since Windows 10 launched. It takes a lot of work to keep an operating system secure and running smoothly, which is why a company like Microsoft can't just endlessly support every version of Windows it's ever shipped. It would end up costing a lot more money than it made -- and that's not how businesses function.

Computing

Microsoft is finally making Copilot+ laptops useful for AI

Microsoft Surface Pro 11 front view in tablet mode.

Microsoft's Copilot+ PC initiative has been a smash hit, with many of them landing among the best laptops, but not for the AI hardware inside. Now, finally, Microsoft is putting the neural processing unit (NPU) inside Copilot+ PCs to good use. Starting today and going throughout the next two months, Microsoft will begin rolling out the 24H2 update for all Windows 11 PCs, and in the process, unlock several features for Copilot+ PCs, including the highly controversial Recall.

Recall is definitely the star of the show here, which will start showing up on Copilot+ laptops with a Snapdragon X chipset throughout October. Last week, Microsoft laid the groundwork for the release of Recall, detailing the security architecture of the feature and addressing some major criticisms of it. Now, for example, Recall is turned off instead of on by default. Microsoft is also allowing users to filter websites and giving users more control over their snapshots, including deleting them all.