Microsoft snuck out this Edge update that sped up your browser, and I bet you didn’t even notice
Microsoft Edge’s user interface is at least 42% faster following a recent update.
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What you need to know
Microsoft Edge regularly gets new features, but Microsoft also works hard to improve the performance of the browser. That’s the core message of arecent blog postbreaking down improvements to Edge that rolled out over the last few months. The broswer’s user interface (UI) is now snappier, and favorites now expand or collapse quicker. Microsoft also has some updates on the way that it teased in its blog post.
Feedback sent in through telemetry data shaped Microsoft’s changes to Edge. Unsurprisingly, data illustrated that a browser has to be responsive to be perceived as having a fast UI. Starting with Edge version 122, the browser’s UI is 42% faster on many systems. If you’re on a PC with less than 8GB of RAM or that does not have an SSD, Edge’s interface is now 76% faster.
Edge’s favorites section is quicker as well. Specifically, collapsing and expanding favorites are 40% faster starting with Edge 124.
The performance gains come from a range of improvements, but there are two main reasons behind them, according to Microsoft:
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Microsoft’s efforts focusing on these areas led to a project known internally at the company as WebUI 2.0. The project includes smaller bundles of code and that reduces the amount of JavaScript that needs to run. Microsoft plans to make some packages from this project open source in the future.
Microsoft teased upcoming updates as well:
“And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Over the coming months we will continue to ship responsiveness improvements to many more Edge features including history, downloads, wallet and more.”
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Microsoft Edge has received quite a bit of criticism lately. Many, including myself, consider the browser bloated. Some updates focusing on speed could earn some good will back from Edge users, though I imagine it would be received even better if it was a accompanied by stripping out some unnecessary features and cleaning up how many shortcuts and icons appear in Edge.
Microsoft Edge | Free
Microsoft Edge is the default browser on Windows. It’s based on Chromium, so it’s compatible with the vast majority of the web. There are several Insider versions of the browser, allowing you to test new features and provide feedback to Microsoft.
The latest performance improvements are generally avaiable, but you can test new and experiemental features by grabbing an Insider version of Edge.
Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
