POLL: Can Extensions Save Microsoft Edge?

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Internet Explorer, according to pranksters, is built into Windows so that users can download the Chrome or Firefox browser. Edge, which replaced it, pleased with its good speed, modern interface and recently appeared extensions. But will this help fix the situation?

The lack of extensions has always been the main drawback of Microsoft browsers. You can adapt to the speed of IE or Edge, you can get used to the features of the interface of these programs, but the lack of extensions usually became the last and decisive argument in favor of competitors.

Microsoft has been going for a very long time to include support for third-party extensions for its browser. And finally it happened. In Windows 10 build 14291, already available to pre-test takers, we can see and evaluate extensions in Microsoft Edge for the first time.

A special one has been created for downloading extensions. So far, only three names are presented on it: Microsoft Translator for translating pages, Mouse Gestures for controlling the browser using gestures and Reddit Enhancement Suite for conveniently browsing the popular Reddit site.

To install an extension, you must first download it from the above page. Then in the main menu of Edge, you should select the item "Extensions", and then - the command "Load extension". Next, you need to specify the folder in which you saved the extension, after which it will appear in the browser. There is a special menu for managing installed extensions. In addition, you can display the buttons of the extensions you need on the browser toolbar next to the address bar in much the same way as it looks in Chrome.

Of course, the set of extensions presented is not very impressive for users spoiled by the riches of the Chrome Web Store. However, do not forget that these are just test instances designed to demonstrate the new capabilities of the browser. According to Microsoft, the extensions will appear in the Windows Store for all users this year. And among them will definitely be the mega-popular AdBlock, Adblock Plus, LastPass, Evernote and others. To do this, the company promises to release a special utility that will help developers easily port Chrome extensions to Edge.

Lots of questions on this: yes we’re working on a porting tool to run Chrome extensions in Edge. Not yet finished and not all APIs supported

However, some developers decided not to wait for special tools from Microsoft and to adapt their extensions for the Edge browser on their own. For example, you can already download the corresponding version of the Turn Off the Lights extension, which serves for convenient viewing of videos in a browser, at. Let's hope that this process will gain momentum in the future.

Will you switch to Microsoft Edge if it has the extensions you want?