Redstone 5 to include new Microsoft Edge features

Jul 16, 2018 08:36 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft is working on a new set of improvements for Microsoft Edge, and the latest preview build comes with several hints in this regard, revealing some of the features being added to the browser.

By the looks of things, most of the updates coming to Microsoft Edge are features already available in third-party browsers like Google Chrome, which right now is the leading choice on the desktop.

Specifically, Microsoft is adding new tab page customization options, letting users set a URL as the default New Tab page when clicked. Additionally, the company will also allow users to change the behavior of the Home button.

In the current versions of Microsoft Edge, clicking the home button gets users to the Start page, whereas in Redstone 5, it will be possible to configure a URL to be loaded.

Coming to everyone in Redstone 5

Last but not least, Microsoft will also include options for the favorites bar, which right now only shows up on the start page and hides automatically when a website is opened. The Microsoft Edge update will make it possible to keep the favorites bar always on screen, just like it’s the case in other browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

While these options are available in the most recent Windows 10 Redstone 5 preview build, they cannot be enabled. They do show up in the group policy editor, but activating them isn’t possible just yet, with no visible result in Microsoft Edge.

Most likely, Microsoft is just paving the road for the new features, and sooner or later they would be included in a Windows 10 preview build with dedicated options to enable and configure them from the Settings app.

Windows 10 Redstone 5 is projected to launch in the fall, with Microsoft’s typical release schedule pointing to September as the month when the update should be finalized. The public rollout will kick off in October.