Microsoft Edge Beta improves security with new default setting
The latest version of Microsoft Edge Beta adds security protection when browsing less visited sites.
What you need to know
- Microsoft Edge Beta version 104.0.1293.44 recently rolled out.
- The update improves security when browsing the web.
- The browser now sets "Basic" as the new default security option, which applies extra security protection when browsing sites that people view less often.
Microsoft recently shipped Edge Beta version 104.0.1293.44 to Insiders. The update includes the usual set of bug fixes and performance improvements, and it also has a new default security setting. Now, Edge Beta will have "Basic" on by default in edge://settings/privacy. This setting adds a layer of protection when browsing sites that people visit infrequently.
In addition to being the new default setting, "Basic" is the recommended security setting for Edge. When it's enabled, most sites should work as expected. Users can create exceptions if they run into issues with specific sites. If people prefer to have the extra security mitigations when browsing any site, they can set the browser to "Strict."
Here's what's new in Microsoft Edge Dev version 104.1293.44:
- Enhance your security on the web. Improvements to Enhance your security on the web in edge://settings/privacy now include Basic as the new default option. With this option, Microsoft Edge will apply added security protection to the less visited sites. This preserves the user experience for the most popular sites on the web.
While the changelog only includes a single change, it is longer compared to the two previous updates to Edge Beta. Version 104.0.1293.41, which shipped on August 1, 2022 and Version 104.0.1293.35, which shipped on July 25, 2022, each only includes bug fixes and performance improvements.
The Beta Channel for Edge receives major updates every four weeks, with smaller updates that focus on bug fixes shipping at a quicker cadence.
Microsoft has several preview versions of its Edge browser to provide a diverse testing experience for Insiders. Edge Beta is generally more stable than Edge Canary or Edge Dev while still providing an opportunity to test out new and experimental features.
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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.

