Microsoft has released the stable version of Microsoft Edge 144 (144.0.3719.82), which includes several new features, improvements, and bug fixes. It introduces a new software backend for WebGL on Windows devices lacking a physical GPU. The browser now uses the Windows Advanced Rasterization Platform (WARP) instead of the unsupported SwiftShader. Stability improvements address a crash during local file downloads. Feature names such as "Efficiency Mode" and "PC Gaming Performance Mode" have been renamed to "Power Saver" and "Gaming PC Performance Boost," respectively. And more; here are the details.
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What's new in Microsoft Edge 144
- New software backend for WebGL. Microsoft Edge on Windows on devices without a physical graphics processing unit (GPU) will use the Windows Advanced Rasterization Platform (WARP) rasterizer for WebGL workloads. Previous versions used SwiftShader, which is no longer supported. This is most relevant for headless mode (running the browser without a GUI for automating tasks) and virtual machines. On non-Windows platforms, WebGL will require a physical GPU. This change is enabled by default in the stable version of Microsoft Edge 144. Administrators can use the EnableUnsafeSwiftShader policy to temporarily continue using the legacy option. This policy will be removed in a future release. Microsoft does not guarantee the security of environments where this policy is enabled. For more information, follow this link.
- Update information page. Edge for Business, starting with version 145, will display a "What's New" page the first time users launch the browser after installing a major update. This page will help users learn about new features and how to use them for maximum productivity. Administrators can control the availability of this feature using the WhatsNewPageForEntraProfilesEnabled policy.
Stability
- Fixed a browser crash that occurred when trying to download a file from a local folder.
Updates
- Use the default primary work profile to open external links. By default, Microsoft Edge opens external links using the most recently used profile. However, for enterprise users, the "Primary Work Profile" (the one signed in with a Microsoft Entra ID) is typically the best choice for opening external links. Edge on Windows now checks for a primary work profile and, if available, makes it the default profile for external links. On Mac and Linux, if only one work profile with a Microsoft Entra ID account is detected, it is considered the primary work profile. Administrators can control the availability of this feature using the EdgeOpenExternalLinksWithPrimaryWorkProfileEnabled policy.
- Microsoft Edge Management Enrollment Token Policy Update. The EdgeManagementEnrollmentToken policy has been updated and now requires platform-specific configuration. Any values set from the cloud will be ignored, including existing cloud deployments of this policy.
- Performance settings have been updated and feature names have been changed. The "Efficiency Mode" feature has been renamed to "Power Saver," and the "PC Gaming Performance Mode" feature has been renamed to "Gaming PC Performance Boost," better reflecting the features' benefits. The new names will appear in the browser's performance settings after the update.
- Tenant Restrictions v2 (TRv2). A new feature has been added to block access from unauthorized Microsoft 365 tenants directly in Microsoft Edge for Business. This helps organizations maintain strict compliance and prevent data leakage outside of tenant boundaries.
- Copilot Icon Visibility. Users can now control whether the Copilot icon appears on the toolbar. To hide the icon, right-click the Copilot icon and select "Hide Copilot." This will open the settings where you can toggle the icon's visibility. Administrators can control whether the Copilot icon appears on the toolbar using the Microsoft365CopilotChatIconEnabled policy.
- Contextual suggestions in the address bar with webpage summary suggestions. Microsoft Edgfor Business now offers a simple way to get a summary of the current page directly from the address bar using the Microsoft 365 Copilot chatbot. This feature is designed to help simplify understanding relevant content and save users time.
- Autofill improvements in Microsoft Edge. When users fill in an address in a form, they will be prompted to choose whether to save it for future autofill suggestions. This improvement ensures that autofill data is saved intentionally by users and reduces the number of unwanted entries in autofill suggestions.
- Desktop Visual Search. Now you can quickly submit images to Bing Visual Search from the Edge Desktop Search Bar to identify images, people, animals, and shows; extract, copy, and translate text while preserving its formatting. Quickly solve questions on a variety of topics and get reliable information to expand your knowledge. Find products, fashion, recipes, locate locations, and more. This feature is available on Windows devices. Administrators can control the availability of this feature using the VisualSearchEnabled policy.
Note: This change is rolling out in stages, so you may not see the changes on your device yet.
New policies
- GeolocationBlockedForUrls - blocks geolocations on specified websites.
- PreciseGeolocationAllowedForUrls - Allows precise location detection on specified websites.
- SilentPrintingEnabled - Enables silent printing (printing without a dialog box).
- WhatsNewPageForEntraProfilesEnabled is a setting that determines whether the information page for Edge for Business will be displayed after installing a major browser update.
Outdated policies
- LocalNetworkAccessRestrictionsEnabled - Determines whether requests from public websites to devices on the user's local network should be blocked.
- RelatedWebsiteSetsEnabled - Enables related website sets.
- RelatedWebsiteSetsOverrides - Overrides related website sets.
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