Microsoft has announced a new stable release of Microsoft Edge 88.0 that includes a number of new privacy, security and performance features. The update is rolling out to users in the last few hours.
What's new in Microsoft Edge 88
Sidebar Search
First of all, the browser now includes the Sidebar search option. You may recall the Ask Cortana function of the classic Microsoft Edge app. That allows you to select some text, right-click on it and search with Bing Search for the selection, having the search result in the sidebar.
New tab page
On the new tab page, you will now be able to see new email messages from Outlook. This works only if that mail service is pinned to Quick Links. This also requires you to be using a Microsoft account.
Sleeping tabs
If you are using Edge on a laptop or tablet, then you may find useful the new energy efficiency changes. The Sleeping tabs feature allows you to put inactive tabs to sleep after a certain period of time in order to free up resources for other tabs and ensure high performance even on weak devices.
Password Generator
When registering on websites, Edge will now offer you to generate a strong password. If you choose this option, then the password will be automatically saved in the browser and synchronized via your Microsoft account to the cloud. So that you do not lose it.
In addition, Edge has a built-in password leak tracking tool that will warn you if any of your passwords might end up in the hands of intruders.
Adobe Flash is no longer support
Microsoft Edge 88 is the first version that doesn't include support for Adobe Flash. It is no longer possible to play the Flash content in the browser.
Other changes
- There are also new icons for a number of flyouts and menus which play well with Fluent Design ideas.
- A new option to delete third-party cookies with a single click
- Edge can now sync open tabs and browsing history between your devices.
- Deprecate support for FTP protocol. Support for the legacy FTP protocol has been removed from Microsoft Edge. Attempting to navigate to an FTP link will result in the browser directing the Operating System to open an external application to handle the FTP link. Alternatively, IT administrators can configure Microsoft Edge to use IE Mode for sites that rely on the FTP protocol.
You can learn more details about the changes included in this release HERE.
Themes
Also, it is worth noting that Microsoft has added plenty of new themes for Microsoft Edge to the Edge add-on store. Actually, those themes were available earlier for Insiders, but now they are accessible to the public.
Check out this blog post:
Download Microsoft Edge
The stable version of Microsoft can be downloaded from the following web site: Download Edge Stable.
If you are interested in trying its pre-release versions, navigate to the Edge Insider Preview website instead.
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Sergey-
This is an excellent review of the ‘new’ stable release of Edge. I’m now using it as my default browser. Thank you.
Thanks. I am happy to get your positive feedback!