Microsoft Edge Chromium is Out of Preview, Download it Now

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Today, Microsoft is releasing the new Edge browser, built on Chromium, as a stable release for Windows and macOS. The new version, which is available to download now, no longer uses EdgeHTML but Chromium as standard, which will work with Chrome extensions, a similar browsing experience to Chrome and a familiar look.

The browser has been redesigned from scratch, so you'll find it works less like the legacy Microsoft Edge and more like Google's Chrome and other browsers. It's got tracking protection built in, Picture in Picture video, 4K video support for streaming websites, and lots more. The move to Chromium is key – it has allowed Microsoft to support Windows 7, 8.1 and 10, alongside macOS, Linux (coming in the future) and mobile apps on iOS and Android. The browser is much more universal, easier and quicker to use and is compatible with more websites.

The stable version of Microsoft Edge Chromium can be downloaded from the official web site:

Download Microsoft Edge 79 Stable

The stable version is Build 79.0.309.65, same as the current Beta build (see below).

Microsoft has got some interesting features that will be unique to the Edge Chromium browser. Internet Explorer mode targets business users, and will allow them to load up legacy sites that would typically only work with IE. Collections, due to be released soon, will let you collate images, text, links and more content from any website, into lists, and quickly access them. Tracking prevention provides three levels of blocking for trackers and adverts on websites.

A huge benefit of using Chromium is that Microsoft can now release updates to the Edge browser when they like. It will allow them to easily fix a bug, or launch new features, that would've only been possible through Windows Update with the legacy Edge. The company has already been running three preview rings of Edge Chromium – Developer, Canary and Beta, where it has tested new features, and it will continue to run this.

The actual pre-release versions of Edge Chromium at the moment of this writing are as follows:

Microsoft hopes to gain some market share with the new Edge, and also wants to improve the web-browsing experience whilst doing so. Throughout the testing period of the new Edge browser, they've consistently contributed to and improved the Chromium source code.

If you run Windows 10, the browser will be rolling out through Windows Updates in the next few months. Microsoft will roll it out in groups, and aims to have it on all compatible Windows 10 machines by the summer. You'll find that it will replace the current Edge browser, so, if you aren't happy with that, you may want to block the automatic installation. Also, Edge Chromium won’t automatically install for enterprise users.

Windows 7, 8.1 and macOS users will need to manually install the update. You heard us – although Microsoft just ended support for Windows 7, they'll continue support Edge on the ageing operating system for 18 months or more.

You will find many Edge tricks and features covered in the following post:

Hands-on with the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge

Also, see the following updates.

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6 thoughts on “Microsoft Edge Chromium is Out of Preview, Download it Now”

  1. Why would you encourage people to get this new browser asap? Have you forgotten all the problems the last new browser M$ released had?

    This is simply phase 2 of beta testing, M$’s standard operating procedure. I’ll stick to my own SOP of letting everyone else find and report the bugs and not updating until it’s actually stable.

    Reply

  2. In an article I read that you can uninstall edge chromium, I now see that it appears in the list of programs. My question is, does uninstalling egde chromium return the classic?

    Reply

  3. Bit confused as my Edge Beta has – Version 80.0.361.33 (Official build) beta (64-bit)
    The version number is higher than your list.
    Could you give any reason for this

    Reply

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