Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

These 2 new Edge features are making Chrome look outdated

By

Microsoft has announced a host of updates that will soon be available for its Edge browser, including the Microsoft 365 Copilot feature and Sidebar app support for developers.

The company is showcasing the new features during its annual Build developer conference, which is currently taking place from May 23 through May 25.

Copilot in Windows being used in the side panel.
Microsoft

Microsoft 365 Copilot

Primarily, is the general availability of Microsoft 365 Copilot, which will also be integrated into the Microsoft Edge browser. Copilot is Microsoft’s blending of OpenAI’s ChatGPT chat feature into the brand’s 365 suite of apps, including Teams, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and now Edge.

Recommended Videos

Microsoft 365 Copilot was initially announced in March and has been in a private preview, with Edge being its latest compatibility. Unlike how ChatGPT functions with Microsoft Bing search, prompts can be more productivity-focused.

Related

To maintain privacy and security, you will have to log in via your Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) account to access Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Microsoft is hosting a session during its Build conference demonstrating how 365 Copilot integration with the Edge browser works and how it will benefit workers.

Microsoft Sidebar app

Microsoft is also making its Sidebar app for Microsoft Edge generally available for developers. The brand first introduced the feature in November 2022 as a way to bring easy multitasking across different browser tabs — they are more easily viewable and accessible with the Sidebar app layout from the user’s point of view.

Now developers can build upon the current Sidebar structure using Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) to edit the feature to their specifications.

Microsoft is hosting a session during its Build conference demonstrating the best practices for developing the Sidebar app with PWAs.

Other updates

In addition to the aforementioned updates, Microsoft is showcasing its Microsoft Edge for Business experiences, which is now in preview. This is an enterprise-focused browser with specific productivity features and security controls, such as Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) sign-in.

Microsoft also confirmed it will make its Edge Workspaces available in the coming months. This product allows you to bundle browser tabs together for browsing, organizing, and sharing.

Initially, the brand announced the enterprise preview program at Microsoft Ignite 2022. Later, Microsoft opened the preview to personal users due to consumer demand.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Fionna Agomuoh
Fionna Agomuoh
Computing Writer
Fionna Agomuoh is a technology journalist with over a decade of experience writing about various consumer electronics topics…
This web browser integrates ChatGPT in a fascinating new way
how to clear your browsing history opera browser

It’s no secret that artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbots have taken the tech world by storm in recent months. Now, the Opera browser is trying to get in on the action by releasing Opera One, which it dubs “the first AI-powered browser.”

Opera (the company) describes it as “the latest incarnation of the Opera browser,” one that has been given a “major makeover.” The company “reimagined and rebuilt Opera from the ground up,” it says, “paving the way for a new era in which AI isn’t just an add-on, but a core part of your browsing experience.”

Read more
Google’s ChatGPT rival just launched in search. Here’s how to try it
Generative AI in Google Search.

Ever since Microsoft started integrating ChatGPT into Bing search, alarm bells have been ringing at Google. Now, though, the tech giant has started rolling out its own generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool for users as part of its bid to retain its search crown.

In a blog post, the company explains that the new feature (called Search Generative Experience, or SGE) is part of Google’s Search Labs, which lets you test out experimental ideas in Google search and provide feedback to the company. Google says its generative AI will “help you take some of the work out of searching, so you can understand a topic faster, uncover new viewpoints and insights and get things done more easily.”

Read more
These 2 new ChatGPT features are about to change everything
OpenAI's website open on a MacBook, showing ChatGPT plugins.

ChatGPT Plus subscribers will soon get a much more powerful version of OpenAI's large language model, allowing it to access plugins and the internet. This will dramatically expand the capabilities and usefulness of the world's most famous chatbot.

OpenAI shared the news via a tweet linking to the latest ChatGPT release notes. Web browsing and plugin access will begin as an optional beta feature that can be enabled in settings.

Read more