Microsoft wants more people to test its Edge browser on iOS. The company sent out word on Reddit inviting users to sign up to iOS Beta through Apple TestFlight. Being a beta tester provides early access to new features and gives you a chance to shape the development of Edge by providing feedback.
"I'm thrilled to invite you to join the Edge iOS Beta program, available now on Apple TestFlight. 🚀" said a member of the Edge Mobile team.
We’re looking for more passionate users to help us shape the future of Edge on iOS. Your feedback is crucial in refining new features and ensuring the best possible experience."
We're not strangers to beta testing and signing up to be Insiders at Windows Central. Our team has dozens of devices running various beta, or even alpha, builds of apps. Generally speaking, it's more difficult to become a beta tester for iOS applications. TestFlight only supports having up to 10,000 external testers within a beta program. That may sound like a lot, but beta testing for popular applications fills up quickly.
Microsoft Edge on iOS
Microsoft released its Edge browser on iOS in November 2018. The news came as a surprise back then since it was strange to see a Microsoft browser on iPhones at the time. Edge has stuck around for over half a decade and received several updates since then, but it still holds a virtually nonexistent market share in the browser space. I can't tell you the exact figure because Edge doesn't even show up on Statcounter's page about mobile market share. Edge is technically on the chart, but I can't see the line representing it and the text along the top of the chart does not list Edge. Considering that Firefox sits in last place of that list at 0.5% market share, it's safe to assume Edge is below that figure.
Technically, Edge mobile got a new name on iOS and Android to start 2024. Microsoft added "AI Browser" to the name of Edge on both the App Store and Play Store listings for the browser. Edge mobile now includes Copilot, the addition of which was a step toward making Edge an AI browser. Of course, any browser can use Copilot, but the tool is integrated with Edge mobile. Edge supports features like summarizing articles with Copilot.
Edge also has several features that you'll recognize from the desktop version of the browser, such as reading view and listening to pages with natural voice. You can also send files back and forth across any version of Edge using Drop.
While Edge has a small market share among mobile users, the browser has positive reviews. Edge holds a 4.7 out of 5 rating in the App Store that comes as the result of over 286,000 ratings. I recommend giving it a try if you already use Edge on your PC or other devices. Microsoft has done a good job making Edge mobile feel like an extension of your browsing experience but on a smaller screen.
To sign up to beta test Edge on iOS, use this Apple TestFlight link provided by Microsoft and follow the steps on the page. Note that you have to be on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to install TestFlight.
