Microsoft introduced Edge, a cross-platform internet browser running Windows 10, back in 2015. At the time, the browser included Microsoft’s proprietary browser engine, EdgeHTML, and was unable to grab the attention of the masses. A few years later, in 2019, Edge was rebuilt with Chromium: Google’s free and open source project. Based on Chromium, it has a lot in common with the likes of Brave, Vivaldi, and Google Chrome. With Internet Explorer due to say goodbye sometime in 2021, Edge will now take charge and become the new default browser in Windows 10. Also check the new windows 11 iso.
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Microsoft Edge Tracking control
Similar to Firefox and Brave, which let you block trackers and keep your online activity private (to a certain extent), Microsoft Edge also lets you change your privacy settings as you see fit. Thus, you can prevent trackers from tracking your online activity and collecting your data. To enable this, click on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner and select Settings. Here, select Privacy, Search & Services from the left menu. Now, based on your preference, you can choose any of three options among Basic, Balanced, Strict, listed in the right pane.
Use immersive reading mode.
For those who don’t know, Reading Mode is a feature that hides most of the visual elements of a message, as well as ads (in some cases) so you can focus on the text only. To enter Reading Mode in Edge, open the article / message you want to read and click on the book icon (with the speaker icon at the top) in the address bar. You should now be in immersive reading mode. Click the book icon again to exit.
Alternatively, you can also change certain options as you like by hovering your mouse over the book icon. For example, you can change options such as text size, page theme, etc. In addition, Reading Mode also offers many different features, such as the ability to highlight different parts of speech, use an image dictionary, translate text, and finally, what is no less importantly, a read aloud function that reads the content of the message.
Make the browser read the content
Just as you can use immersive reading mode to better focus on your reading and not be distracted, you can also set your browser to read website content for you. Microsoft calls it Read Aloud, and it essentially reads out the content of the website. To use this feature, navigate to the message you want to read and click the Reading View icon – similar to the previous tip. From here, select Read aloud from the panel right below the address bar. You can also change the reading speed and reading voice according to your preference. To do this, while the browser is reading the content, click Voice options and make your changes here.
Microsoft Edge Pin tabs
If there are certain websites that you visit frequently and want them to constantly open in your browser, you can pin those tabs so that they are easy to find and, in turn, prevent them from closing accidentally. In addition, it also saves space on the tabs, allowing more tabs to be open at the same time. In addition, the tab remains open even after restarting the browser. To pin a tab, right-click it and select Pin Tab.
Use Google Chrome extensions.
The Chrome Web Store is home to a variety of tools and extensions that help improve your web experience and simplify many operations. Similar to Chrome, where you can install extensions and use them to work, Microsoft Edge also provides the ability to run Chrome extensions on it. To do this, you need to click on the three horizontal buttons and go to Extensions. Here on the left pane, toggle the button next to Allow extensions from other stores. In the confirmation window, select Allow. After that, you can visit the Chrome Web Store and find the extensions you want.
Change your default search engine.
By default, Edge browser uses the Bing search engine for all searches. For those who don’t know, Bing is owned by Microsoft and based on its market share, the browser only managed to capture 2.44%, as opposed to Google, which is 92.54% in 2020. If you’re used to Google as your default search engine, or you’re using something that offers slightly improved privacy, like DuckDuckGo, you can change the search engine on Edge to your preferred search engine. To do this, go to Settings and select Privacy, Search & Services from the left pane. Scroll down to the Services section and from here click on the address bar and search. Now click the dropdown button next toSearch engine used in the address bar and select one from the list. If not, click on the Manage Search Engines button and add an engine.
Use cursor preview
Originally intended for use with text editors, the cursor view mode in web browsers is a great feature for those who like to navigate with the keyboard. It uses the caret (|) to highlight selected items and help users navigate the web page. To use this feature, press the F7 key and select enable in the pop-up window. Once activated, you can use the arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate the page.
Use collections to group items.
Collections were recently introduced to Edge, and as it sounds, this feature allows you to group things like web pages, notes, images, snippets, and more for later viewing. Basically, it is similar to the bookmark manager, except that it offers more functionality. This feature can come in handy when you are doing research or researching a topic. You can create new Collections or add items to existing ones. To create a collection, click on the Collections icon. After that, give it a name and add content. And the next time you find something interesting and relevant, you can add the same to the Collection.