Microsoft indicated that the delay in allowing extensions and the small number was due to security concerns. Preliminary support for browser extensions was added in March 2016, with build 14291, three extensions were initially supported. Įdge uses an extension system, and does not support legacy technologies such as ActiveX and Browser Helper Objects. Until January 2021, Edge also featured an integrated Adobe Flash Player (with an internal whitelist allowing Flash applets on Facebook websites to load automatically, bypassing all other security controls requiring user activation). Microsoft initially announced that Edge would support the legacy MSHTML (Trident) browser engine for backwards compatibility, but later said that, due to 'strong feedback,' Edge would use a new engine, while Internet Explorer would continue to provide the legacy engine.įavorites, reading list, browsing history and downloads are viewed at the Hub, a sidebar providing functionality similar to Internet Explorer's Downloads manager and Favorites Center.Įdge features a PDF reader, and supports WebAssembly. Microsoft Edge is the default web browser on Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows 10 Mobile, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles, replacing Internet Explorer 11 and Internet Explorer Mobile. Microsoft remains third among browser development companies when including legacy Internet Explorer users. Extension support was added to Edge with the release of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update on August 2, 2016.Įdge is the fourth most popular desktop web browser as of 2022.

However, it adds new features such as integration with Cortana, annotation tools, and a reading mode. It does not support ActiveX, Browser Helper Objects or Adobe Flash Player. It is designed to be a lightweight web browser with a layout engine built around web standards. It was later rebuilt as a Chromium-based browser using the Blink and V8 engines. The Chromium-based Edge replaced Internet Explorer (IE) in Windows 11 as the default browser.Įdge was initially built with Microsoft's own proprietary browser engine EdgeHTML and their Chakra JavaScript engine, a version now referred to as Microsoft Edge Legacy. edge Microsoft Edge is a cross-platform web browser developed by Microsoft, released in 2015 for Windows 10 and Xbox One, for Android and iOS in 2017, for macOS in 2019, and for Linux in 2020 it can replace Internet Explorer on Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 and later versions but unlike IE, this browser does not support Windows Vista and earlier versions.

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