Edge 89 will be rolled out to the users in stages. If you wish to update the browser immediately, you can use the links below. Otherwise, Edge will automatically update itself over the next few days. In addition to the bug fixes listed in Chrome 89 update, Microsoft has introduced some interesting features which are exclusive to Microsoft Edge. These include sleeping tabs, vertical tabs, browser startup performance improvements etc.
New features in Microsoft Edge 89
Microsoft has improved the built-in PDF reader as well as the privacy and security settings for enterprise users. You can prevent extensions from being installed from Google play or the Microsoft store if you are the system administrator (using Group Policies).
New features in Microsoft Edge 89 Sleeping tabs Startup boost Vertical tabs Release Summary Download Microsoft Edge 89 Upgrade to Edge 89 Download Edge 89 installers
Let’s discuss some of the features introduced in Edge 89.
Sleeping tabs
Sleeping tabs is not a new concept and many other browsers like Opera and Vivaldi implement it to improve overall system performance and reduce resource consumption. The new Edge will freeze the tab which has been inactive for a set amount of time. This will save system memory and computing resources. If you are like me, I tend to open hundreds of tabs at the same time. With sleeping tabs, my Edge browser will be eating up less resources as compared to Chrome. The down side of this feature is that the tab will reload itself when you click on it. Microsoft has added an element of intelligence in the sleeping tabs feature. The tabs which need an active Internet connection will not be frozen, e.g., payment gateway pages and other pages which may timeout if frozen. You can configure Sleeping tabs inactivity duration and other settings in Edge Settings –> System.
Startup boost
Startup boost is another feature to improve the initial loading time of Edge, especially when it is launched for the first time. Startup boost will enable Edge to load multiple times faster since it will launch in the background with Windows Startup and continue running even if you close all the Edge windows. While this feature may consume more memory but because modern computers do not have any RAM limitation, it is a good thing to have enabled. You can also turn it off from Edge settings. Just go to Settings –> System and enable or disable startup boost feature.
Vertical tabs
Microsoft Edge now lets users stack their tabs on the left hand side of the browser vertically instead of horizontally, which is the default for most browsers. This is a great feature to have since a user may be able to use more screen real estate.
Release Summary
Complete release build: 89.0.705.81Release date: Thursday, March 4, 2021Compatibility: Windows 10, 8.1, 7 (32-bit and 64-bit), Mac, iOS, and Android.Previous build: Edge 88
Download Microsoft Edge 89
You can download and update Edge 89 in two ways:
Upgrade to Edge 89
Since Microsoft Edge comes pre-installed with Windows 10, you can use this method to get this update. Open Microsoft Edge and go to Feedback and Help –> About Microsoft Edge. This will trigger an automatic update check. Edge will automatically detect the latest version and download it for you. Once the download is completed, you will need to restart the browser to install the updated version.
Download Edge 89 installers
If you want to use Edge 89 on any Operating System other than Windows 10, like Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Linux, MacOS etc., you will need to download the offline installers of the browser. You can go here to download the latest Microsoft Edge installers (including stable, beta and dev releases). You can also download the browser in your preferred language using the tips given on the above mentioned page.
