Microsoft Edge Version 119 Brings Changes to Sidebar and Split Screen

Microsoft released version 119 of its Edge web browser late last week, bringing changes to the Sidebar, Split screen, and more.

Here’s what’s new.

Sidebar management for organizations. Admins and IT in managed environments can now use an updated policy to prevent Edge sidebar apps from opening automatically on an app-by-app basis.

Sidebar UI change. Microsoft didn’t really document this, but it’s moved the option “Always show sidebar” from Edge settings > Sidebar to Edge settings > Sidebar > App and notification settings | Copilot for some reason. This doesn’t impact the availability of the sidebar or Copilot, both of which can still be independently toggled. It’s not clear why this option moved since it makes more sense in its former location.

Split screen improvements. Microsoft Edge’s superfluous Split screen feature will now remember which webpages were loaded in each side of the “split tab” when you close the browser and reopen it.

There are additional changes to Edge’s low-level and administrative capabilities. You can check out the release notes for the full list.