Microsoft is Testing Edge Themes, Improved Linux Support

Microsoft Edge Insiders in the Dev channel can now test two key coming new features: Themes and Microsoft account sign-in and sync on Linux.

“Today we’re releasing build 91.0.831.1 to the Dev channel,” Microsoft’s Josh Bodner announced. “To start out, we’ve got two big features we’re excited to unveil: we’re introducing built-in Edge themes [and] we’re also starting to roll out sign-in and sync for Linux users.”

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Microsoft announced that it was bringing themes to Edge web browser back in January and the initial release supported adding themes from the Microsoft Edge Add-Ins website. But in the new Dev channel build, Microsoft had added 14 new color-based themes directly into browser settings, making it easier to get started.

“The Overall appearance section changes the primary look of the browser, including new tabs, pages, dialogs, and other menus,” Microsoft’s William Devereux explains. “By default, Edge will try to match the appearance of your operating system, but if you prefer to always live in light or dark mode you can do that too. Like other Chromium browsers, this setting applies to all of your profiles.”

The Linux sign-in and sync functionality is now available for Microsoft accounts only, but the firm will add support for commercial AAD-type sign-ins in the future as well. Also, you will need to set an experimental flag to get this feature working today: Look for “MSA sign-in” in edge://flags.

You can download Edge Dev from the Microsoft Edge Insider Preview website.

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Conversation 8 comments

  • dftf

    23 March, 2021 - 3:27 pm

    <p>I'd rather they just made the existing dark-mode actually dark, and added a highlight-strip to the top of the Active Tab:</p><p>i.imgur.com/MQX5UYU.png</p><p><br></p><p>(With the default theme, if you've set a custom Accent Colour in Windows 10 to be as-dark-as-possible, then it's really hard to see which tab is the active one)</p>

    • ianhead

      23 March, 2021 - 7:05 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#619553">In reply to dftf:</a></em></blockquote><p>I like that mockup. It'd match well with the taskbar, too.</p>

      • dftf

        23 March, 2021 - 9:30 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#619578">In reply to ianhead:</a></em></blockquote><p>It's not a mock-up, it's a theme I actually use.</p><p><br></p><p>You can get it here:</p><p><br></p><p>chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/when-the-night-falls-100/hbakdpmnfbepcjjefdiabhhkibgmfdbb</p>

  • red.radar

    Premium Member
    23 March, 2021 - 7:36 pm

    <p>Excited about the syncing features on Linux. This allows me to move away from Firefox.</p><p><br></p><p>however I have been dabbling with brave and impressed at its speed. </p>

  • tonchek

    25 March, 2021 - 2:50 am

    <p>I don' care about themes but I can't wait to get themes! So, I can have a different theme for each profile…</p>

  • Slvrgun

    25 March, 2021 - 7:22 pm

    <p>Need to make bash default</p>

  • sgbassett

    Premium Member
    27 March, 2021 - 7:43 am

    <p>Maybe I am doing something wrong, or maybe the account sync doesn't yet work on Linux on a Chromebook, but after I updated to the 91.0.831.1 Dev version on my Chromebook, I still get the message that account sync is not supported. Is this a gradual rollout? Or is there something about Linux on a Chromebook that prevents account sync from working?</p>

  • Alastair Cooper

    29 March, 2021 - 8:24 am

    <p>I just switched from Brave to Edge Dev on Linux (vertical tabs are great) now that sync works, but I must say I'm getting a bit impatient waiting for the stable version now. I don't really understand what's taking so long when other Chromium browsers have good Linux support.</p>

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