In case you missed it, Microsoft recently shipped a new update for Microsoft Edge in the Stable Channel, bumping it to version 144.0.3719.82. The update ships with a plethora of bug fixes, feature updates, and notable improvements.
For instance, the update includes a fix for a browser crash that occurred when attempting to upload a file from a local folder.
View the full changelog ↴
Microsoft Edge 144.0.3719.82
Announcements
- New WebGL software backend. Microsoft Edge, on Windows systems without a physical GPU, now uses the Windows Advanced Rasterization Platform (WARP) rasterizer for WebGL workloads. Prior versions use SwiftShader, which is no longer a supported component. This scenario is most commonly associated with headless environments and virtual machines. On non-Windows platforms, a physical GPU is required for WebGL moving forward. This change is currently enabled by default starting in Microsoft Edge Stable version 144. Administrators can use the EnableUnsafeSwiftShader policy to temporarily defer the deprecation and continue using SwiftShader. This policy is temporary and scheduled for removal in a future release. Microsoft doesn’t guarantee the security of environments where this policy is enabled. For more information, see Windows Advanced Rasterization Platform (WARP) Guide – Win32 apps.
- Announcement page on update experience. Starting in Edge 145, Edge for Business shows a “What’s New” page the first time the browser is launched following a major update. The page helps your users understand new features and how to use them for maximum productivity. Admins can control availability to this feature using the WhatsNewPageForEntraProfilesEnabled policy.
Improved reliability
- Fixed a browser crash that occurred when attempting to upload a file from a local folder.
Feature updates
- Use Primary work profile as default profile to open external links. Microsoft Edge opens external links using the “Last Used” profile by default. While for enterprise users, the Primary Work Profile (signed in with a Microsoft Entra ID for enrolling the device) is normally the best profile for opening external links. With this feature, for Windows, Edge checks if the Primary Work Profile exists and makes it the default profile for opening external links if available. For Mac and Linux, if only one work profile signed in with a Microsoft Entra ID account is found, it’s treated as the Primary Work Profile. Admins can control availability to this feature using the EdgeOpenExternalLinksWithPrimaryWorkProfileEnabled policy.
- Microsoft Edge management enrollment token policy update. The EdgeManagementEnrollmentToken policy has been updated to require configuration from the platform. Any values set from the cloud will be ignored, which includes existing deployments of this policy from the cloud.
- Performance settings update and feature name changes. The efficiency mode feature name changes to energy saver and efficiency mode for PC gaming name will be renamed PC gaming boost to better describe the feature benefits. The new names will be in browser performance settings after the update.
- Tenant Restrictions v2 (TRv2). New enforcement to block access from unauthorized Microsoft 365 tenants directly in Microsoft Edge for Business, helping organizations maintain strict compliance and prevent data leakage across tenant boundaries.
- Copilot icon visibility. Users can now manage the Copilot icon in their toolbar. To hide the icon, right-click the Copilot icon and select “Hide Copilot”. This opens Settings to toggle the icon’s visibility. Admins can control whether the Copilot icon shows in the toolbar using the Microsoft365CopilotChatIconEnabled policy.
- Contextual nudges on address bar offering help summarizing webpages. Microsoft Edge for Business now includes an easy way for users to get summaries of their open page from the address bar using Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat. This feature seeks to help users more easily understand relevant content and save time.
- Improved Autofill experience in Microsoft Edge. When users fill in an Address on a form, they’ll be prompted to choose whether to save it for future Autofill suggestions. This enhancement ensures Autofill data is saved intentionally by users and reduces unwanted entries as part of their Autofill suggestion.
- Desktop Visual Search. Quickly send images to Bing Visual Search from the Edge Desktop Search Bar to identify images, people, animals, and shows; extract, copy, and translate text while keeping its format. Solve questions quickly in various subjects and get trusted information to boost your knowledge. Discover products, fashion, recipes, identify a location and more. Available on Windows devices. Admins can control availability to this feature using the VisualSearchEnabled policy. Note: This is a controlled feature rollout. If you don’t see this feature, check back as we continue our rollout.
The ability to hide the Copilot icon from Microsoft Edge’s toolbar certainly seems like a useful addition, especially for users who don’t particularly care for or use it at all. There has been an influx of third-party tools being developed to specifically remove unwanted AI experiences from Windows 11, which some might consider to be bloatware or “AI slop.”
Elsewhere, Microsoft recently announced killing off its Collections feature in Edge. It allows people to save and organize links, notes, and research. To that end, Microsoft’s decision to end support for the nifty feature before it hits its peak remains unclear.
Do you use Copilot in Microsoft Edge? Share your thoughts in the comments and cast your vote in the poll!
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