KEY POINTS
- Microsoft Edge Canary release now features improved split-screen support, enabling users to view tabs side-by-side by dragging them. Although currently limited to dragging tabs to the right side, this feature, when refined, is expected to enhance productivity.
- The Canary channel of Edge has significant features like split-screen and drag-and-drop. At the same time, the Dev version has been updated with improvements in PDF translation, visual tweaks, and overall reliability.
- The Android version of Microsoft Edge is also being updated, with the Beta version introducing Microsoft Copilot. This AI-powered assistant provides concise summaries of web pages and PDF files and offers various AI functionalities, including report generation and result comparison.
Microsoft seems to be not yet done with significant Edge updates. With the latest Canary release, Edge has split-screen support with drag-and-drop on Windows 11.
Microsoft Edge is the default browser for Windows, which is improving over time. We reported last week that the Mica effect is being added to the browser. We can now verify that drag-and-drop support is in the works for Edge.
As noticed by users and tested by Windows Latest in Edge’s latest Canary update, the feature does work as intended, albeit in a quirky state. The feature allows users to create split-screen tabs in the browser by just dragging and dropping the tabs. Enabling it does require some work, but we have listed the steps below:
- Create a shortcut for the browser, preferably on your desktop.
- Right-click it and open properties.
- Click on the Target field.
- Press the spacebar once and type the following:
--enable-features=msEdgeSplitWindowDragAndDrop
- Save the changes made by clicking on OK.
- Launch the browser and open two tabs.
- Drag one tab to the right side of the window to view them on split-screen.
After making the above changes, split-screen can be enabled by clicking Ctrl+Shift+2 on your keyboard.
The feature is partially broken; it only works when the tab is dragged to the right side. However, when fixed, the split-screen support will undoubtedly improve productivity on Edge.
Edge Dev gets minor improvements
While the Canary channel is getting some well-deserved features, the Dev version of the browser has received a hefty update recently.
With version 120, Microsoft has added many features to the Dev build, which should be making its way to the stable release soon. The changes include API-level PDF translation improvements, minor visual tweaks, and other reliability improvements.
The update also improves the iOS and the Mac builds of Edge.
Microsoft Edge on Android is also getting better
Along with the Windows version, Microsoft is showering the Android version of the browser with some love, too.
The new update is available for beta testers and replaces the new tab button at the bottom of this screen with Microsoft Copilot. Copilot is Microsoft’s newest AI-powered assistant and integrates with most Microsoft products.
Using Copilot, users can get a concise summary of the web pages on Edge. The feature also works on PDF files which are opened in the browser.
Copilot’s other AI features work, too, and you can ask it to generate reports, compare results and lots of other cool stuff.
