Microsoft has tested a new, refined and more compact settings page in the Edge Canary version. The move comes after the company added several features to the browser, causing the settings page to become cluttered. Edge has a confusing amount of toggles and options to choose from.
When we look at the settings page for the stable version, it has a hamburger menu with different types of settings. Clicking on any of these will take you to the corresponding settings page, each with multiple toggle buttons and options under different headings.
Some settings pages are so crowded that it takes a long time to scroll to find the feature you want. This affects the browser experience every time a user wishes to make changes to settings.
The good news is that Microsoft is already working on fixing this problem and is finally streamlining the settings page by making the following changes:
The Settings hamburger menu now has fewer components. Settings for Copilot and Sidebar, Sharing, Copy and Paste, Cookies and Site Permissions, Family Safety, Printers, Phones and Other Devices have now been removed and moved to different pages.
The Settings landing page now has a quick access rectangular button that takes you directly to frequently used pages.
In addition, settings pages, which were previously home to multiple sub-settings, also get their own quick access button.
By default, child settings are not expanded. Instead, they are displayed as a clickable list (similar to a table of contents). Clicking on them will take you to a separate page, which is simple and compact. This makes it easier to move between different settings pages.
While Edge's new Settings UI is a significant improvement, it may frustrate some users, especially those who are used to the old layout.
It's worth noting that Google Chrome's browser is set up somewhat similarly, and users are happy with the experience, so it makes sense for Microsoft to take inspiration from Google's implementation.
We also noticed that Microsoft is experimenting with a darker version of Dark Mode compared to the stable version. This mode reduces eye fatigue when working late at night and helps reduce power consumption.
Additionally, Microsoft is testing AI history search and security-related improvements. Even if you don't remember the exact website name or the date you visited the site, AI history search will search out the correct information.