14 DAY TRIAL // The recently released Windows 10 Anniversary Update brought support for extensions in Microsoft Edge browser, but it’s no secret that the number of add-ons that are currently up for grabs is still small.
Microsoft’s plan was to bring the essential extensions on Microsoft Edge first and then continue working with developers to port more such add-ons to the platform using tools specifically created in this regard.
And one such tool is now available for download in the Windows Store, allowing developers to quickly convert Google Chrome extensions to Microsoft Edge. Called Microsoft Edge Extension Toolkit, this app perfectly aligns with Microsoft’s plans to bring Chrome extensions to Windows 10, as the company wanted to make extension support in Edge fully compatible with Google’s browser.
Free to download in the store
Microsoft aimed to develop ways that would allow the porting of Google Chrome extensions to Edge with little to no modifications at all, and this new application lends developers a helping hand in this regard.
“This toolkit allows developer to convert a Chrome extension to run on Microsoft Edge in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update (14393.10) edition. The tool creates the necessary JSON manifest entries and bridges the chrome.* APIs to the browser.* APIs supported on Microsoft Edge, polyfiling where necessary,” the app description published in the store reads.
At this moment, the app is still in its early days in the store, and updates are still needed, but it’s living proof that Microsoft does want to go further with its plans to make Google Chrome extensions easier to port to Microsoft Edge browser.
Extension support is only available in Microsoft Edge on Windows 10 Anniversary Update, and it’s currently offered on PCs exclusively. Microsoft said that, at some point, extensions could arrive on mobile devices too, but the company first wants to get everything right on PCs and then concentrate on bringing extensions to phones. This could happen in Redstone 2, which is due in spring 2017.