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Microsoft Edge Browser Gains 'Sleeping Tabs' Feature, New Visual Themes, Password Generator, and More

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Microsoft has updated its Edge browser for Mac with several new features, bringing "sleeping tabs," a password generator and monitor, new visual themes, and more.

edge.jpg

The "Sleeping tabs" feature aims to improve performance by releasing system resources for inactive or backgrounded tabs. The feature is optional and can be enabled in the browser settings menu.

Meanwhile, the new password generator suggests to users a secure and complex password whenever they sign up to a website for the first time or attempt to change an existing password. Edge also now notifies users if a password has been compromised in a data breach, which is similar to a feature recently introduced in Apple's Safari browser.

Elsewhere, 24 new themes offer visual customizations that affect various parts of the browser interface, including tabs, tab pages, and the address bar. The Edge development team has partnered with Xbox to offer themes from Microsoft franchises, including Halo, Gears, Forza, Flight Simulator, Sea of Thieves, Grounded, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and more.

In addition, sidebar search is now generally available in Microsoft Edge. While browsing web pages, users can highlight a word, right click and search. A side panel will open with search results so they can get quick answers without having to navigate away from your current page.


Automatic Profile Switching has also come to macOS, as described in Microsoft's blog post:
One of our most loved features, called Automatic Profile Switching, makes its way to macOS this month. I like to keep my work browsing and personal browsing activities separate, and profile switching makes it so easy. Now macOS provides the ability to switch sites that authenticate with a user’s work profile so it’s easier to toggle between work and personal browsing. To get started, check with your local admin if automatic profile switch is enabled for your organization. If so, sign in with your Microsoft personal and work accounts and you’re ready to go.
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Microsoft Edge has won over many users with its frequent feature updates and tight integration of Microsoft's design language with the design language of macOS. Tab syncing features were recently added, and it was also quick to offer native support for Apple Silicon, bringing optimized performance to Macs with the M1 chip. The browser can be downloaded from the Microsoft Edge website.

Article Link: Microsoft Edge Browser Gains 'Sleeping Tabs' Feature, New Visual Themes, Password Generator, and More
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/01/22/microsoft-edge-browser-sleeping-tabs/
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Enterprise/SME - Edge actually works pretty well as it syncs with your Office 365 account, giving you unified search in sharepoint for example. Also some workplaces will have controls in place to force this browser for particular apps to prevent data leakage (ie disallowing copy and pasting if sensitive information).

In my workplace I can log on any machine and all my history/bookmarks/plugins etc all synchronizes across.

And as Edge is now using chromium its actually a decent browser.

I mean, outside of a workplace you probably wouldn't use Edge on a mac - just be mindful there's a much bigger world out there aside from home use cases... :)
 
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LeeW said:
better sync with those many who have a PC.
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i cannot imagine worse situation than using 2 computers with different operating systems simultaneously. apart from cloud services you cannot share your app purchases, and would be constatnly worried about twice as much things as with just one ecosystem. YMMV though.

don’t get me wrong - i use other systems, mostly open source unices, but i don’t consider them personal computers and i defintely not sync my personal data with them.
 
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emdotdee said:
Genuine question, why would anyone want Microsoft Edge on their Mac other than for testing purposes?
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Almost never pops up in the "apps using significant energy" section, plus better privacy options than Chrome.

As Safari is not an option for those of us who use multiple platforms and want sync enabled, Edge is actually a quite good choice right now.
 
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I just don't understand why Microsoft isn't updating Edge's icon so it aligns itself with the UI of BigSur … 🤷‍♂️
Otherwise I enjoy using Edge. No complaints from me.
 
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emdotdee said:
Genuine question, why would anyone want Microsoft Edge on their Mac other than for testing purposes?
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I use it because I like to have a completely separate browser for work accounts.

I used to use Chrome, but it ran like garbage and I don’t trust Google at all. I also don’t like Firefox (even though it was my browser of choice at one time).
 
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Edge is a superb browser. I was forced into it by MS while waiting for my M1 to turn up and I used my Lenovo on Windows 10. I was very surprised by it. Fast, light and actually had better battery performance than any other browser on Windows.

I received my M1, and started off with Safari which has great battery consumption, but the lack of plug-ins and cross-platform syncing killed it for me. No matter how hard I tried, I simply couldn't find an extension or app to sync my bookmarks, content, and plug-ins. Chrome does it well, but my goodness, it's a battery hog. I don't even have it installed on the Mac any longer.

I now use four browsers (I'm a Product Owner), Edge for my primary use for cross compatibility and privacy, Safari for Mac specific testing, Brave for Web 3.0, and Firefox as a general option.
 
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Edge is fine on the PC, wouldn't think of using it on my Mac or any other devices. Same goes for Chrome or Firefox. We also block password, profile and cloud syncing features of browsers and software e.g adobe sign in. Far too may ways to lose control of company data. Fine for individuals as they mostly give their data away for free to Facebook, Google etc.🤦‍♂️
 
Marshall73 said:
Edge is fine on the PC, wouldn't think of using it on my Mac or any other devices. Same goes for Chrome or Firefox. We also block password, profile and cloud syncing features of browsers and software e.g adobe sign in. Far too may ways to lose control of company data. Fine for individuals as they mostly give their data away for free to Facebook, Google etc.🤦‍♂️
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I do that anyway, as I choose to use 1password for all my password management.

Safari is a pigs ear to use as Apple make it damned difficult to export your password content and migrate to another platform. It's seriously annoying.
 
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beanbaguk said:
I do that anyway, as I choose to use 1password for all my password management.

Safari is a pigs ear to use as Apple make it damned difficult to export your password content and migrate to another platform. It's seriously annoying.
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It is indeed. We have an enterprise password solution that masks passwords for logons fro the users so we can control access to certain services. I have no issue with safari as I only use Mac/iOS devices personally, so its no big deal to look up a login on my phone if I need it on a PC I am on.
 
emdotdee said:
Genuine question, why would anyone want Microsoft Edge on their Mac other than for testing purposes?
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Cross syncing with Windows, Android, etc without Chrome. :) Even as a Windows and Android user, I dislike Chrome, and I’m not too keen with Firefox either. Ever since Edge becomes Chromium, it’s a perfect primary browser for me (used it as default on Windows and my Android).

Also since my Mac mini is still on High Sierra, it’s not getting the latest safari, so Edge is my choice.
 
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swm said:
i cannot imagine worse situation than using 2 computers with different operating systems simultaneously. apart from cloud services you cannot share your app purchases, and would be constatnly worried about twice as much things as with just one ecosystem. YMMV though.

don’t get me wrong - i use other systems, mostly open source unices, but i don’t consider them personal computers and i defintely not sync my personal data with them.
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Done it for 35 years, since system 7 and Win 3.1 not too bad but was much harder back in the day. There are some apps that are just better on one particular OS than the other so I use both OS's on my desk.
 
ian87w said:
Cross syncing with Windows, Android, etc without Chrome. :) Even as a Windows and Android user, I dislike Chrome, and I’m not too keen with Firefox either. Ever since Edge becomes Chromium, it’s a perfect primary browser for me (used it as default on Windows and my Android).

Also since my Mac mini is still on High Sierra, it’s not getting the latest safari, so Edge is my choice.
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I'm a Safari guy, but Edge is my alternate. I also dislike Firefox and there is no way in hell I'll ever touch Chrome.
 
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