Microsoft Edge Dev channel update brings a load of bug fixes

Microsoft Edge logo in Windows search
Microsoft Edge logo in Windows search (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • A new Microsoft Edge Dev channel build is now available for testers.
  • This is the first Edge Dev channel build based on Chromium version 79.
  • The focus in this release is mostly on bug fixes and performance improvements.

Microsoft is continuing its weekly update cadence for the Microsoft Edge Dev channel, releasing a new build for testers to check out today. This update ticks the build number up to 79.0.279.0, and this represents the first Dev channel build to be based on Chromium version 79.

With this release, the Edge team is mostly focused on providing bug fixes and performance improvements. There are a few minor new features to check out, however. Here's a full look at the release notes:

  • Enabled the static certificate pinning feature that was originally available in Chrome.
  • Added a keyboard shortcut to mute tabs on Mac.
  • Added support for hyphenated words when performing single-word intranet searches.
  • Fixed an issue where watching DRM video like Netflix causes some devices to freeze.
  • Fixed an issue where webpages sometimes crash when watching certain videos.
  • Fixed a crash when using Read Aloud.
  • Fixed an issue where using ctrl+F to find something on a webpage while certain things on the page are highlighted leads to a crash.
  • Fixed some issues with Application Guard sessions not starting.
  • Fixed an issue where navigation in Application Guard windows doesn't work.
  • Fixed an issue where context menus sometimes don't show all contents properly.
  • Fixed an issue where the autosuggest popup appears on fields where it shouldn't.
  • Fixed an issue where a collection that's deleted in one browser window isn't immediately deleted from other browser windows.
  • Fixed an issue where the translation popup didn't have a button to close it.
  • Fixed some issues when adding or deleting words in the spellcheck dictionary.
  • Fixed an issue where using the keyboard shortcut to open the downloads page on an IE mode tab opens Edge's downloads, not IE's.
  • Fixed an issue where opening the downloads page on an IE mode tab sometimes doesn't open it in the foreground.
  • Fixed an issue where installing IE mode sites as apps doesn't properly show the site's icon.
  • Fixed an issue where the new tab button is invisible on Windows 7 if the Aero theme is used.
  • Fixed an issue where the loading spinner shows up unexpectedly on items in collections.

If you're already testing the Dev channel release, you can grab this update now via the "About" section of the settings menu. If you haven't given the new Chromium Edge a try yet, you can download the Beta, Dev, and Canary channels now at the Microsoft Edge Insider site.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl