Microsoft announced several improvements to the Edge browser at Build 2022. There are new features coming to PWAs on Windows, enhancements for Edge DevTools. Finally, WebView2 becomes available for UWP apps (WinUI 2).
PWA improvements
In the near future, developers will be able to use new APIs for PWA to handle the default protocols in Windows. This means the PWAs will be able to open URLs and certain file types.
Also, PWA apps will support the native share protocol. They also be able to send notifications on their behalf, and not on behalf of Edge.
Finally, Microsoft is working on synchronizing installed applications between devices.
Microsoft Store integration for PWAs
To make it easier for developers to create and publish PWA apps in the Microsoft Store, the company has developed a 'PWA starter' project as well as a new PWA Studio extension for Visual Studio Code.
The WebView2 component has been confirmed to be available for UWP (WinUI 2) applications in the coming months, providing better performance than the old EdgeHTML-based WebView.
Edge Dev Tools
The team behind the browser, following users' feedback, is currently developing a new simplified user interface for Dev Tools. It will come with a compact sidebar that can include any of the more than 30 tools available.
You can try out the new DevTools design now by enabling the experimental "Focus Mode" option right in the Dev Tools.
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