Microsoft has a hit on its hands with the reimagined Edge browser. It’s quickly become the second most popular desktop web browser because of its performance and features — and the next big Edge update delivers some major improvements.
BRAZIL - 2020/02/24: In this photo illustration a Microsoft Edge logo seen displayed on a ... [+]
Some of the most important changes make it much easier to maintain the mountains of passwords we’re all forced to manage these days.
Edge already featured a built-in password manager. Edge 88 gives it a boost by adding a pair of security-boosting tweaks.
The first will help you make better password choices. Instead of having to dream up a complex, unique password every time you need one, Edge can now create those passwords for you. Passwords like "-jGZn)fZ=Vm[cwP.
No, there’s no way you’ll ever remember that password on your own. That’s not a problem, since Edge automatically stores and syncs your passwords. Added bonus: if you can’t remember a password that complex, there’s no risk that you’ll ever be tricked into typing into a phishing website by some crafty fraudster.
The other big change to Edge’s password management abilities makes dealing with data breaches a whole lot easier.
Starting with version 88, Edge will warn you if one of your stored passwords pops up in a leaked or stolen database. Microsoft does this by comparing hashes of your passwords to what’s leaked — the company never sees your passwords as plain text.
If you receive an alert you can zip on over to the affected website and let Edge cook up a complex new password for you.
Edge 88 also brings some nice performance and productivity tweaks. The sleeping tabs feature presses pause on browser tabs that you haven’t accessed for an extended period. That frees up valuable memory and processor power that your system can better put to use on the tabs you’re actively engaged with.
The Edge 88 browser with the vertical tabs feature enabled.
Always find yourself with tons of tabs open? Edge 88 will let you stack them vertically instead of horizontally. Turning on vertical tabs makes better use of the extra horizontal real estate provided by widescreen displays. It’s also a familiar experience for those of you who use Microsoft’s fantastic note-taking app, OneNote.
On my Surface Book, I had to enable vertical tabs manually by browsing to edge://flags and searching for the word vertical. Once enabled you can switch to vertical tabs (or back to horizontal) by right-clicking on the tab bar in Edge.
Using Edge on multiple computers? You’ll be glad to know that Microsoft has improved its sync abilities. Edge can now synchronize your browsing history as well as your open tabs. If you start reading something on your desktop and want to pick up where you left off on your laptop you can now do it in a few simple clicks.
Some of these new features are rolling out gradually to Edge users so you might not be able to take advantage of them right away. Don’t worry, they’re coming soon... and bringing you a better, more secure browsing experience.
