14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is moving Microsoft Edge browser from EdgeHTML to Chromium, and one of the benefits of this transition is that the application technically gains nearly the same capabilities as Google’s very own Chrome.
And while some features might be a little different, both browsers should boast the same level of web compatibility regardless of the platform.
And yet, users discovered a few days ago that Microsoft’s new Edge, which is still in preview stage at this point, cannot connect to Google Meet. Instead, Google instructs users to download Google Chrome or Firefox to access the service, and this made many believe that the search giant actually banned Microsoft’s new browser from using Edge.
This is surprising, to say the least, especially as Microsoft says it’s working with Google on improving Chromium and adding new capabilities not only for their browsers, but for all the other apps running on the same engine.
Google: No block in place
Google says it doesn’t block Edge from connecting to Google Meet. In a statement for The Verge, the company explains that Microsoft’s new browser would be supported when it becomes available for download as a stable release.
“We view the increased adoption of Chromium and WebRTC as positive for the entire Unified Communications industry,” a Google spokesperson told the cited source. “With the recent release of developer previews for Edge, we are thrilled to be able to offer a new preview experience of Hangouts Meet, and we plan to officially support it once it becomes generally available.”
It seems Google hasn’t specifically blocked Microsoft Edge, but it didn’t add it to its whitelist either, which could still be an indication that the search giant restricted access on purpose.
Meanwhile, users running the new Edge browser could connect to Google Meet by changing the user agent or simply by switching to Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.