It may be hard to believe, but Microsoft has finally atoned for the sins of Internet Explorer, which recently ended up in the graveyard. In 2020, the company pressed the reboot button from its web browser efforts and launched a new version of Microsoft Edge to replace the one that came with Windows 10. This new version is based on the same code as Google’s Chrome browser, so it offers similar performance and works with the same extensions.
If Microsoft cloned Chrome on its own, it wouldn’t earn much more than a participation trophy in the browser wars. But Edge is more than a copycat. Since the relaunch, Microsoft has piled on all sorts of useful features that Chrome lacks, to the point that I like to use it as my primary browser.
If you’ve written off Edge before, either because of past trauma with Internet Explorer or Microsoft’s sloppy software update tactics, here’s why you should seriously consider using the browser. (You may also want to consider leaving Chrome for Firefox or Vivaldi instead.)
Vertical Tabs
With just one click, Microsoft Edge can arrange your browser tabs on the left side of the screen instead of the top. This will probably feel strange at first — and you might be annoyed that it doesn’t reclaim space above the address bar — but stick with it for a few weeks and you may never want to go back. Arranging tabs vertically allows you to place more of them on the screen without losing sight of page titles, and you can temporarily hide the sidebar by clicking the left arrow at the top if you need more room to scroll.
It takes some getting used to, but Edge’s vertical tab bar just makes sense.
Install sites as apps
Click the menu button “…” and select “Apps”, and you will see an option to install the current site as an app on your desktop. Doing so will allow the site to launch in its own window without the usual menu clutter, and you can add it to both your Start menu and your taskbar. This feature has fundamentally changed the way I use the Internet, allowing me to quickly access services like Gmail and Notion without losing them in a sea of tabs. While Chrome offers a similar capability, Edge turns web apps into a featured attraction, with a single menu to see what you’ve installed and manage their permissions.
Turn any website into an app and you can launch it from the Windows Start menu, taskbar, or search button.
Useful reading functions
On a web page, pressing F9 or clicking the page icon to the right of the address bar displays a reading mode that removes ads and lets you customize the text. There’s also a “Read Out Loud” feature – accessible from the read mode menu or by pressing Ctrl-Shift-U – that converts text on any web page into speech. You can adjust the reading speed and even choose from a ton of voices.
Edge makes one-click articles easier to read.
Collections
Think of this feature as a nicer bookmark folder, with more detailed page descriptions, thumbnail images, and notes. Click on the [+] button in the top right corner of the screen opens the collections sidebar menu. From there you can start a new collection and click “Add Current Page” to compile links. You can also right-click on a tab and select ‘Add all tabs to a new collection’, which will save all your open tabs at once. It’s a great way to save your current browser window without leaving all your tabs open forever.
Collections are a more elegant way to store all your open tabs.
Tracking Protection
While Google is working on plans to remove tracking cookies from Chrome, Microsoft now lets you block third-party cookies. The privacy section of Edge’s settings menu offers three levels of blocking aggressiveness, plus an option to always use the strictest setting for your incognito browsing sessions. Blocking these trackers can prevent websites from constantly collecting information about you as you browse the web.
Edge offers simple tracking protection out of the box.
Where Edge still annoys
The only thing that really annoys me about Edge is how thorough Microsoft goes with Bing and Bing-related services out of the box. Changing these default settings requires some digging.
For example, setting Google as your search engine requires a trip to Settings > Privacy, Search and Servicesand then click Address bar and search at the bottom of the menu. You can change the search engine here, the new tab page will still use Bing unless you use the Search in new tabs option to Address bar also. If you’re setting up multiple computers, you’ll need to change these settings on each computer, because Microsoft doesn’t sync them.
Likewise, the new tab page shows news and information from Microsoft unless you click the gear icon in the top right corner and click a . chooses Amended page layout, then select content off in the drop-down menu. (You can also try setting up another new tab page, such as Tabliss.)
Finally, I could take or abandon Microsoft’s foray into store-related features like price tracking and discounts for online purchases. You may find these features useful, but with so many other ways to shop smarter online, Edge’s features can also be a nuisance. The good news is you can disable them by going to Settings > Privacy, Search and Servicesand then uncheck it Save time and money with Shopping in Microsoft Edge†
But once it’s fully exploded and un-Bingified, Edge is finally worth using seriously. Don’t let minor annoyances (or decades-old browser grievances) stop you from getting a better Chrome alternative.
A version of this column originally appeared in Advisorator, Jared’s newsletter for practical technical advice. Sign up to get free tips delivered straight to your inbox.
