Microsoft plans to add new features and improvements to the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser, which has been available to consumers and businesses since January, to differentiate it from Google Chrome. The new features and improvements include a built-in QR code generator, “Collections,” and tight integration with Windows 10 and network domains. Some of the new features coming to Microsoft Edge now are already available in Canary builds.
Extension synchronization
Since Microsoft Edge is based on the Chromium browser, it can install not only browser extensions designed for Edge, but also extensions created for Chrome. Thus, a wide variety of extensions are available to users in Microsoft Edge. For those who use a lot of extensions, their synchronization between different devices will be very useful. Thus, Microsoft is creating an extension synchronization feature so that the extensions used by users are synchronized across all devices where they are logged in with the same account.
Collection Features
Microsoft Edge has a unique feature called Collections, which allows users to collect and compare shopping items, collect and combine information from platforms like Wikipedia, and gather information from an event or research into a special board for future reference.
In the next release, Microsoft will add some improvements to this feature, allowing users to save all their open tabs to a new or existing collection. They will then be able to reopen all of those tabs from another device they are signed in to.
Other minor improvements
Microsoft is also testing a number of small improvements, including a new drop-down UI when browsing in full-screen mode so users can quickly access tabs. Improvements will also be made to the PDFso that administrators can more easily manipulate the browser.
Creating QR codes
Microsoft is working on a test QR code generator for Edge that will allow users to easily share websites by scanning a QR code. In Canary builds, the QR code generator is available as a test flag that users need to manually enable from //flags “#sharing-qr-code-generator' flag. They can do this by going to //flags and searching for “QR”. Once enabled, Edge will display a “QR code” icon in the address bar, which users can click to generate the code. Users will start seeing the new features in the stable version of Edge 84 and later. If someone wants to try these features, they need to download the Edge Canary or Beta.
