Microsoft Provides More Details About Edge Improvements in the Creators Update

Microsoft today provided a rundown of the new features we can expect its in Edge web browser in the Windows 10 Creators Update.

I highlighted all of these features previously in my Windows 10 Creators Update Preview. But today’s Microsoft missive provides a bit more information. So here’s a quick overview.

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Tab management

In the Creators Update, Microsoft Edge picks up a ton of new tab management features that the firm says are aimed at addressing “the chaos and clutter of the web and the fear of losing tabs.”

The idea here is clear enough: With Windows 10 users spending over 50 percent of their time browsing the web, navigating among your open tabs can quickly become an arduous task.

“People often have many tabs open at any given time, resulting in stress about losing open tabs, not being able to pick up where they left off, or simply losing focus due to information overload,” Microsoft Edge general manager Drew DeBruyne writes in a new Windows Experience post.

With that in mind, Edge will offer the following new features in the Creators Update:

Show tab thumbnails. Now, you can see a preview of all open tabs visually: Just select the new Show tab previews control to toggle this display. (You can still mouse-over individual tabs to see each tab preview individually too, as before.)

Set tabs aside. Using a new Set these tabs aside control, you can now get a fresh start, as Microsoft says, removing distractions and providing a clean browser, while being able to pick up right where you left off at any time. (Just select the Tabs you’ve set aside control to do so.)

More browser capabilities

Microsoft has long innovated in bringing low-level OS capabilities like hardware rendering to its web browser,s. And Edge is not different: In the Creators Update, it will pick up a number of new experiences. These include:

3D capabilities. Edge utilizes WebVR technologies to provide virtual reality experiences in the web browser. And this will work with coming Windows Mixed Reality hardware, DeBruyne says. “We continue to explore how 3D content can revolutionize the web, and we’re hard at work in standards bodies to deliver a new interoperable immersive web,” DeBruyne notes. “These are exciting times, and we’re thrilled to participate.”

eBooks. Microsoft Edge will add support for the EPUB e-book format and for the new e-book store experience in the Windows Store. This feature also integrates with Cortana, and provides spoken-word reading of e-books.

Easier online shopping. In the Creators Update, Edge picks up support for the Payment Request API, which enables integration with Microsoft Wallet and whatever payment methods you’ve configured. “On participating websites, users will have the option to checkout quickly using their payment information stored securely in Microsoft Wallet so they don’t have to navigate through traditional checkout flows and repeatedly enter the same payment and shipping address information,” DeBruyne explains.

Extension improvements. Edge picked up support for browser extensions last year. With the Creators Update, this functionality will be expanded to include more APIs and thus more capabilities, including access to Favorites, roaming data between PCs, and the ability to securely communicate with other installed applications.

Core improvements. This new version of Edge is “faster, safer, and more efficient than ever,” DeBruyne says, thanks to constant low-level refinements. Microsoft promises more information about this work soon.

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Conversation 31 comments

  • 6852

    31 January, 2017 - 1:11 pm

    <p>So, the million-dollar question: when will we see an actual extension ecosystem, and not this weird little set of white-listed extensions we currently get?</p>

    • 5530

      31 January, 2017 - 1:54 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#39591">In reply to </a><a href="../../../users/ecumenical">ecumenical</a><a href="#39591">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>they’re going to eventually but I assume they want to start with a few high-quality extensions first to avoid the same problem they have with the rest of the Store that is full of rubbish…</p>

  • 8444

    31 January, 2017 - 1:26 pm

    <p>Unlike UWP the web is the future!<br /><br />Nearly after 2 years the UWP app ecosystem dwarfs the webapps. Even MS their UWP offerings are very lackluster.</p>
    <p>If you compare the functionality of the Mail/Calender app and compare it with outlook.com which features many many cool functions not available on UWP apps. (save to OneNote, send PayPal money, focused inbox, and so much more) or you can open 3 word documents in WordOnline in browser tabs while the UWP apps only can have one instance at the time. And this goes for most webapps from MS and other developers that are miles and miles ahead than UWP will be.&nbsp;<br /><br />Also webapps are truley universal. They are responsive, work on every OS, every browser and every Windows platform.</p>
    <p>Luckily this Windows 10 Cloud will have a browser like Edge, when if you have to count on UWP it will fail miserably. Altough Edge is pretty dead too when you look at webstats of market share and mobile portability.</p>
    <p>I do like the fact that they offload ebooks to the browser instead of yet creating another standalone stock app nobody would use. I uploaded all my books to Google Play Books to have them available in a browser. Now I can open my ePubs natively too. Great!</p>
    <p>&nbsp;</p>

  • 1977

    31 January, 2017 - 1:40 pm
  • 1977

    31 January, 2017 - 1:43 pm

    <p>How about that really difficult coding to have the ability to create a desktop shortcut or pin an Edge site on the taskbar. Things that have&nbsp;never been done&nbsp;before.</p>
    <p>&nbsp;</p>

  • 9722

    Premium Member
    31 January, 2017 - 1:58 pm

    <p>Maybe they will finish EDGE before my Win 8.1 is out of support….</p>

  • 5721

    31 January, 2017 - 3:15 pm

    <p>No mention of form fill???</p>

  • 5184

    Premium Member
    31 January, 2017 - 3:37 pm

    <p>Still no full screen?</p>

  • 8926

    31 January, 2017 - 4:06 pm

    <blockquote><em><a href="#39609">In reply to </a><a href="../../../users/Oasis">Oasis</a>&nbsp;Since it’s a service, it’ll never be finished.</em></blockquote>
    <p>&nbsp;</p>

  • 10374

    31 January, 2017 - 4:08 pm

    <p>20 minutes to join this site just to make a comment because it wont accept most passwords, really passwords is a issue on like 3 places this is number three, 6letters 1 uppercase and 4 numbers should be more than fine, I don’t like having yet another password ill forget.&nbsp; Also plse don’t send me to a page to fill in my details when I don’t need to.&nbsp;&nbsp; Do you work for microsoft by any chance.</p>

    • 7063

      01 February, 2017 - 12:19 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#39656">In reply to </a><a href="../../../users/munchy_22">munchy_22</a><a href="#39656">:</a>&nbsp;</em></blockquote>
      <p>You should create at least an 8&nbsp;digit password as your standard basic use password and a 12+ digit password for anything that could make your life uncomfortable,&nbsp;to help mitigate&nbsp;brute force cracking. Don’t be the low hanging fruit that the hackers get first.</p>

  • 10374

    31 January, 2017 - 4:14 pm

    <p>ok edge I actually like it but I cant use it because of 1 simple reason, its called not allowing me to open a new tab in 1 click to my home page, which I choose as google.&nbsp; its that simple.&nbsp; Miocrosft not only try to force me to have one of their 3 terrible options but they have also gone too far with insider 2019 latest build.&nbsp; I use internet explorer cause that’s what I like and prefer BUT FIX THE NEW TABS OPTIONS TO OPEN TO DEFAULT HOME PAGE AND ILL MOVE TO EDGE(STILL NEEDS SOME MUTI MONITOR TWEEKS TO COMPETE WITH EXPLORER THOUGH..&nbsp; Edge like I said is missing a single vital feature that opera, firefox, chrome, sarari, internet explorer have all given me for the last 2 decades, yet edge doesn’t?&nbsp; tELL MY MICROSOFT IS IT ANY REAL SHOCK WHY PEOPLE DONT USE EDGE WHEN ITS 2 YEARS DOWN THE LINE AND ONLY JUST NEARLY BECOMING USABLE, BARRING THE NEW TAB RESTRICTIONS?&nbsp; But now microsoft want to upset me even more by sticking a edge button right on the area I click for new tabs IN INTERNET EXPLORER LOL.&nbsp; I use explorer cause edge isn’t ready for me to use.&nbsp; I hope this edge tab is not included in the final build cause I’m ready to leave, just one more preasure point and I’m gone, itll be chrome and then apple or android depending when either decides to get serious about pc gaming.&nbsp; Microsft doesn’t have long and not allowing me to control what I want to look at and use is a very good step towards my exit from windows altogether and this is comeing from a huge windows 10 desktop fanboy and a windows mobile 8.1 mobile fanboy and I even like windows 10 mobile.&nbsp; But don’t dictate to me microsoft.&nbsp; Its nearly as bad as putting adverts in skype.&nbsp; STOP IT.</p>

    • 5496

      01 February, 2017 - 5:10 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#39658">In reply to </a><a href="../../../users/munchy_22">munchy_22</a><a href="#39658">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>Click on the plus sign, it will open a new tab.</p>

  • 604

    31 January, 2017 - 5:09 pm

    <p>Any news on iOS version?</p>

  • 214

    Premium Member
    31 January, 2017 - 5:09 pm

    <p>I’m very interested in the Tab management features&nbsp;for Edge. I’m the guy Drew DeBruyne&nbsp;alludes to – I usually&nbsp;have dozens&nbsp;of tabs open at any one time -&nbsp;usually the product of&nbsp;painstaking research&nbsp;where I follow a thread of information – from site to site – and I <em>don’t </em>want to lose my place or the thread that got me here.</p>
    <p>Or, consider the&nbsp;case of the computer I use to run my Amateur Radio Station: I have multiple sets of tabs I open for every session – lemme see… 5+3+6+4+2+2= 22 Tabs in 6 groups – all of which&nbsp;open by default – and all of which are always open.&nbsp;And yes, I open more as each session proceeds… So, a better way to organize and display those tabs – without losing them? Oh yeah… Gimme, gimme!</p>
    <p>Favorites are so – Y2K…&nbsp; Think outside the box boys and girls….</p>

  • 464

    Premium Member
    31 January, 2017 - 5:11 pm

    <p>Have they implemented an RSS reader?</p>

  • 442

    31 January, 2017 - 7:26 pm

    <p>Only thing I dislike about Edge is that they obfuscate the address box at the top of the browser, even hiding it if you are on a new tab with no site.&nbsp; Very disturbing since this is the basis for the web in general and is very important.</p>

    • 5501

      Premium Member
      02 February, 2017 - 5:14 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#39686">In reply to </a><a href="../../../users/Narg">Narg</a><a href="#39686">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>I noticed that too, and I thought something funny was going on.</p>

  • 9594

    31 January, 2017 - 10:09 pm

    <p>Now how about Edge on Android…crimeny!</p>

    • 5554

      01 February, 2017 - 9:39 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#39697">In reply to </a><a href="../../../users/Ojibwayinca">Ojibwayinca</a><a href="#39697">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>Asked no one ever&nbsp;</p>

    • 5530

      01 February, 2017 - 11:53 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#39697">In reply to </a><a href="../../../users/Ojibwayinca">Ojibwayinca</a><a href="#39697">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>would love Edge on Android tbh. Or, if not, at least an applet that lets me sync my reading list, history, and favourites into my phone.</p>

  • 6201

    01 February, 2017 - 12:49 am

    <p>Paul, any idea when are they bringing RSS feed in Edge? I really like the method of IE11, where I’ve pinned all my news sources that I follow, including Thurrot.com, and whenever there is a new headline(s), it goes bold. This kind of stuff is real deal for me to move to Edge 100%.</p>

  • 5534

    01 February, 2017 - 10:23 am

    <p>Now if they would just let me adjust the width of the pinned Favorites bar so it doesn’t take up 25% of my monitor,&nbsp;and also let move it to the left side of the screen like I’ve always been able to do with IE, I’ll be a happy camper. Is that too much to ask?</p>

  • 6819

    01 February, 2017 - 2:07 pm

    <p>Edge insists on changing the name of each tab window depending on how many tabs are open. This breaks a lot of auto-type applications like Keepass. It’s a stupid idea and I wish they would stop doing it</p>

  • 514

    01 February, 2017 - 2:08 pm

    <p>One thing about the set aside tabs feature that seems problematic to me is that it’s kind of all or nothing.&nbsp; On my insider fast ring preview tests all I can do is set aside all non-pinned tabs.&nbsp; I really want to be able to pick and choose which tabs I set aside.&nbsp; I’d also like to know if setting a tab aside, decreases its resource load on Edge generally — there are a few web sites that cause edge fits — I’d like to be able to set them aside for a while.</p>
    <p>The book reading thing seems to have changed the scroll direction in reading view from vertical to horizontal, which may be fine for books, but I’d like a way to set it back to vertical.</p>

  • 3071

    01 February, 2017 - 5:57 pm

    <p>What about a strong POPUP BLOCKER??????</p>

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