Microsoft Edge is one of the most popular internet browsers around. Here’s a few reasons why you could love it too.
1. Seamless integration with Windows 10
If you spend a lot of time with Windows 10, then Edge is the perfect companion. For example, if you use Cortana to run a web search from the taskbar, the results will show up in the Edge browser, even if you have a different default browser.
Edge also integrates neatly with other Microsoft products, like the Windows Defender antivirus tool for spotting dangerous sites. While Chrome and Firefox still work perfectly well on Windows 10, the experience is a bit more seamless when you’re using all-Microsoft programs.
2. Chrome extensions
One of the problems new browsers face is attracting developers to make useful extensions, which is where the likes of Firefox and Chrome really excel. But because Edge is built on the same Chromium code as Google’s browser, you can install any Chrome-compatible add-on in Edge too—open the browser menu (via the three dots in the top right-hand corner), then choose Extensions to see what’s installed and to find new options in the Edge Add-ons library. You can also head to the Chrome Web Store and install anything you find there, too.
3. Phone support
It’s convenient to have a browser that syncs your desktop bookmarks, passwords, and other web browsing info to your phone. Luckily, Microsoft has launched versions of Edge for Android and iOS to give you all of these benefits.
Besides all of the cross-platform syncing—which includes any Collections you might have set up—Edge on mobile gives you handy features such as private browsing and control over blocking trackers and ads. If you spend a lot of time jumping between different devices and platforms, Edge can go along with you.
4. Seamless privacy controls
It’s not always easy trying to figure out how companies are tracking you across the web, so Edge has simplified the necessary privacy controls into three tiers: Basic, Balanced, and Strict.
You can find details of what each tier means, and set your preference, by clicking the three dots to the top right of the interface and choosing Settings, then Privacy, search, and services. Getting too aggressive with cookies and trackers can cause problems on some sites—pop-up messages repeatedly appearing, for example, because the site doesn’t know that you’ve visited it before.
5. A feed of personalized content
When you load up the browser, its default first page will show you a selection of news stories, snippets of information, and videos tailored to your interests. This page, called “My Feed,” offers an instantly accessible motherlode of relevant content when you’re looking for something to watch or read.
Edge chooses the feed topics based on your browsing history, interactions you’ve had with Cortana, and personal data such as your current location (for weather reports). You can also customize what you see by clicking on the cog icon in the top right of this page.
If you’d prefer to land on a different page, you can change your defaults so you won’t see My Feed every time you open a new tab. Click the three dots (top right) and choose Settings from the menu, then pick On start-up and New tab page to make changes. (Reported by Popular Science)
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