Microsoft is launching some new improvements to its Edge browser this month. Although the software manufacturer announced vertical guides almost a year ago, the feature is finally reaching all Edge users this month. You can stack tabs on the side of the browser, instead of the long traditional list of tabs at the top.
The vertical guides feature looks ideal for 16: 9 screens, and you can click to switch between tabs or group some. It arrives just a few weeks after Microsoft implemented a drop-down tab feature on Edge that was designed to automatically release system resources for idle tabs when you have a large number of tabs open. This prevents the Edge tabs from taking up memory and CPU resources.
Microsoft is also improving the Edge startup experience this month. A new boot boost feature is being launched, which makes launching the browser up to 41% faster after a device reboots. “Initial tests show that startup times have increased from 29% to 41% with this feature,” said Liat Ben-Zur, a Microsoft executive who works on the company’s “Modern Life” initiative. “The boot boost will be activated automatically this month and you can access your browser’s settings menu to further personalize Microsoft Edge.”
If you’re still using Bing in some way and haven’t switched to Google, Microsoft is also improving the way search results work on Edge. The results of popular searches, such as recipes, will soon include enhanced visuals. Big topics like “giraffes” or “Kenya” also add visual results to an infographic at the top of the search results. These new search results are expected to be available in the United States in the “next few weeks,” according to Microsoft.
Finally, Microsoft Edge users will also see a new browser history view this month. When you navigate to the history, it will soon fall off the toolbar instead of going to the settings section. It should be much easier to search, open, or manage your search history now.