Feature already being tested with a limited number of users

Feb 16, 2021 16:38 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft wants to make the new Chromium-powered Edge browser a more integral part of the Windows 10 experience, and now that the app has already reached its maturity, the company is ready to advance to the very next step.

And as it turns out, this next step is an integration into the Windows 10 desktop, with the company working on widgets that could be pinned to the desktop and powered by the browser.

As per a report, this feature is currently being tested with a limited number of users, and Microsoft wants to offer an experience similar to the news and weather experience that’s already available for Windows Insiders.

In other words, Microsoft wants Edge to power the new widgets, and an early version provides access to news, stock information, and possibly other data. A search box is also offered to quickly search the web with Bing or load a specific site by typing in the URL.

Gradually rolling out to users

Microsoft has already confirmed this feature is gradually being rolled out to users, but the company hasn’t provided any specifics as to when it is supposed to go live for everybody.

“The web widget is part of a Controlled Feature Roll-out (CFR) so only a subset of Insiders have it available at this time,” the Redmond-based software giant explained.

Microsoft Edge is now available as a cross-platform browser, as it’s offered not only on Windows 10, but also on Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and even non-Windows operating systems. Linux users can already install a preview version of the browser, while those using Apple’s macOS have access to both the stable and the development channels of the app.

The news and weather taskbar widget currently available in the Windows Insider program will most likely launch for everybody in the fall of this year.