14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has announced a new update engine for Microsoft Edge on macOS devices, with users running the Canary build getting it as we speak.
The company explains that the AutoUpdate system that was originally used by Microsoft Edge was a little bit confusing given it’s also used by Office applications, with the process overall also being rather slow.
So the company has started the work on a native update system for Microsoft Edge on macOS, with the new experience currently available in the Canary builds of the browser for Intel chips. Microsoft explains it’ll also be included in the builds aimed at Apple Silicon shortly.
New update system currently in testing
The new update system is supposed to make the process overall feel more seamless, especially because the updates will now be installed in the background all automatically.
“The new update experience is now Edge-native. It will solely be responsible for updating Edge-related products and will not be affected (e.g. blocked) by other pending product updates. Updates will happen automatically and silently, and no out-of-Edge notifications/toasts will be shown. edge://settings/help now more consistently reflects update status and allows seamless updates. In-app update notifications are promptly reflected when an update becomes available,” Microsoft explains.
The Redmond-based software giant hasn’t provided an ETA as to when this feature is scheduled to land in the production channel, but version 91 is projected to go live in the stable build in the week of May 27.
The transition to the Chromium engine allowed Microsoft to bring Edge browser to more platforms, so in addition to Windows 10, its application is now also available on Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, macOS, and Linux. At this point, however, Edge for Linux is still in preview stage, but it should reach the stable channel later this year.