Microsoft Edge Chromium receives an improvement for PWAs (Progressive Web Apps). The browser will colorize title bars for progressive web apps installed with Edge, making them easy to differentiate.
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Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are web apps that use modern web technologies. They can be launched on the Desktop and look like native apps. While PWAs are hosted on the Internet, the user can create a special shortcut to launch them like a regular app, or install them in Windows 10 using Microsoft Store.
Besides the Microsoft Store app, Windows users can use the Chrome browser and certain Chromium-based browsers. The browser allows installing Progressive Web Apps using its main menu. When the browser detects a PWA on a web site, it allows installing it.
The installed apps will run in their own Chrome window. The Chrome address bar and other browser UI elements are hidden in this mode, so the app only has a title bar.
Starting in Edge 80.0.351.0, when you install a site as an app, it'll automatically theme the title bar based on the site's colors. This happens automatically, but web developers can specify their own color and override this automatic theming. Here are a few examples:
So, if you have Edge Canary 80.0.351.0 or above, you can already try this new thing in action.
How to give it a try
- Open Edge Canary.
- Navigate to Twitter and YouTube.
- From the menu (Alt + F), select Apps > Install this site as an app.
- Change the app name if needed and click on Install.
- Now it runs like a Windows app with its own title bar and taskbar icon.
Microsoft is currently using three channels to deliver updates to Edge Insiders. The Canary channel receives updates daily (except Saturday and Sunday), the Dev channel is getting updates weekly, and the Beta channel is updated every 6 weeks. The stable channel is also on its way to users. You can find the actual Insider Preview versions at the end of this post. The stable version of Microsoft Edge is expected to be released on on January 15, 2020.
Actual Microsoft Edge Versions
The actual pre-release versions of Edge Chromium at the moment of this writing are as follows:
- Beta Channel: 79.0.309.40
- Dev Channel: 80.0.345.0 (see the change log)
- Canary Channel: 80.0.352.0
I have covered many Edge tricks and features in the following post:
Hands-on with the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge
Also, see the following updates.
- Edge Receives Tight PWA Integration with Windows Shell
- Edge Chromium Will Sync Your Extensions Soon
- Edge Chromium Introduces Insecure Content Blocking Feature
- Enable Strict Tracking Prevention for InPrivate Mode in Microsoft Edge
- Edge Chromium Receives Full Screen Window Frame Drop Down UI
- Edge Chromium for ARM64 Devices is Now Available for Testing
- Enable Classic Edge and Edge Chromium Running Side-by-Side
- Export Favorites to HTML File In Microsoft Edge Chromium
- Edge for Linux is officially coming
- Edge Chromium Stable Is Coming on January 15, 2020 With New Icon
- Microsoft Edge Gets a New Logo
- Enable Dark Mode for All Sites in Microsoft Edge
- Edge Chromium Is Now Default PDF Reader, Here is How to Change This
- Edge Chromium Receives Weather Forecast and Greetings on New Tab Page
- Edge Removes The Block Option from Media AutoPlay Blocking
- Edge Chromium: Tab Freezing, High Contrast Mode Support
- Edge Chromium: Block Third-party Cookies for InPrivate Mode, Extension Access to Search
- Microsoft Gradually Gets Rid of Rounded UI in Edge Chromium
- Edge Now Allows Disabling Feedback Smiley Button
- Block Potentially Unwanted Apps For Downloads in Microsoft Edge
- Global Media Controls in Microsoft Edge Receive a Dismiss Button
- Microsoft Edge: New AutoPlay Blocking Options, Updated Tracking Prevention
- Turn Off News Feed on New Tab Page in Microsoft Edge
- Enable Extensions Menu Button in Microsoft Edge Chromium
- Remove Feedback Smiley Button in Microsoft Edge
- Microsoft Edge Will No Longer Support ePub
- Latest Microsoft Edge Canary Features Tab Hover Cards
- Microsoft Edge Now De-Elevates Itself Automatically
- Microsoft Details Edge Chromium Roadmap
- Microsoft Enables Global Media Controls in Microsoft Edge
- How to Use Cloud Powered Voices in Microsoft Edge Chormium
- Microsoft Edge Chromium: Never Translate, Prepopulate Find with Text Selection
- Enable Caret Browsing in Microsoft Edge Chromium
- Enable IE Mode in Chromium Edge
- Stable Update Channel Made its First Appearance for Microsoft Edge Chromium
- Microsoft Edge Chromium Receives an Updated Password Reveal Button
- What are Controlled Feature Roll-outs in Microsoft Edge
- Edge Canary Adds New InPrivate Text Badge, New Sync Options
- Microsoft Edge Chromium: Clear Browsing Data on Exit
- Microsoft Edge Chromium Now Allows Switching Theme
- Microsoft Edge: Support for Windows Spell Checker in Chromium Engine
- Microsoft Edge Chromium: Prepopulate Find with Text Selection
- Microsoft Edge Chromium Gets Tracking Prevention Settings
- Microsoft Edge Chromium: Change Display Language
- Group Policy Templates for Microsoft Edge Chromium
- Microsoft Edge Chromium: Pin Sites To Taskbar, IE Mode
- Microsoft Edge Chromium Will Allow Uninstalling PWAs as Desktop Apps
- Microsoft Edge Chromium Includes YouTube Video Info in Volume Control OSD
- Microsoft Edge Chromium Canary Features Dark Mode Improvements
- Show Icon Only for Bookmark in Microsoft Edge Chromium
- Autoplay Video Blocker is coming to Microsoft Edge Chromium
- Microsoft Edge Chromium is Receiving New Tab Page Customization Options
- Enable Microsoft Search in Microsoft Edge Chromium
- Grammar Tools Are Now Available in Microsoft Edge Chromium
- Microsoft Edge Chromium Now Follows System Dark Theme
- Here’s how Microsoft Edge Chromium looks on macOS
- Microsoft Edge Chromium now installs PWAs in the root of the Start menu
- Enable Translator in Microsoft Edge Chromium
- Microsoft Edge Chromium Dynamically Changes Its User Agent
- Microsoft Edge Chromium Warns When Running as Administrator
- Change Search Engine In Microsoft Edge Chromium
- Hide or Show Favorites Bar in Microsoft Edge Chromium
- Install Chrome Extensions in Microsoft Edge Chromium
- Enable Dark Mode in Microsoft Edge Chromium
- Chrome Features Removed and Replaced by Microsoft in Edge
- Microsoft Released Chromium-based Edge Preview Versions
- Chromium-Based Edge to Support 4K and HD Video Streams
- Microsoft Edge Insider extension now available in Microsoft Store
- Hands-on with the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge
- Microsoft Edge Insider Addons Page Revealed
- Microsoft Translator is Now Integrated with Microsoft Edge Chromium
- Source
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