Windows 10 Tip: Expand the Capabilities of Edge with Extensions

Windows 10 Tip: Expand the Capabilities of Edge with Extensions

Starting with the Anniversary Update, the Microsoft Edge web browser in Windows 10 supports extensions, which can be used to personalize the browser and add functionality. Extensions are available via the Windows Store—there are both free and paid extensions—and are managed directly in Edge.

Note: This article is an excerpt from the Windows 10 Field Guide. This book is now being updated with a ton of new content describing new Windows 10 features from the Anniversary update. –Paul

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Some popular extensions include:

AdBlock and AdBlock Plus. These highly recommended ad blockers—one free, one paid—block all annoying ads, malware and tracking mechanisms from the browser.

LastPass. This award-winning password manager saves your passwords securely and creates complex passwords. It works across platforms, and on mobile devices, giving you secure access to your passwords from anywhere.

Microsoft Translate. This useful extension will translate foreign language pages for over 50 languages. When you encounter a page in a different language, the Microsoft Translator icon will appear in the address bar; just click it to instantly translate the page to your currently configured language.

Find Edge extensions

To browse available extensions, open Edge and select More (“…”), Extensions. Then, in the Extensions pane that opens, select “Get extensions from the Store.” The Windows Store app will launch and navigate to the part of the store dedicated to Edge extensions.

Extensions work just like mobile apps: Each extension gets its own page in Store, complete with screenshots, suggestions, information like features, system requirements, and more, and ratings and reviews.

To install an extension, click the Install button. After the download and install is complete, the Install button changes into a Launch button. If you click that button, or just launch Edge, you’ll see a new “You have a new extension” pop-up appear in the browser.

edge-ext-installed

Click Turn it on to enable the extension.

Note: Some extensions will open a browser tab so you can sign-in to a service or configure features immediately.

Manage Edge extensions

To manage your installed extensions, open Edge and select More (“…”), Extensions. In the Extensions pane that opens, you will see the list of installed extensions.

edge-exts-pane

Now, select the extension you wish to manage. Extensions can provide the following options:

Enable/disable the extension. You can use an On/Off control to determine whether the extension is enabled.

Show button next to the address bar. Many (but not all) extensions provide a toolbar button. This button can appear at the top of the More (“…”) menu—as they do by default, when available—or you can make it visible next to the Edge address bar.

Options. Many extensions provide a range of options via a web page. Click the Options button to view the available options.

edge-pocket-options

Uninstall. Use the Uninstall button to permanently remove the extension from Edge and your PC.

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