Microsoft releases Edge Canary for Android matching desktop OS browser and features

Edge Canary Android Full
Edge Canary Android Full (Image credit: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft is working to unify the codebase across all platforms.
  • Edge Canary for Android is now live and ready to be downloaded.
  • This version of Edge for Android matches Edge Canary's latest release for Windows 10 desktop with many similar features.

Microsoft announced in early March that it was going to unify the code behind its Edge browser across mobile versions on iOS and Android. We're now getting our first taste of that with a brand-new Edge Canary build for Android that is ready to download (via Reddit).

Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central)

This version of the Edge browser – 91.0.858.0 – also matches the Windows 10 desktop version of Edge Canary, just as Microsoft promised. As we explained back in March:

Microsoft plans to unify the codebases of Microsoft Edge across multiple operating systems. Right now, Edge apps on mobile platforms are based on different codebases than the desktop version. As a result of this, you see things like Edge on Android being based on version 77 while Edge on the desktop is based on Edge 89. Microsoft aims to fix this, and to improve the efficiency of Edge's development across platforms, by unifying Edge codebases across platforms.By unifying codebases on different versions of Edge, Microsoft can more easily share features across desktop and mobile versions of Edge. The unification also improves the engineering process.

With a new UI, features, menu layout, and even scrolling behavior, this is a very different version of the current Edge beta build (Edge 46.03.24.5155) with advanced features like reading mode and full access to Edge://flags.

Under flags, users can experiment with new features, including a persistent dark mode and smooth scrolling tweaks – however, these could also have a detrimental effect on performance, so be aware.

Microsoft explained the changes and process in a video shared above to explain why they are doing this and how it will benefit end-users.

For those on Android, you can go ahead and download the Edge Canary version and still keep the regular release installed as well. The Canary build can be set as default, but as the name implies, this is an early look, and there will likely be some bugs.

Thanks, @Leopeva64, for the tip!

Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.

21 Comments
  • Just installed it. During setup She keeps crashing after signing in with my MSA. Anyone else having that?
  • Submitted feedback but apparently that Fendi went to the Bing team 😕
  • It worked for me.
  • It crashed the first few times but then I got it to 'stick' and now the issue is not occurring.
  • Will Microsoft be able to do the same for iOS? Or is this impossible as the browser is based on webkit?
  • I'm not sure about how browser development works on iOS but I bet they're at least trying to achieve a development similar to Chrome.
  • They’ll update the current TestFlight version to it, and have said there’ll be openings for new people wanting to test it out.
  • Did they add a search feature to the Settings -> Passwords page? It's been on the desktop version forever.
  • As a matter of fact, they have.
  • This is great! I hate the sorting on that page, but I was using the Passwords feature on the MS Authenticator app to search. I still think on Edge canary the password list is buried under too many menus, so I believe I'll still use the MS Authenticator. But this is very good news!
  • That's great news! Thanks! 😅
  • I hope this version works better with e-ink devices than the current edge Android. I'll give it a shot later today. The problems: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/discussions/edge-performance-on-e...
  • Update: yes, works great on e-ink. No ad blocker though it seems. That's a biggie.
  • Installed on my Pixel 5 working good here.
  • I really want to use it since I use Canary as my main PC browser. But, it doesn't support multi open on the Surface Duo. If I want two Edge Canaries open at the same time, I must long press a link and have it open in a new window. Otherwise, it just moves over to the second screen. Even app grouping them doesn't let it open twice. I'll keep it installed for now and see if it is ever updated to support that. I use it too often to give it up.
  • Is there no extensions support or am I just missing it somehow? It's unfortunate the built-in content (Ad) blocker functionality does not appear to be in this new unified code base.
  • Awesome news. I have one somewhat older Android device and I hope the updates go to that one too. Looking forward to these improvements in the full release.
  • I wish there was a way to customize the 'SHARE' menu. Unless I am missing something.
  • Does anyone use web whatsapp on the duo? I'm only day 2 into ownership and wanted try using it more as my daily tablet first, than a phone. Anyways, it seems web whatsapp doesn't work on canary, even in desktop mode
  • There is at least one major issue on Surface duo : you can't open a second edge on the second screen. It will will move the window to the screen you try to open a new one.
    Might be fixed soon but that's not an advantage for duo owners. Unless someone knows a fix or that it will be soon?
  • The only thing I have seen that works is long pressing a link and have it open in a new window.