EDGE’S SUPERB NEW TOOLS
You’ll love the tab saver and profile switcher
When it launched earlier this year, Microsoft’s revamped Edge soon became our favourite browser (see our Cover Feature in Issue 580 to find out why). And while the coronavirus lockdown disrupted Edge’s release schedule (Microsoft was forced to cancel version 82), it now seems to be back on track. The latest version (Edge 83) introduces more excellent tools and in this Workshop we explain how to make the most of these.
STEP 1
The features covered in this Workshop all require Edge
83. The browser should update automatically, but to check which version of Edge you’re using and, if necessary, update it, click the Menu button (three horizontal dots 1 ), ‘Help and feedback’, then About Microsoft Edge 2 . The version number will be listed under the Edge logo. As you can see here, we’re still on version 81 3 . Edge will now check for updates and download version 83. Once it’s downloaded, click the Restart button to launch it.
STEP
2
Microsoft has made a number of improvements to
Edge’s Collections tool, which lets you save websites relating to a specific topic (such as when you’re shopping for a new laptop or researching a holiday). In the previous version of Edge, you could drag new pages or links into a collection, but they’d always sit at the bottom of the list. Now, however, you can place them anywhere in your list. First, open the Collections pane 1 , select the Collection you want to add a link to, then drag and drop them in the appropriate place. You’ll see a horizontal bar appear as you hover over the list indicating where the site will be added.
STEP 3
If you have multiple tabs open and decide you want to add a number of them to a Collection, Edge now lets you do this too. First, close any tabs you don’t want to include. Next, right-click any of the remaining tabs then, at the bottom of the menu that appears, select the ‘Add all tabs to a new collection’ option 1 . If it’s not already open, the Collections pane will appear, showing the sites you just added 2 . You can then give your Collection an appropriate name 3 .
STEP 4
Edge includes a setting (switched off by default) that deletes all cookies whenever you close your browser - so you can stop sites from tracking your movements across the web. However, this also means you’ll have to log back into websites every time you restart your browser. Edge now lets you specify any cookies you want to retain. Go to Settings, ‘Privacy and services’ 1 , then ‘Choose what to clear every time you close the browser’. From the options on the next page, enable ‘Cookies and other data’ 2 , then click Add 3 and type/paste the web addresses of sites whose cookies you want to keep.
STEP 5
You can now sync your extensions across Edge browsers on multiple computers. Go to the Settings page, then select Sync. If you’re not already signed in, click the ‘Sign in’ button (you’ll need a Microsoft account). Next, click Sync (if prompted, click ‘Turn on sync’), then scroll down and turn on the Extensions option 1 . Any Edge browser you sign into with your Microsoft account will now download the same extensions (note that this only works with desktop browsers, not mobile versions of Edge).
STEP 6
Turning cluttered pages into distraction-free text, Immersive Reader is one of our favourite Edge tools. And it’s now even better. Instead of using it to view an entire page, you can now use it on just a specific section of text (be it a single sentence or a couple of paragraphs). First, use your mouse to highlight the text you’re interested in, then right-click. In the menu that appears, select ‘Open in Immersive Reader’ 1 . The text will now appear minus adverts and other distractions. Click anywhere in the window to reveal other options, including having Edge read the text to you.
STEP 7
If you use multiple profiles with Edge, it can
now switch between them depending on the site you’re visiting. This helps keep sites you’ve visited at home from appearing in the search history of a profile you use for work or a local club, for example. Go to the Settings page, then click ‘Multiple profile preferences’ (you’ll only see this if you have more than one Edge profile set up). In the next screen, activate ‘Automatic profile switching’ 1 .
When you next visit a site that Edge believes is related to a specific profile (for example, a Gmail account that’s logged in using the same email address as the profile), it will offer to switch to that profile. If you accept, it will switch automatically the next time you visit that site.