Microsoft Edge 94 arrives in the developer channel. It's the first step that will lead to the stable version, and also the one that allows you to take a look at the new features
Microsoft Edge is the web browser "standard" on Windows 10 and the recent Windows 11 that has managed to make you love it more than its predecessor, Internet Explorer. Edge in fact has undeniable qualities in terms of speed and stability, and has ended up winning over many Windows users.
Microsoft is constantly updating its browser to improve its merits and file down its flaws, and there's a new version coming soon, number 94. Microsoft Edge 94, like all updates before being released, has passed to the developer channel; the step gives us the opportunity to find out what new features are candidates to arrive on the stable version, the one for all, which at this point could be released in a short time. Edge 94 improves the Immersive Reading Tool and Pending Tabs, adds a dedicated page for accessibility features, and more.
New features for Immersive Reading Tool
The Immersive Reading Tool is a feature that provides the user with the ability to read content without distraction, focusing exclusively on what is being read and thus keeping aside images, movies or other elements that were on the page and that may distract the reader, however allowing you to customize elements such as the page background (warmer or cooler), font type and size.
With Microsoft Edge 94 comes a new option to adjust the size of text columns. The entry to do this is placed in the text preferences and you can choose from three different settings: narrow, medium or wide.
New for Hanging Tabs
Hanging Tabs is a feature dedicated to those who have a computer with few resources, typically those with components with more than a few years on their shoulders, or those who do not want to waste resources unnecessarily, perhaps to preserve the autonomy of a laptop. So, Suspend Tabs will "pause" the tabs open in Edge that are not of interest at that moment in order to reduce the use of computing power and memory, and thus improve the performance of the computer.
It all works by selecting a time interval after which the intelligence of Edge should consider inactive that or those tabs of the browser, so as to put them in suspension and trigger the virtuous circle of saving resources. Currently the minimum time interval is 5 minutes, but with Microsoft Edge 94 you'll be able to start from a minimum time of just 30 seconds. You'll be able to select it from Settings - System - Optimize performance - Suspend inactive tabs after the specified time period.
The Accessibility section
Then, as mentioned above, Microsoft Edge 94 introduces a settings page dedicated to accessibility, so you'll have all the features and settings related to, precisely, accessibility in one virtual place. The new feature is displayed in the bottom portion of the settings, just above About Microsoft Edge.
Microsoft Edge 94 will arrive in the beta channel in early September and will arrive in stable version in the second half of the month.