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The “new Edge” is the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge that Microsoft released on January 15, 2020. The name separates it from Microsoft Edge Legacy, the older EdgeHTML-based browser that shipped with Windows 10. Microsoft’s own support page puts it this way: “The new Microsoft Edge is based on Chromium and was released January 15, 2020.” Today it is simply Microsoft Edge, and “new” is a historical label for that 2020 switch.
New Edge vs. Edge Legacy
| Point | Edge Legacy | “New” Edge |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | EdgeHTML | Chromium |
| Launch | July 2015, with Windows 10 (Microsoft) | January 15, 2020 (Microsoft) |
| Status | Support ended March 9, 2021 (Microsoft) | Current, actively updated product |
| Role | Default browser on Windows 10 PCs | Microsoft’s ongoing browser |
These dates and descriptions come from Microsoft Support’s pages comparing the new Microsoft Edge with Edge Legacy and describing Edge Legacy.
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What “Chromium-based” means
Chromium is a shared open-source browser project that supplies the underlying engine. It is not a synonym for Chrome. Edge is Microsoft’s own product built on that foundation, with Microsoft’s interface, account services, settings and features layered on top. Chrome is a separate product built on the same base. Two Chromium-based browsers can therefore behave similarly when rendering pages but differ in features and services.
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Microsoft’s 2020 launch announcement said the new Edge was out of preview for supported Windows and macOS versions, with mobile versions on iOS and Android. It also said selected user data, including favorites and passwords, would carry over during the switch. That is launch-era guidance, not a promise about every migration path today. Because Edge Legacy has been out of support since March 9, 2021, it no longer receives updates.
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What Edge includes today
Microsoft’s support guidance lists these built-in tools:
- Defender SmartScreen: warnings for known unsafe sites and downloads.
- Tracking prevention: Basic, Balanced and Strict levels.
- InPrivate browsing: Microsoft says it doesn’t keep history, cookies and form data on the device after all InPrivate windows close.
- Immersive Reader and other reading and accessibility tools.
- Account sync: favorites, passwords, history and settings.
Microsoft’s feature overview also mentions Copilot, vertical tabs, profiles, tab groups and shopping features. Microsoft cautions that availability and functionality vary by device type, market and browser version. These are vendor descriptions, not independent benchmarks. No neutral performance comparison supports claims such as “fastest” or “best,” so treat them with caution.
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- google search
- google map
- google plus
- youtube music
- youtube
Release channels
Why two Edge installs may look or behave differently often comes down to channel. Microsoft documents these options:
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- Beta: intended for representative testing ahead of Stable.
- Dev: earlier capabilities, with more change.
- Canary: the earliest builds, released daily.
- Extended Stable: an enterprise option giving managed environments a longer interval between major versions.
Release cadence and “latest version”
Microsoft’s release schedule says Stable moves to a two-week major release cadence starting with version 152, while Extended Stable follows an eight-week major cycle for managed environments. Dates can be approximate, and Stable updates roll out progressively, so not every device updates at once. Microsoft’s Stable release notes include version 153 updates from September 2026, covering features, policies, security fixes and bug fixes. With releases this frequent, any “latest version” claim goes stale quickly. Check Microsoft’s release schedule and release notes for your platform and channel.
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