How to Beta Test the New Chromium-Based Microsoft Edge Browser
Microsoft has launched public testing of the latest version of its Edge web browser, built on Google’s open source “Chromium” platform . Not only does this mean that Edge should (presumably) perform better with sites designed according to modern web standards, but it also means that you can run Chrome extensions in Edge, making the browser much more bearable than in previous incarnations.
According to Microsoft , the new Edge will look very similar to existing users, although there are a few fun additions (support for syncing data between instances of Edge, as well as the aforementioned extensions). In addition, you may encounter some bugs and other technical issues as the new version of Edge is only available through two of Microsoft’s three beta build branches: Dev, which receives weekly updates, and Canary, which receives daily updates.
If you’re ready to beta test and try new versions of Edge, you can download them through the Microsoft Edge Insider site. Click the button next to the desired assembly and download it. At the moment, the beta version of Chromium-Edge is only available for Windows 10, although versions for Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 are “coming soon”, as is the version for macOS. You can subscribe to Microsoft Edge Insider to be reminded when your preferred beta will launch.
If any build seems too complicated for you, Microsoft says more stable branches are coming soon, including a “beta” version that receives updates every six weeks, and an even less temperamental “stable” branch.