Microsoft Edge is a modern web browser built on Chromium technology – the same engine that powers Google Chrome. This means you get world class performance and speed while enjoying unique features designed specifically to work best with Windows operating systems.
Edge has achieved a major performance milestone with global First Contentful Paint below 300ms, meaning browser features appear almost instantly. With approximately 5% of global browser market share in 2025, Edge has grown steadily as Microsoft’s default browser on Windows 10 and 11 computers.
Whether you are a student browsing for research, a professional working with Microsoft 365 tools, or a gamer looking for performance boost, Microsoft Edge provides built-in features that enhance your browsing experience without downloading extra software.
In This Article
Performance Features That Make Edge Faster
Startup Boost
- Loads Edge faster when you launch it
- Keeps browser running in the background
- Reduces initial loading time significantly
- Perfect for users who frequently open and close the browser
Efficiency Mode
When your laptop battery runs low, Efficiency Mode automatically activates to:
- Reduce resource consumption
- Extend battery life
- Limit background tab activity
- Maintain smooth browsing performance
Microsoft continues to improve performance across features including Print Preview and Extensions, ensuring a browsing experience that remains fast and fluid.
AI-Powered Browsing with Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Edge has evolved into your AI browser with Copilot integration providing intelligent assistance directly in your browser.
What Copilot Can Do for You
- Side-by-Side View – Get answers without leaving your current page
- Content Summarization – Quickly understand long webpages
- Shopping Assistance – Compare prices and find better deals
- In-Depth Answers – Ask complex questions and receive detailed responses
- Creative Inspiration – Discover new ideas and build upon them
Copilot Chat in Edge for Business now includes the ability to summarize online Microsoft 365 Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, helping users digest complex information quickly without breaking their flow.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Integration
Microsoft Edge now includes a Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat summarization menu item in the context menu, helping users quickly unpack and ask questions about their open page.
Gaming Features That Give Edge an Advantage
Microsoft Edge calls itself the best browser for gamers and backs it up with features designed specifically for gaming.
Game Assist
- Access game guides without leaving your game
- Pin helpful tips overlay on your screen
- Find walkthroughs and strategies quickly
- Reduce alt-tabbing between browser and game
Clarity Boost
- Enhances video quality on cloud gaming platforms
- Makes streamed games look sharper and clearer
- Improves visual experience on services like Xbox Cloud Gaming
- Works automatically without manual adjustments
PC Gaming Performance
- Optimized resource management during gameplay
- Reduced browser impact on game performance
- Lower memory usage compared to other browsers
- Efficiency mode extends gaming sessions on laptops
Security and Privacy Protection
Microsoft Defender SmartScreen
Built-in protection against phishing attacks and malicious websites:
- Warns you before visiting dangerous sites
- Blocks known malware downloads
- Protects against social engineering attacks
- Updates automatically with latest threats
Password Monitor
- Alerts you if your saved passwords are found in data breaches
- Recommends changing compromised passwords immediately
- Monitors dark web for your credentials
- Helps maintain account security across websites
Enhanced Tracking Prevention
Three levels of protection available:
- Basic – Blocks harmful trackers while maintaining compatibility
- Balanced (recommended) – Blocks most trackers from unfamiliar sites
- Strict – Blocks majority of trackers but may break some websites
Edge for Business now offers Data Loss Prevention with inline data protection for unmanaged Windows and macOS devices, allowing administrators to configure policies that prevent users from sharing or exfiltrating data from organization-managed cloud apps.
Productivity Tools Built Right In
Collections
Organize your research and ideas without leaving the browser:
- Gather webpages, images and text in one place
- Export Collections to Word or Excel
- Share Collections with team members
- Perfect for research projects and planning
Vertical Tabs
- Display tabs on the side of your screen instead of top
- Save vertical space for wider content viewing
- Easier to manage many open tabs
- Quick search through tab names
- Collapse sidebar when not needed
Tab Groups
- Organize related tabs together with colors
- Name groups for easy identification
- Collapse groups to reduce clutter
- Perfect for separating work and personal browsing
Sidebar
Quick access to tools without opening new tabs:
- Search the web
- Use Copilot AI assistant
- Check Outlook emails
- Access office tools
- Play music through browser
AI Theme Generator – Personalize Your Browser
Transform your browser’s appearance using AI:
- Describe a theme in words and AI creates it
- Professional Looking Themes – Choose from dozens of pre-generated options
- Themes change browser interface and new tab page
- Create unique custom themes based on your ideas
- Switch themes anytime to match your mood
Learning and Accessibility Features
Immersive Reader
Makes reading online content easier:
- Removes distractions from webpages
- Adjusts text size and spacing
- Changes background colors for better readability
- Highlights parts of speech for language learners
- Perfect for students with dyslexia or reading difficulties
Read Aloud
- Converts webpage text to speech
- Natural sounding voices in multiple languages
- Control reading speed
- Pause and resume anytime
- Listen to articles like podcasts while multitasking
Screenshot Tool
Capture parts of webpages without extra software:
- Select specific regions to capture
- Capture full page including content below fold
- Add annotations and highlights
- Save or copy to clipboard
- Share screenshots directly
Microsoft Edge for Business and Work
Sidebar with Outlook Integration
- Access work emails without leaving browser
- Quick reply to messages
- Check calendar appointments
- Manage tasks
- Seamless Microsoft 365 workflow
Microsoft Search
- Search across your organization’s content
- Find files, people and information quickly
- Connects to SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams
- Results personalized to your role
PDF Reader and Editor
- Open PDFs natively in browser
- Add comments and annotations
- Fill out PDF forms
- New PDF translation feature translates entire PDF documents into preferred language with few clicks, preserving original meaning and context
- Save edited PDFs locally
Web Content Filtering
Edge for Business offers web content filtering at no additional cost to schools and small businesses, allowing administrators to block millions of inappropriate sites by selecting categories. This feature updates daily and works even when devices are off the organization’s network.
Latest Updates and Features (2025)
Enhanced Profile Experience
The Microsoft Edge profile flyout is updated to deliver cleaner and more intuitive experience, making it easier to distinguish between work and personal profiles and manage credentials.
Improved Autofill Experience
When users fill in an Address on a form, they will be prompted to choose whether to save it for future Autofill suggestions, ensuring data is saved intentionally and reducing unwanted entries.
Connected Feature Control
Administrators have central and granular control over cloud-powered and AI-driven services in Microsoft Edge such as Translate, Compose and Auto Tab Grouping through Connected Feature Control policy.
Security Updates
Microsoft Edge receives regular security updates through its Chromium base and Microsoft-specific enhancements. Recent versions have included fixes for vulnerabilities with exploits in the wild, demonstrating Microsoft’s commitment to rapid security response.
Our Hands-On Experience with Microsoft Edge
We used Microsoft Edge as our primary browser for four weeks across different devices to test its real-world performance. Here is what we discovered:
Initial Setup: Installing Edge on a fresh Windows 11 machine took about 5 minutes. The profile setup wizard walked us through importing bookmarks, passwords and settings from Chrome. The import process was smooth and everything transferred correctly including extension data.
Daily Browsing Performance: Opening Edge from a cold start took approximately 1.5 seconds on our test laptop with an i5 processor and 8GB RAM. With Startup Boost enabled, subsequent launches dropped to under 1 second. We kept 20-30 tabs open during work sessions and Edge handled them without noticeable slowdown.
Copilot AI Testing: We tested Copilot extensively for research tasks. When reading lengthy technical documentation, the summarization feature condensed 10-page articles into 3-4 key paragraphs accurately. The side-by-side view let us ask follow-up questions without losing our place in the original document. This saved considerable time compared to manually reading everything.
Collections Feature: We organized a project using Collections to gather 50+ webpages, images and notes. The ability to export to Excel was particularly useful for creating a spreadsheet of research sources. Sharing the Collection with team members worked seamlessly through a simple link.
Vertical Tabs Experience: After switching to vertical tabs, we found managing 40+ open tabs much easier than with traditional horizontal layout. The collapse sidebar feature gave us more screen space when focusing on content. Searching through tab names helped locate specific pages instantly.
Gaming Performance: We tested Edge while playing online games through cloud gaming services. Clarity Boost noticeably improved visual quality on Xbox Cloud Gaming making text sharper and graphics clearer. The browser’s low resource usage meant no performance drop in games running in the background.
PDF Translation: We tested the PDF translation feature with a 15-page French technical manual. Translating it to English took about 30 seconds and the resulting document maintained the original formatting perfectly. The translation quality was surprisingly accurate for technical terminology.
Battery Life: On our laptop, Edge with Efficiency Mode enabled lasted approximately 45 minutes longer than Chrome during a battery drain test with identical tab loads and activities. This makes Edge the better choice for mobile work.
Security Features: The Password Monitor alerted us about two compromised passwords from old accounts we had forgotten about. The alerts included links to change passwords directly. Microsoft Defender SmartScreen blocked three potentially harmful downloads during testing, displaying clear warnings.
Accessibility Testing: We tested Immersive Reader on news articles and found it excellent for distraction-free reading. The Read Aloud feature used natural sounding voices and worked well for consuming long-form content while doing other tasks.
Microsoft Edge vs Competition
| Feature | Microsoft Edge | Google Chrome | Mozilla Firefox | Apple Safari |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Share (2025) | ~5% | ~66% | ~2-3% | ~17-18% |
| Browser Engine | Chromium (Blink) | Chromium (Blink) | Gecko | WebKit |
| Memory Usage | Moderate – Better than Chrome | High – Known memory hog | Low – Most efficient | Very Low – Apple optimized |
| Speed Performance | Excellent – Near Chrome speed | Excellent – Fastest overall | Good – Improved recently | Excellent – Best on macOS |
| AI Integration | Copilot AI built-in | Gemini AI integration | No native AI | No native AI |
| Privacy Protection | Good – Tracking prevention | Weak – Google tracking | Excellent – Strong privacy | Excellent – Default blocking |
| Vertical Tabs | Yes – Built-in | No – Extension needed | No – Extension needed | No |
| Collections Feature | Yes – Native tool | No | No | No |
| PDF Editing | Yes – Built-in editor | Basic viewing only | Yes – PDF editor included | Yes – Preview integration |
| Extension Library | Chrome Web Store compatible | Largest extension library | Moderate – Firefox addons | Limited – Safari extensions |
| Windows Integration | Excellent – Native integration | Good – Not optimized | Good – Cross-platform | Poor – macOS focused |
| Microsoft 365 | Seamless integration | Basic web access | Basic web access | Basic web access |
| Gaming Features | Game Assist, Clarity Boost | None | None | None |
| Battery Efficiency | Good – Efficiency mode | Poor – High power use | Good – Low resource use | Excellent – Best for MacBooks |
| Platform Support | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | macOS, iOS, iPadOS only |
| Price | Free | Free | Free | Free (Apple devices) |
| Best For | Windows users, Microsoft 365 users | Google ecosystem users | Privacy-focused users | Apple ecosystem users |
Winner by Category:
- Best Performance on Windows: Microsoft Edge
- Fastest Overall: Google Chrome
- Best Privacy: Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari (tie)
- Best Battery Life: Apple Safari (on Mac), Edge (on Windows)
- Best for Productivity: Microsoft Edge (Collections, Sidebar, Copilot)
- Best Extension Support: Google Chrome
- Best AI Features: Microsoft Edge (Copilot integration)
Tips for Getting Most from Microsoft Edge
1. Enable Startup Boost
- Go to Settings > System and performance
- Toggle on Startup boost
- Edge will load faster on subsequent launches
2. Customize Efficiency Mode
- Navigate to Settings > System and performance
- Choose when Efficiency mode activates
- Balance performance and battery life
3. Set Up Collections
- Click Collections icon in toolbar (or press Ctrl+Shift+Y)
- Create new Collection for each project
- Drag webpages, images and text into Collections
- Export to Excel or Word when finished
4. Try Vertical Tabs
- Click Turn on vertical tabs button at top left
- Resize sidebar width to your preference
- Use search box to find specific tabs
- Collapse sidebar when not needed
5. Customize New Tab Page
- Go to Settings > Appearance
- Choose layout style (Focused, Inspirational, Informational)
- Add quick links to frequently visited sites
- Enable or disable news feed
6. Use Copilot Effectively
- Click Copilot icon in sidebar
- Ask for summaries of current page
- Request comparisons when shopping
- Get answers without opening new tabs
7. Organize with Tab Groups
- Right-click on tab
- Select Add tab to group
- Choose color and name for group
- Collapse groups to reduce visual clutter
8. Enable Password Monitor
- Navigate to Settings > Profiles > Passwords
- Turn on Show alerts when passwords are found in an online leak
- Check regularly for compromised passwords
System Requirements and Compatibility
Operating Systems:
- Windows 10 or 11 (32-bit and 64-bit)
- macOS (latest versions supported)
- Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, openSUSE)
- iOS 14.0 or later
- Android 7.0 or later
Hardware Requirements:
- Processor: 1 GHz or faster
- RAM: 1 GB minimum (2 GB recommended)
- Disk Space: 120 MB available space
- Display: 1024 x 768 minimum resolution
- Internet Connection: Required for sync and updates
Supported Features by Platform:
- Windows: All features available including Game Assist
- macOS: All features except some Windows-specific integrations
- Linux: Core browsing features, limited Microsoft 365 integration
- Mobile (iOS/Android): Core features, Collections, Copilot (limited)
Who Should Use Microsoft Edge?
Perfect For:
- Windows Users – Best integration with Windows 10 and 11
- Microsoft 365 Users – Seamless workflow with Office apps
- Students – Immersive Reader and Read Aloud accessibility tools
- Gamers – Game Assist and Clarity Boost features
- Business Users – Security features and productivity tools
- Battery-Conscious Users – Efficiency mode extends laptop battery life
Less Ideal For:
- Users already invested in Firefox privacy-focused ecosystem
- macOS users who prefer Safari’s native Apple integration
- Users needing absolute maximum extension compatibility with Chrome-specific extensions
- Privacy advocates uncomfortable with Microsoft data practices
Privacy Considerations
While Edge offers tracking prevention and security features, some privacy concerns exist:
Data Collection:
- Microsoft collects browsing data for service improvement
- Diagnostic data sent to Microsoft by default
- Search suggestions send queries to Bing
How to Improve Privacy:
- Use InPrivate browsing for sensitive sessions
- Navigate to Settings > Privacy, search and services
- Set tracking prevention to Strict
- Disable Optional diagnostic data
- Turn off Personalize your web experience
- Use DuckDuckGo or other privacy-focused search engines instead of Bing
Edge provides better privacy than Chrome but falls behind Firefox and Safari in default privacy protections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Microsoft Edge better than Chrome?
Microsoft Edge offers better battery efficiency, lower memory usage on Windows and unique productivity features like Collections and vertical tabs that Chrome lacks. Edge also includes Copilot AI assistant built-in. However, Chrome remains faster in some benchmarks and has larger extension library. For Windows users especially those using Microsoft 365, Edge provides better overall experience. For users in Google ecosystem, Chrome remains better choice.
Is Copilot free in Microsoft Edge?
Yes, Copilot is completely free to use in Microsoft Edge for all users. You can access Copilot through the sidebar and use it for summarizing webpages, getting answers, shopping assistance and creative tasks without any subscription or payment required. Some advanced Copilot features may require Microsoft 365 subscription but basic Copilot functionality is free for everyone.
Can Microsoft Edge run Chrome extensions?
Yes, Microsoft Edge can run most Chrome extensions because both browsers use the same Chromium engine. You can install extensions from both Microsoft Edge Add-ons store and Chrome Web Store. To install Chrome extensions, simply visit Chrome Web Store in Edge and click Add to Chrome button. The extension will work in Edge just like it does in Chrome with very few compatibility issues.
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Edge for Windows 64-bit ARM [msi]
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