10 Tips to get started with the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser

[harlan4096]

Microsoft plans to release the stable version of the company's Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser officially today. Most Home users will receive the browser via Windows Update as it is pushed to systems that way to replace the classic Microsoft Edge web browser.

Tip: Microsoft released a blocker toolkit to prevent the installation of the new Edge browser on Windows systems.

New and existing Edge users may find the following selection of tips useful as they highlight features of the browser that improve the browser in meaningful ways. Feel free to add your own tips in the comment section below.

Tip 1: Install Chrome or Edge extensions

The new Microsoft Edge web browser is based on Chromium, the same core that Google Chrome is based on. It is therefore possible to install Chrome extensions in Microsoft's new web browser or extensions made for Edge exclusively.

To install regular extensions, visit the Edge extension store to browse what is available and install the extensions that you want. There are not that many extensions available but you find a selection of important extension types such as password managers, download extensions, ad blockers, and others.

To install Chrome extensions, visit the Chrome Web Store. Edge should display a banner at the top that provides you with an option to allow extension installations from that store.

Activate the button to allow the installation of Chrome extensions; then, browse the store and click on the "add to chrome" link to install it in Microsoft Edge.

Tip 2: Configure Tracking Prevention

The Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser supports a tracking prevention feature that works similarly to Mozilla Firefox's Tracking Protection feature. The default level is set to balanced which aims to strike a balance between protecting privacy and making sure that sites continue to work.

Edge users may configure Tracking Prevention by loading edge://settings/privacy in the browser's address bar. There it is possible to switch to Basic or Strict levels; the former allows more trackers and may improve compatibility, the latter blocks even more but some sites may not work properly anymore.

Options to look at the list of blocked trackers and to add sites to the list of exceptions are provided as well.

Tip 3: Other Privacy enhancements

While we are at it, Edge comes with additional privacy settings that you may want to go over on first run to make sure that they are set to your satisfaction.

Load edge://settings/privacy again as a start.

* Configure the data that you want cleared when Edge exits.

* Disable "Allow sites to check if you have payment info saved".

* Disable (if enabled) the "Help improve Microsoft Edge" Telemetry settings.
Load edge://settings/content next.

*Select Cookies and site data. There you find an option to block third-party cookies.

Tip 4: Disable notifications

If you dislike notification prompts that many sites display the moment you open them, and don't use notifications at all, you may want to consider disabling these entirely in Edge. You could alternatively allow them for select sites.

1. Load edge://settings/content/notifications in the web browser's address bar.

2. Toggle "ask before sending" to off to block notifications.
...

Continue Reading