You Can Finally Add Extensions to Microsoft Edge on Android
Browser extensions are great: While browser companies like Google and Microsoft include as many features as they see fit in their apps, they can’t add every feature that users want or need. On the other hand, third-party developers can put all their resources into one feature or feature, and by installing their extension, you’re essentially adding a useful new tool to your web browsing experience.
This works great on desktop computers, but on Android it’s a different story. Traditionally, Android browsers do not support extensions, as Chromium (the platform on which many popular browsers run) natively only supports extensions on desktop computers. The developers of the Vivaldi web browser, for example, told Android Police that adding extension support to their Android browser would be costly for the company. This is likely the case for other developers as well, which is why for the most part Android users have to go to the desktop to access extensions.
But Microsoft seems to think the cost will be worth it in the long run. As Twitter user Leopeva64 noted, Edge is currently testing extension support in the Canary version of its Android app. This is the version of Edge that Microsoft uses to test new features before rolling them out to the public. The screenshots show that after enabling the Extensions flag, a new Extensions option appears in the Edge menu, where you can add support extensions.
How to use extensions in Microsoft Edge for Android
While this feature is not available in the public version of Edge for Android, anyone can try it out for themselves in the Edge Canary app. To get started, download Microsoft Edge Canary from the Play Store. Once open, type Edge://flags in the address bar, then press Enter. Here you’ll be able to view all the feature flags (experimental features) in Edge Canary, including the extensions you’ll find under #edge-extensions-android .
Switch this flag to Enabled. Once you do this, you can access the new Extensions option by tapping the Edge Canary three-dot menu. According to Leopeva64, three extensions are currently available: Dark Reader , uBlock Origin and Global Speed . While we hope more features will be added as this feature continues to be tested, at least you’re off to a good start. At the very least, web browsing with uBlock Origin on Android is a huge plus.