Microsoft Editor is Available as a Browser Extension

Microsoft’s free grammar and spelling checking browser extension is now available on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.

“The Editor browser extension checks for grammar and spelling mistakes, and it makes suggestions for refining your writing, like addressing passive voice or wordiness,” a Microsoft support document explains of the very Grammarly-like offering.

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When you install Microsoft Editor, you’ll see a new Editor icon in your browser’s toolbar. You can click that to sign-in to your Microsoft account or AAD. If you have an Office 365 or Microsoft 365 account, you’ll see additional refinements, whereas only basic spelling and grammar checking is available with free Microsoft accounts.

Microsoft will allow users to configure which refinements are enabled in a future release.

Download Microsoft Editor for Microsoft Edge

Download Microsoft Editor for Google Chrome

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Conversation 14 comments

  • lvthunder

    Premium Member
    31 March, 2020 - 5:18 pm

    <p>Too bad there isn't a Firefox extension. I wouldn't mind trying it.</p>

    • bart

      Premium Member
      31 March, 2020 - 5:31 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#535530">In reply to lvthunder:</a></em></blockquote><p>This is how Microsoft 'gets you' ;)</p>

      • lwetzel

        Premium Member
        01 April, 2020 - 11:32 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#535542">In reply to Bart:</a></em></blockquote><p>Firefox supplies extensions for Edge?</p>

  • hellcatm

    31 March, 2020 - 5:57 pm

    <p> How is it compared to Grammarly? Hoping for a review. </p>

  • Winner

    31 March, 2020 - 6:07 pm

    <p>Just make sure to disable updates and turn off the advertising ID.</p>

    • hansolo

      01 April, 2020 - 3:19 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#535576">In reply to Winner:</a></em></blockquote><p>like your useless comment</p>

  • thurottgem

    31 March, 2020 - 8:32 pm

    <p>If this is at least close to Grammarly, I would consider paying the yearly M365 fee for all the features. (Onedrive, Office, and now advanced corrections)</p><p><br></p><p>Paul, I know you have said you use Grammarly or at one point were using it for your writing. Would you be willing to review this new grammar checker from Microsoft and see how it compares?</p>

  • lewk

    Premium Member
    31 March, 2020 - 9:09 pm

    <p>I love when you click on the toolbar, it looks like all the other menu items in edge with the same fonts and design language. Except that it has squared corners, and not round. Classic Microsoft, making sure there's at least one inconsistency.</p>

    • lwetzel

      Premium Member
      01 April, 2020 - 11:31 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#535617">In reply to Lewk:</a></em></blockquote><p>I have twelve extensions showing on my browser. Two have rounded corners and the rest are square. </p>

  • j5

    Premium Member
    31 March, 2020 - 11:40 pm

    <p>I always thought it made sense for Microsoft to have a Grammarly-like app considering they have the most popular document editor in the world. I'm already an Office 365 subscriber so I'm looking forward to using this over Grammarly.</p><p><br></p><p>I wonder if Grammarly is worried?</p>

  • panderse

    Premium Member
    01 April, 2020 - 2:07 am

    <p>Tried it and removed it after 30 seconds: As someone working and interacting in 2 different languages, having to choose one language only in settings is just a very plain deal-breaker. And Microsoft should know it: After all, auto-detection of your language has been a core feature in Office desktop apps for many years and Microsoft's Swiftkey on Android also allows you to select multiple input languages and then does it best to correct based on the language you seem to be currently using. </p>

  • fearofweapons

    01 April, 2020 - 3:49 am

    <p>This is awful – to get a spelling suggestion I have to *left* click the underlined word. </p><p><br></p><p>Right clicking brings up a menu options; Edge and Chrome. Everywhere else I have used a spelling checker it is a right click to get the list of suggested words e.g. in MS Word.</p><p><br></p><p>I also get different UIs in Chrome and Edge e.g. in Chrome the spelling language is shown as en-GB in Edge UK English. In chrome being able to turn refinements on/off is shown if I click on the Editor Icon but not if I click on settings. In Edge I can see the toggle switch in settings but can only use it if I click the Icon.</p><p><br></p><p>Very poor.</p>

  • RonV42

    Premium Member
    01 April, 2020 - 7:12 am

    <p>So far, I am liking this extension. It works well in most web editing boxes. Too bad there is some rough edges with how spaces are managed at the end of the line and the checker says a message that the spaces don't match settings but there is no setting to change.</p>

  • Username

    04 April, 2020 - 7:32 pm

    <p>“<em style="color: rgb(30, 30, 30);">Editor is available as a browser extension for Edge and Chrome, and it's being added to Word and Outlook apps.”</em><span style="color: rgb(30, 30, 30);"> So, not yet available in apps, such as Outlook, Skype, Teams where most appreciated by harried typists.</span></p>

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