It appears that Microsoft is preparing to add mouse gestures to Edge. While the feature isn't yet accessible for testing in the preview channels, some lucky Insiders already see the change. There are 16 gestures that the user can enable or disable in order to manage the browser with short mouse movements.
Mouse gestures in a web browser are a way to control the browser by performing certain actions with your mouse. These actions are usually simple movements or patterns that are recognized by the browser and trigger specific functions or commands.
In a general case, a gesture allows launching a built-in feature, e.g. close a tab or go back in history, by holding down the right mouse button and swiping in a specific direction. Gestures can significantly speed up interactions with the browser and users' productivity.
Mouse gestures can be a convenient and efficient way to navigate the web, especially if you find yourself using the same commands over and over again. However, not all web browsers support mouse gestures by default, so you may need to install an extension that implements this feature. For example, they are available out of the box in the classic Opera 12 browser, as well as in its modern successor Vivaldi.
Microsoft has decided to add native gesture support in Edge, so its users need no third-party add-on to get them working. There is a dedicated toggle option to disable or enable the mouse gestures.
Enable or disable Mouse Gestures
- Open the browser's menu by clicking on the menu button or pressing Alt + F on the keyboard.
- Select Settings from the menu.
- On the left, click on Appearance.
- Scroll down the right side to Customize browser > Mouse gesture.
- Turn on or off the Enable mouse gesture switch option for what you want.
You are done!
There is also a dedicated section in the Edge's settings that allows the user to view, reconfigure and disable any of the gestures.
How to customize a gesture
To customize the gestures, click on the "Configure Mouse Gesture" button under Settings > Customize browser > Mouse gesture. On the next page, find the gesture you want to change or disable, and select the desired action from the drop-down menu next to its name.
The Canary version of Edge supports for the following 16 gestures.
Microsoft Edge mouse gestures
| Gesture | Action |
|---|---|
| Left | Go back |
| Right | Forward |
| Up | Scroll up |
| Down | Scroll down |
| Down then right | Close tab |
| Left then up | Reopen closed tab |
| Right then up | Open new tab |
| Right then down | Refresh |
| Up then left | Switch to left tab |
| Up then right | Switch to right tab |
| Down then left | Stop loading |
| Left then down | Close all tabs |
| Up then down | Scroll to bottom |
| Down then up | Scroll to top |
| Left then right | Close tab |
| Right then left | Reopen closed tab |
Among advanced users, mouse gestures are a highly favored feature.
As of this writing, Edge mouse gestures are being tested among a subset of Insiders, and aren't available to everyone. Sadly, there is no way to activate them manually. Microsoft is yet to announce the general availability of the feature.
H/t to @Leopeva64
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