Microsoft Edge's new Instant Updates feature could result in data loss
Most web browsers are set up to download and install updates automatically. What does not happen automatically is the restart that is required to complete the process.
Major companies like Google or Microsoft are working on automations for browsers. Google plans to reveal an AI project in the coming months that takes over user tasks.
Microsoft has created Instant Updates to address delayed browser updates. While the feature still requires a restart of the browser, Instant Updates is designed to make that restart automatically on behalf of the user.
The details:
- Instant Updates is currently only available for managed devices (Enterprise).
- It restarts the browser only if no user activity has been recorded for 15 minutes and if there are no wake locks.
- The feature does not take into account unsaved work on websites or webapps.
Microsoft explains that the feature is in private preview right now. It is disabled by default furthermore, which limits problems that may arise with data loss.
Still, in the FAQ on the support page, Microsoft highlights that content can be lost, if the feature is enabled: "This feature is designed to update the browser when you aren't actively using it, but there's a risk of content input loss if you have unsaved work or open tabs that could be lost or closed during the update. While not an exhaustive list, content input loss might occur in the following scenarios: unsaved documents and unsaved incomplete forms."
In other words; if you step away from the PC without making sure that anything you entered or did is saved, then you may lose that input or work when you resume work on the device.
Also good to know:
How to disable the news feed of Microsoft Edge's New Tab page
Microsoft Edge displays a 5-minute prompt before it restarts itself automatically. This is shown to inform the returning user that the browser will restart. It has an option to cancel the restart.
Closing Words
Microsoft's Instant Updates feature attempts to speed up the installation of updates through automatic restarts of the browser. The company has done so for years on Windows, and that has led to some unwanted restarts that caused users to lose work.
This feature is not enabled by default, unlike the Windows feature. That is good, but it remains to be seen if that is true only for the preview period. It is unclear as well whether it is going to land for consumer Edge installations as well in the future.
What is your take on an automatic restarting browser? Feel free to leave a comment down below.
Edge is a good browser, using few resources, especially on Youtube, with sleep tabs and collections. It is also a safe browser with smartscreen for Edge.
Working with different profiles is very easy. Just don’t login.
Since it is installed on Win 10/11 your privacy is already compromised anyway.
You have to carefully adjust the settings to get some privacy. The settings are clearly laid out, the reason why I don’t use Vivaldi. But to each his own.
I don’t use Edge at all for so many reasons I have lost track. But this seems un-necessary and the risks do not outweigh the benefits.
Unlike the first version of Recall, this harmful ‘feature’ is, as it certainly should be, disabled by default. Therefore all the angst strikes me as unnecessary. People can turn it on if they want to do so, although I can’t see why anyone would actually do that except perhaps for a certain type of corporate IT manager who likes anything which provides more control over users.
MS has turned into a giant Spyware Agency with “Recall” implemented on hardware itself…it’s going to get even worse 10 years from now.
Automatic+Microsoft=NO!
No doubt we’ll see plenty of anti-MS posts, but clearly MS knows best.
Ridiculous for a user to want to keep control of their own computer.
N.Poe
Nadella should be fired as soon as possible, with no mercy at all.
> What is your take on an automatic restarting browser? Feel free to leave a comment down below.
Their “browser” from Google means nothing to me.
I would rather talk about and see M$ punished properly by The U.S. and broken up into parts, just like they’re saying should happen to Google. But you bet your ass TPTB will break up Google and nothing will happen to M$. Heck, how many years has it been since M$ was ruled to be a monopoly?
I have disabled Edge updates and Edge itself. I have only used Chrome once and it was to help somebody else. Otherwise, my system remains clear of that monstrosity of a program. AI taking over user tasks sounds like something that AI would come up with, not human. I hope. I continue to absolutely LOATH any kind of automatic updating of ANYTHING.
You use Brave, we all know!