Microsoft finally came out with the new Edge browser last week. This new browser is based on the same engine that powers Chrome, and this is what makes the browser much more desirable than the older version. So, if you want the Edge browser, but don’t know how to install it, then detailed below is how to download Edge for macOS and Windows 10.
New Edge browser: what’s new?
Microsoft’s new Edge browser is based on Chromium and comes with built-in tracking protection, Internet Explorer mode for businesses, Collections features to grab images and much more.
The biggest advantage of this Chromium-based feature is that it supports the Chrome extensions that otherwise wouldn’t have been available to the Edge users. (To know how to install Chrome extensions on Edge visit this link.) Also, the look, feel, user-interface and user experience of Chrome and Edge is somewhat similar now.
“A little over a year ago, we announced our intention to rebuild Microsoft Edge on the Chromium open source project with the goals of delivering better compatibility for everyone, less fragmentation for web developers, and a partnership with the Chromium community to improve the Chromium engine itself,” Microsoft said about a year ago while announcing its intention to revamp Edge.
If this is something that interests you, then you will want to install the new Edge browser to get the best of both worlds – Microsoft and Chrome. Now, let’s see the process to download Edge for Windows 10 and macOS.
How to download Edge for macOS and Windows 10
Follow the below steps to download Edge for Windows 10 and macOS:
Step 1: Go to Microsoft’s Edge webpage, and select from the download menu whether you want to download Edge for macOS or Windows 10.
Step 2: Tap on Download. On the next screen, tap on Accept and download and then tap on Close.
Step 3: The download process will automatically start. If not, then go to the Downloads folder, open the installation file, and follow the on-screen instructions to install the Edge browser.
Step 4: After Edge is installed, it will start automatically.
Step 5: If you are using Chrome, you will get a pop-up to import all your bookmarks, autofill data and history to Edge, or you also have an option to start fresh. If you select the option to start fresh, you can import the browser data later as well. To import data from Firefox, tap on the Customize import button at the bottom of the import window. Tap on Allow to give permission to Edge to import data.
Step 6: You can also customize how the browser looks by selecting any of these options – Inspirational, Informational or Focused – and then tap Next.
Step 7: If you are using Edge on more than one device, then you will get a message to sync data across devices. To sync data tap Yes on the next screen and then tap Next.
Step 8: Now tap on Yes or No depending on whether or not you want Microsoft to personalize your browsing experience.
Step 9: Finally tap on Confirm.
That’s it!
Does it support Windows 7?
If you were using the old Edge, the new one will replace it.
“When you install Microsoft Edge on an up-to-date Windows 10 device, it will replace the previous (legacy) version on your device,” Microsoft said in an earlier blog post. Also, all the bookmarks, passwords and settings of the old Edge browser will automatically transfer to the new Edge browser.
Along with Windows 10 and macOS, Edge also supports Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. Though Microsoft no more supports Windows 7, the OS does support the new Edge browser. However, it is not known how long the support will last.
Google, on the other hand, will continue to patch Chrome on Windows 7 for at least until next year. Thus, it is expected that Microsoft will also continue supporting Windows 7 with Edge at least until Chrome extends support for Windows 7.
Many believe that Microsoft’s support for Edge on Windows 7 will last until Jan. 10, 2023, which is the date when Microsoft ends ESU (Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates) for Windows 7.