Microsoft shares a roadmap for the new Microsoft Edge

By Sean Endicott
last updated

Microsoft gives a clear path for the development of its new browser with an updated roadmap.

Edge
Edge (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft shared a roadmap for features for the new Microsoft Edge.
  • The roadmap includes the planned release timeframe for features, as well as information about features in discussion, under review, and not planned.
  • One feature that's now in discussion is bringing the tab preview from the old Edge to the new Edge.

Microsoft published a feature roadmap (opens in new tab) for the new Microsoft Edge. The roadmap includes features that are currently planned, in discussion, under review, and not planned. It gives an insight into the new Microsoft Edge's development because you can see where Microsoft is trying to take the browser.

The roadmap includes plans for some fan-favorite features, including the ability to sync browsing history and installed extensions between devices. Extension syncing already showed up on Microsoft Edge Canary.

Here are a few notable features Microsoft plans to roll out to the new Microsoft Edge:

  • Enable sync of installed browser extensions between devices
  • Enable sync of browsing history between devices
  • Make Edge available on Linux
  • Support read aloud of PDF files
  • Add the ability to ink on web pages

The roadmap also has several features categorized as "in discussion." Here a few of the most interesting potential features:

  • Provide a transparent theme for the browser frame
  • Update the user interface with the Fluent Design System
  • Make tabs more square and less rounded, like the current version of Microsoft Edge
  • Bring the tab preview feature from the current version of Microsoft

In addition to confirmed features and potential features, the roadmap lists a couple of features that are not planned, including allowing people to sign-in with a Google account and support for mouse gestures.

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).

15 Comments
  • OKAY I HEAR YOU. yes. yes. yes, say it for the Micosoft workers in the back. yes. yes. yes. ✔ Provide a transparent theme for the browser frame
    ✔ Update the user interface with the Fluent Design System
    ✔ Make tabs more square and less rounded, like the current version of Microsoft Edge
    ✔ Bring the tab preview feature from the current version of Microsoft
  • Well history (and I imagine tab) syncing across devices is pretty basic, but glad it's coming (back).
  • All the more reason to do it.
  • I would not want the square tabs back. Does not look good. Transparent theme sounds cool though.
  • These things were already there...
  • Where did they go?
  • Nowhere. This is a new browser.
  • Not the features, I meant the roadmap and the things listed within. My bad.
  • I am sorry, but I am tired of Microsoft going backwards. I had to switch back to the former Edge, which was a pain, btw. How can they release a new browser that kills some of the unique features that made Edge great, such as inking and reading list. Developers will never like you Microsoft, maybe try to sell to consumers instead.
  • I was also surprised by the removal of what I think are fairly basic features, specifically sync. To be honest though, password and other sync was so frustratingly unreliable on old Edge that I can understand them having to re-write all from scratch. Not quite seeing the complexity though given most other browsers have this implemented in a rock-solid way.
  • How do you figure Sync was removed? It wasn't there. Edge UWP is an entirely different codebase and they couldn't use any existing Sync mechanism as it doesn't sync to Microsoft's cloud. Those other browsers have been around for a lot longer.
  • It's a totally different codebase. They started from scratch. Give them time to add back features.
  • Isn't "the current version of Microsoft Edge" precisely this Edgium?
  • How about clipboard sharing, dark web pages for Edge mobile and "send this page to" feature. All of these are available in Chrome and I greatly miss them but I started using Edge to get the rewards points. Please bring these features Microsoft.
  • Sounds like progress. Once the early adopters do the beta testing, and the OS group shows no tendency to screw things up on the browser code interface, like they do for everything else, I might be back just to keep Google from owning the market, with Firefox a sliver of the population.