Microsoft Edge Canary now automatically changes title bar colors for installed websites

By Sean Endicott
published

Installed websites from Microsoft Edge Canary look a bit more natural in the browser's latest update.

YouTube Microsoft Edge Canary
YouTube Microsoft Edge Canary (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft Edge Canary now matches the title bar color to installed websites.
  • This change helps installed websites look more natural.
  • Developers can override the automatic color to select a color of their choosing.

The latest update to Microsoft Edge Canary brings a new feature that helps installed websites appear bit more like apps. In the latest build, the browser automatically changes the color of the title bar for installed websites to match a webpage. William Devereux, the Senior PM of Microsoft Edge shared the news of the update on Twitter.

Devereux explains in a techcommunity page (opens in new tab) that the feature works automatically, but that developers can select a different color if they'd like.

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This change makes installed websites look a bit more like native apps. It also extends the feel of the website into the UI elements of the operating system. For example, the title bar of YouTube is red, and the title bar of Twitch is purple. People may use this feature for progressive web apps, but it appears to work with any website. Installing Windows Central through Microsoft Edge Canary created a window with a pink title bar.

Sean Endicott
Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at sean.endicott@futurenet.com (opens in new tab).

4 Comments
  • I never noticed it not doing this. It in no way, shape or form detracted from using a website. The things MS spends it's time working on.
  • It was already doing this for WC, Google Maps, Grubhub, and a few others and I've always been on the Beta build. Is the difference here that it'll apply to websites that aren't coded to be PWA's? Or something?
  • I'm gonna stick to Edge until they either remove it entirely from the OS or add the Acrylic Fluent Design to the new one with Windows 10 typical square/straight/sharp tabs... I can't stand that rounded/angled crap without transparency effects not matching the rest of the OS.
  • I gues now we can say R.I.P. to Windows Central UWP App...