Extensions will also launch on phones, but at a later time

May 2, 2015 18:22 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft announced at BUILD 2015 that its new browser for Windows 10 would be called Edge, and in addition to a new UI and new engine, it would also come with support for extensions.

However, Microsoft provided only few details about Edge and its extension support during the opening keynote, but in an interview after the show, company engineers detailed how exactly add-ons would work in the new browser.

Sean Lyndersay and Charles Morris, both working for the Microsoft Edge team, explained that extensions designed for Google Chrome would also work in Windows 10's browser with minor tweaks, in an approach that reminds of Microsoft's efforts to bring Android apps on the new Windows 10, also with small changes to the original code.

But what's more important is that the extension support will not be available at launch, but only shortly after that, as Microsoft still needs time to develop this feature.

At some point in the future, extensions would also work on Windows 10 for phones, Lyndersay confirmed, but once again, no specific release date could be provided simply because development is still under way and there are many more things to be considered when working on the phone version.

Phones will get it, but not at launch

Both Lyndersay and Morris admitted that bringing extension support for Edge on Windows 10 for phones was part of Microsoft's plans, but they also explained why it takes longer to make this happen.

“We first need to bring them on the desktop version of the browser,” Lyndersay pointed out, while Morris added that “it's harder to make them work on a 4-inch screen” because extensions could also add new buttons and change the UI of the browser.

What's more, they could have an impact on device battery because they add new functionality, so extension support for Windows 10 for phones might not be ready when the new mobile operating system launches in the fall of 2015.

But there you have it, extensions are coming to your mobile browser, so prepare for a completely overhauled browsing experience on your Lumia.

For more information on the extension support for Windows 10 for phones, watch the video below (the answer to this question is offered at 16:40).