What you need to know
- Microsoft Edge has a growing list of features, including a password manager, Sidebar, and integration with Bing.
- Some people consider certain features to be "bloat," meaning they view them as unnecessary and that they bog down the browser.
- Microsoft is testing the option to remove certain optional features in Edge, which may speed up performance.
Microsoft has added quite a few features to Edge since the browser relaunched in 2019. Edge has tools for security, shopping, and searching the web. It also has a growing list of features that some consider unnecessary. For example, Microsoft is working on a crypto and NFT wallet. These are often referred to as "bloat" as they're believed to be unneeded and to slow down the browser.
In the most recent version of Microsoft Edge Canary, there is a section that lets you add or remove certain optional features. A GIF shared by Leo Varela shows the option to remove the "cite this" feature, which is aimed at helping students cite information.
It's unclear how much of the "bloat" will be removable in the future. The section refers to "optional features" so it seems unlikely that anything Microsoft considers a core part of the Edge experience will be removable.
It looks like Microsoft will let you remove some of Edge's features:https://t.co/t1HbJS6nhS.I wonder what other features will be included in that section in the future... Games? E-tree? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/9aQC146rJMApril 26, 2023
Of course, one person's bloat is another person's favorite feature, but flexibility is always welcome. Turning off features will speed up the browser, according to Microsoft. The section that allows you to add or remove features reads:
"Choose your own features with Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge now lets you turn off optional browser features so as to make it the fastest browsing experience for you. Features that are turned off are still available to you but will require a small download to enable."
The ability to add or remove optional features is part of a controlled rollout, meaning you may not see if even if you are on the latest version of Edge Canary. Microsoft tests some features with subsets of users.
