Microsoft Edge's tab search is about to get this useful feature

Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft is working on improving the tab search experience within its Edge browser.
  • Tab search will soon show timestamps for when you last accessed a tab.
  • The feature is in limited testing at the moment, so you might not see it yet.

Microsoft is testing an improvement to Microsoft Edge for the tab search experience. According to Windows Latest, the improvement is in limited testing at the moment. Chromium recently improved tab search functionality, so it's not surprising to see the feature in the works for the Chromium-based Edge.

Edge Canary recently added an experimental flag that enables tab search functionality. A recent update to Edge Canary also adds support for a timestamp feature within tab search. When you search through tabs, you'll see the last time that you accessed any specific tab.

Timestamp support within tab search is in limited testing at this point, so even if you have tab search enabled, you may not see timestamps. You can force Edge Canary to enable timestamps for tab search through the browser's command line, but it's probably best to just wait until you see the feature.

In addition to timestamp support within tab search, Edge Canary has a new flag called "history accelerator" that lets you open the full history page by pressing CTRL+H. This feature jumps straight to the full history page rather than just opening a flyout menu.

Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He's covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean's journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.