What is Microsoft Edge? The Truth About Microsoft’s Replacement for Internet Explorer – Pocket-lint

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(Pocket-lint) – Edge is Microsoft’s latest Internet browser. It is part of Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems and is also available for iPhone and Android devices as well as for Apple Mac and Linux. It also works on the Xbox.

Edge debuted in 2015 under the code name Project Spartan and has undergone many changes, the most significant of which is the move in 2020 to the open source Chromium platform on which Google Chrome is also built (known as Anaheim version of Edge).

Previously, Edge used proprietary Microsoft technologies under the hood, but Microsoft decided to make it more compatible with the number of web pages being built.

Edge is now the third most used browser in the world after Google Chrome and Apple Safari. It’s neck and neck with Mozilla Firefox with just over 3 percent of the browser market each.

Here’s what you need to know about Microsoft Edge.

What is the difference between Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer?

Microsoft Edge has replaced Internet Explorer (IE) as the default browser on Windows, including laptops, smartphones, tablets, and hybrids.

Windows 10 still includes Internet Explorer for backward compatibility, but its icon isn’t present in any of the menus – you have to look for it. In Windows 11, Internet Explorer is not present, but Edge has a compatibility mode if you really need to see an old-fashioned web page or web application in Internet Explorer. For a long time, IE was used by default for many early online systems.

Microsoft Edge is a universal Windows app, so you can download and update it from the Microsoft Store on Windows.

What does the Microsoft Edge logo look like?

The original Microsoft Edge logo was styled from a lowercase “e” and closely resembles the Internet Explorer logo. Most Windows users know that clicking an “e” icon will open a web browser, so maintaining that letter and the overall appearance was designed to reduce confusion. However, the new version of the Edge logo looks like a cross between the IE-style “e” and the Firefox whirlwind.

What are the features of Microsoft Edge?

Microsoft Edge is much cleaner in appearance than Internet Explorer and offers a combined search and address bar like most modern browsers. All the usual browser equipment is in Edge: bookmarks, reading list, browsing history and downloads are contained in a sidebar.

Edge also supports extensions. Other features include InPrivate Mode, Online Tracking Blocking, Color Themes, Built-in PDF Viewer, Kid’s Browsing Mode, and Microsoft Defender SmartScreen to protect against phishing and malware. All your personal favorites, passwords, etc. are synced with your Microsoft account.

Why Microsoft Edge on iOS and Android?

The idea is that you should have a seamless browsing experience on all of your devices. So if you are using Edge on Windows, you will see the same bookmarks and other data on your mobile device.

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Written by Elyse Betters and Dan Grabham. Originally published on April 29, 2015.