14 DAY TRIAL // Rumor has it that Microsoft is preparing to release Edge browser extensions for users enrolled in the Windows Insider program, so it shouldn’t come as a big surprise that the first such add-on has already been spotted online.
WindowsBlogItalia came across what seems to be the first Windows 10 Edge browser extension, which was recently published in the store and could even be downloaded by users.
Called Page Analyzer, this extension is specifically aimed at developers who want to optimize the websites, but leaving its purpose aside, it’s very clear that work on Edge add-ons is advancing quite nicely.
Extensions included in the app section
The aforementioned source claimed downloading and installing the browser extension from the store worked smoothly – it should be noted, however, that although the extension is indeed listed in the store, there’s no dedicated tab for such add-ons, as they’re included in the “Apps” section.
The extension also came with its very own entry in the Start menu and was activated in Microsoft Edge by default, but none of its options and tools actually worked. Most likely, Redmond has locked extensions in the current builds of Windows 10 Redstone, but the company should make them available sometime very soon.
Browser extensions for Microsoft Edge were originally expected in November as part of the Threshold 2 update (version 1511), but because they weren’t ready in time for this release, the company decided to push them back to the Redstone update coming this summer.
Microsoft’s plan is to allow developers to port any Google Chrome extension to Edge browser with as little effort as possible, thus making it easier to bring such add-ons in the store. Most likely, extensions will be a key discussion topic at the upcoming BUILD developer conference ahead of the public launch in the summer, so Microsoft expects the three months between this event and the debut of Redstone to be very busy for devs who want to bring extensions on Windows 10.
