The old Microsoft Edge is now called 'Edge Legacy'

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New is normal and old is legacy when it comes to Microsoft Edge.

Edge
Edge (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • A Microsoft support document refers to the older EdgeHTML-based Microsoft Edge as "Edge Legacy."
  • The Chromium-based Microsoft Edge is just called "Microsoft Edge."
  • The clarification should make things easier as Edge Legacy gets older.

Microsoft has two versions of Microsoft Edge, and that can cause confusion when it comes to names. Most people have referred to the Chromium version of Edge as "the new Microsoft Edge" and specified if instead referring to the older version of Edge. Now, a support document from Microsoft refers to the EdgeHTML-based version of Microsoft Edge as "Microsoft Edge Legacy." The newer Chromium-based Microsoft Edge is just that, "Microsoft Edge."

The clarification will make things easier as Microsoft Edge Legacy becomes older and less used. This change will be particularly useful for enterprise and IT where precise wording is needed to solve administrative issues or file support tickets.

It doesn't make much sense to call the Chromium version of the browser "the new Microsoft Edge" forever or to have to always specify if referring to the Chromium or EdgeHTML versions of the browser. Eventually, there will just be one Microsoft Edge in regular use, so people should get used to that name now.

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Microsoft Edge Legacy is still the default browser on Windows 10 PCs, but Microsoft is pushing people towards Microsoft Edge (the new one that we won't have to refer to as new going forward).

Microsoft Edge has earned positive reviews on Windows 10 and macOS alike. It's also available on Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1. It renders websites well and works with Chrome extensions, which greatly expands the browser's functionality.

One of the most useful new features of the new Microsoft Edge is the ability to install progressive web apps. This allows you to create dedicated windows and Start Menu icons for progressive web apps like Disney+, Hulu, and Kindle Cloud Reader.

How to install Disney Plus as a Windows 10 app

Microsoft continues to add features to Microsoft Edge. Recently, Microsoft rolled out Collections to the beta version of Microsoft Edge.

Sean Endicott
Sean Endicott
News Writer

Sean Endicott is a News Writer at Windows Central, where he covers Windows 11, Surface hardware, Microsoft 365, AI, apps, and the broader PC ecosystem. Since joining the site in 2017, he has written well over a thousand articles across the Microsoft landscape, covering breaking news, analysis, and feature reporting.

He writes Windows Wrap, a weekly column covering the biggest stories in Windows and the PC industry, and what they mean for the platform going forward.

Before joining Windows Central full-time, Sean worked in journalism and media production after earning a First Class degree in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University. Outside of tech, he is an award-winning American football coach based in Nottingham, England, and was named BAFCA Youth Coach of the Year in 2024.