The new Edge now supports most popular browsers

Aug 1, 2019 12:32 GMT  ·  By

Since Microsoft hopes that one day its new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser would replace more popular rivals like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, the software giant is offering a built-in migration method to seamlessly move from one app to another.

Data importing tools have been around for a long time in desktop browsers, but given that it’s a work in progress, Microsoft Edge keeps evolving with new options that are added in its regular updates.

The latest Dev build, for instance, introduces support for the original Microsoft Edge browser, which means that you can migrate all your data from the native Windows 10 browser to the Chromium sibling.

The official changelog for build 77.0.230.2 explains the following:

Added the ability to import settings from the original version of Edge.”

This new addition is seen by many as living proof that Microsoft is getting ready to replace the native Edge with the Chromium version. However, Microsoft is yet to release beta and stable builds of the new browser, so we’re likely still several months away from this moment.

Microsoft Edge (Chromium) is expected to become the default Windows 10 browser in the 20H1 feature update due in the spring of the next year. A confirmation, however, is not available just yet.

Right now, Chromium Microsoft Edge can import data from the following browsers:  

Google Chrome
Microsoft Edge
Internet Explorer
Mozilla Firefox
Favorites or bookmarks HTML file
The importing process is rather sample, and it involves you choosing the items that you want to transfer to the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge. The following options are included:  
Favorites or bookmarks
Saved passwords
Addresses and more
Payment info
Browsing history
The importing tool is available at the following location in the Chromium Microsoft Edge:


Microsoft Edge > Settings > Profiles > Import browser data
If you use Microsoft Edge with multiple profiles or accounts, you can also choose the one where the information is imported.
Microsoft Edge importing features

As far as the favorites or bookmarks HTML file is concerned, this lets you import data from browsers that aren’t necessarily supported by Microsoft Edge. As long as that browser can export bookmarks to a HTML file, everything should work correctly, albeit the information might not be displayed correctly in Microsoft Edge.

The steps to export bookmarks to a HTML file are different from browser to browser, but in most of the cases, such options should be available in the bookmarks manager. For example, in Mozilla Firefox you can export bookmarks to a HTML file by following this path:


Mozilla Firefox > Menu > Library > Bookmarks > Show All Bookmarks > Import and Backup > Export Bookmarks to HTML
To import the data, you then need to point Microsoft Edge to the HTML file saved on the local drives.

Keep in mind that Microsoft Edge is still in development right now, so certain refinements could still be implemented by the time the browser reaches the final stage and receives the go-ahead for the launch.

However, I expect little to change about the way you can import browser data from other applications, especially as the process already seems to be working properly and everything is straightforward enough for the majority of users. What Microsoft can probably do is add support for more high-profile browsers, albeit the most popular are already there on the list.

No ETA is available regarding the release date of Edge, but I expect the browser to be finalized in early 2020 when it should also replace the existing Edge as the new default in Windows 10.

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