14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is working non-stop on improving the Chromium-powered Microsoft Edge browser, not only on Windows, but also on Linux, and macOS, but in the meantime, the company is also getting ready for a big change concerning Windows 10.
Next week, Microsoft will officially retire the legacy version of Microsoft Edge, as the company prepares to focus exclusively on the Chromium replacement going forward.
So on March 9, Microsoft Edge Legacy will receive its last security update ever, with the April Patch Tuesday to include improvements only for the Chromium browser.
“To replace this out of support application, we are announcing that the new Microsoft Edge will be available as part of the Windows 10 cumulative monthly security update—otherwise referred to as the Update Tuesday (or “B”) release—on April 13, 2021,” Microsoft announced.
“When you apply this update to your devices, the out of support Microsoft Edge Legacy desktop application will be removed and the new Microsoft Edge will be installed. The new Microsoft Edge offers built-in security and our best interoperability with the Microsoft security ecosystem, all while being more secure than Chrome for businesses on Windows 10.”
EdgeHTML will continue to be supported
The change will be performed automatically via Windows Update, so theoretically, when you install the new updates released by Microsoft, the legacy version of the browser will automatically be removed.
In other words, if you’ll want to run Edge Legacy starting with April, you will no longer be able to do this, and Microsoft explains that devices where the Chromium version has already been installed would only get an update to remove the old application.
EdgeHTML, however, the engine that was bundled with Microsoft Edge Legacy, will continue to be supported going forwards, so apps built for the old browser should theoretically run even after this date.