Microsoft Edge 86: here is what is new
Microsoft released a new stable version of its Chromium-based Microsoft Edge web browser on October 9, 2020. Microsoft Edge 86 introduces a rollback feature to go back to previous versions of Edge, Enterprise sync functionality, profile switching in Edge on Windows 7 and 8.1 devices, PDF improvements, and more.
Microsoft Edge 86 is already available and should be installed automatically on most systems. You can check the installed version on the edge://settings/help page; Edge will run a manual check for updates when the page is opened so that the latest version will be installed automatically if it is not installed already.
New users can download the latest stable Edge version from Microsoft's website.
The main changes in Microsoft Edge 86 Stable:
- Implementation of SameSite=Lax default for cookies so that cookies are only sent in a first-party context. Webmasters may override the default on their sites, and Enterprise administrators may use policies to opt-out across a list of domains or globally.
- HTML5 Application Cache API is removed.
- PDF improvements:
- support for displaying the table of contents of PDF documents.
- Microsoft Edge PDF reader works on small form factors screens.
- Highlighter supports pens.
- Improved PDF scrolling
- Auto-complete suggestions are displayed on the Microsoft Edge Add-ons website when users start to type.
- Developer Tools keyboard shortcuts can be customized now.
- Users may delete files downloaded using Edge from the download manager (instead of just removing the downloads history entry but keeping the file on the system).
- Password leak checks and alerts.
- Secure DNS support for unmanaged devices.
Enterprise related changes:
- Sync can be enabled by default across Enterprie networks by administrators (for Azure Active Directory accounts).
- Starting with Microsoft Edge 86, administrators may use the new roll back functionality to go back to a previous stable version of Edge. Microsoft has a help page up that explains how rollbacks work.
- Automatic Profile Switching on Windows 7 and 8.1 devices. Profiles separate some data, e.g. bookmarks to keep the browsing separate. Automatic profile switching detects work sites automatically and Edge will suggest to use the work profile to access the site.
- Internet Explorer mode can now be added to the user interface of Edge by administrators.
- Option to add a custom image to Edge's New Tab Page using the group policy.
- Microsoft introduced a number of new policies, e.g. to control the new File System API, DiagnosticData configuration, Sensor support policies, or a policy for enabling warnings for insecure forms.
The full changelog is available here.
Closing Words
Microsoft Edge 86 introduces new features for all users and Enterprise/Education users. All users benefit from PDF reader improvements, improved privacy and security options, and the ability to delete download files from within Edge.
Amusingly enough, when Microsoft adopted Chromium for Edge, they instantly caught up with the insane version numbering war that has been going on between Google and Mozilla.
The update automatically created a profile using info “I once used” to log onto (and promptly logged out of) the windows store on my daughters PC for Her, since she doesn’t have a microsoft account, and wiped all of her settings and bookmarks.
Win 10 Home
Same here, such BS.
:( Sorry to hear that. Show-stopping bugs like that really tarnish the otherwise excellent Edge Chromium browser. Microsoft’s new “open-source friendly” initiative has produced great innovations but their lack of internal testing has opened the floodgates to dangerous edge-cases like yours. I hope they fix it for you.
Is why i always export favorites bar to .html in Edge’s favorites settings
The new Edge is garbage. I once had a Microsoft account, signed onto it to test the Sync and next thing I know my Local Windows 10 account turned into a Microsoft Windows 10 account. That was back when Edge was still in beta in 2019, after that I got so pissed off that I deleted my Microsoft account, had to go through creating a new Windows 10 Local account and then migrating all my settings to it.
I now have the latest stable build of Windows 10 and the new Edge still hasn’t updated for me, but I couldn’t care any less. I always used Edge to download other browsers, that’s what it will be doing for me – it’s useless for anything else.
They only did this so they can hope that Average Joes who start using Windows 10 will see the browser and start using it, probably some do, but I will never use their garbage browser, even less when it’s tied to a Microsoft account (which I no longer have) and therefore I can’t use the Sync feature, because it will automatically turn my Windows 10 Local account into a Microsoft account… screw that crap…
This will keep happening until you disable automatic sign-in in the settings app.
Go to Accounts, email&accs, select your account and change to apps need to ask permission first.
You should not have to do this. Microsoft constantly attempts in every way they can to make it inconvenient for users to use a local account. Using Edge just gives them another opportunity to push Microsoft accounts on you with every update. Its much similar to simply disable it and use another browser, which also has the positive side effect of helping to limit Microsoft’s access to your personal data. Users that want a local account certainly should not have to be exporting favorites bars to .html, given that many/most of them have no idea how to do that.
@Anonymous
That doesn’t work when you use a Local Windows 10 account.
>That doesn’t work when you use a Local Windows 10 account.
What account do you get signed into then? :)
It does work, it picks up any account that you’ve used in any Microsoft app like a Windows Store account or an Xbox app account even if you sign into those apps separately.
You have go through all your accounts, if you have multiple, and change their sign-in permissions.
@Herman Cost, I agree that it shouldn’t work like that and I got annoyed by this “feature” as well. But at the same time I think we should take into account that majority of Windows users are likely not tech savvy people who don’t want to go through menus and want a streamlined experience. New default system browser automatically signing you in would make sense for such users.
It’s not like MS does this out of spite just to annoy some people.
the new release of edge makes it easier than ever to download firefox. good work microsoft!
Microsoft has created such wonderful, powerful, inexpensive if not free tools that have powered billions to make so tremendously much fundamentally critical world progress. One of the truly top great companies of all time. XOXO
Hmmm
One can only assume that your comment is meant to be satire given that Microsoft Corporation is collectively just a whisper away from being outright terrorists. Have a great day!
Hmmm…. does nobody (especially those people at Microsoft) remember “United States v. Microsoft Corp.” (the original, 2001 case)? Look it up on Wikipedia. How are they forcing this horrible (as bad as Chrome) browser on everybody this way, given the outcome of that case?
@John C.
Because they know there is no (real) appetite to crack down on these behaviors at the Federal level? All of these elected officials love to posture that they are gonna crack down on Google, Facebook, or Microsoft, but they never do and the companies are basically daring them to do at this point since elected officials have shown they don’t have the cuts to actually do anything besides bluster at a committee hearing.