14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is getting closer to the launch of its Chromium-based browser, so the company has recently started rolling out a change that confirms we’re in the final development stages of the application.
German site WU reveals that Microsoft has started dropping the beta tag for a number of testers, meaning that the existing installs of Microsoft Edge no longer indicate they’re part of a beta program.
The change is apparently rolling out to users in stages, so not everyone sees the beta tag going away at this point.
On the other hand, it’s more interesting to discuss why the beta flag is actually being removed from devices.
Release date set for January 15
Microsoft will launch the new browser in stable version on January 15, and on Windows 10 systems it will be pushed via Windows Update. Microsoft itself confirmed that the stable build of Chromium Edge will work side by side with testing versions in the Canary, Dev, and Beta channels. In other words, the stable build doesn’t replace the beta sibling, so removing the beta flag isn’t actually necessary.
“Updates won’t change the user experience until the Stable channel of the next version of Microsoft Edge is installed. Installing Microsoft Edge Beta, Dev, or Canary won’t trigger any changes in Windows. These browser releases will be installed alongside existing browsers,” Microsoft said.
Microsoft Edge will be released on Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and macOS. A Linux version of the browser is also likely given the Chromium engine, but an ETA for this platform isn’t yet available.
On Windows 10, the new browser will be configured as default, replacing the existing Edge version. Microsoft hasn’t yet provided timing specifics when the old Edge would be removed, as this version will continue to be bundled with the OS for compatibility reasons.