Dozens of tabs open, a PDF to mark up and research scattered everywhere? Microsoft Edge handles browsing, PDF reading and research collections in one browser. Its Chromium foundation supports many Chrome extensions, while built-in tab and privacy controls cover common browsing tasks.
Keep background tabs in check
Sleeping tabs pause activity on pages that have been inactive, reducing their use of system resources while leaving them open in the tab strip. Efficiency mode can further limit resource use, which suits long browsing sessions with several pages running at once.
Microsoft Edge also includes startup features intended to make the browser ready sooner. Tab groups and vertical tabs provide ways to arrange a crowded session: group related pages together or display tabs in a vertical list.
Read and mark up PDFs
Open a PDF in Edge to read it in the browser without switching to a separate viewer. The built-in reader supports highlighting and annotations, handy for marking passages in study materials or work documents.
Web capture provides a way to take screenshots of page content. Collections can gather links, images, and notes in a named group, keeping research material together as a project develops.
Sync browsing and manage passwords
Signing in with a Microsoft account lets Edge sync items such as favorites, passwords, history, and extensions across devices.
The password manager stores account credentials and can flag passwords that may have been exposed. Windows authentication is required to reveal sensitive saved information. InPrivate windows provide a separate browsing session that does not save local browsing history after the window closes.
Add extensions and change the appearance
Edge is based on Chromium and supports many extensions made for Chrome, along with add-ons from Microsoft's Edge Add-ons store. Extensions can add browser functions or alter how sites behave.
Appearance settings include themes for changing the browser's look.
Pros
- Sleeping tabs reduce activity from pages left in the background
- Built-in PDF tools support highlighting and annotations
- Collections groups links, images, and notes for research
System requirements: Windows 10, Windows 11
Can Microsoft Edge use Chrome extensions?
Edge supports many extensions made for Chrome, as well as extensions from the Edge Add-ons store.
Can Edge annotate PDF files?
Yes. Its built-in PDF reader supports highlighting and annotations.
What does Collections do in Edge?
Collections groups links, images, and notes so research material can stay together.