The upcoming release of new features in the stable version of Edge is confirmed by the fact that they have been added to the beta version of the browser, which is currently available as part of the preview program.

While there will be a lot of changes in Edge 88, the most compelling feature for users will be new tab management features. Users can, if necessary, reorient the panel with open tabs so that it is located vertically, that is, to the side of the workspace, and not horizontally at the top, as in the current version of the browser. While this approach differs from the classic one, vertical tabs make better use of the extra space offered by widescreen and ultrawide monitors.   

“ As the number of horizontally spaced tabs increases, site names begin to truncate and it becomes more difficult to manage tabs. This disrupts users’ workflow as they spend more time searching, switching, and managing open tabs, and they have less time to complete their current tasks. Vertical orientation allows users to move their tabs to the side where aligned icons and longer site titles make it easier to find and switch to the tab that the user wants to open, ”Microsoft said in a message.

Edge 88 will also have a new mechanism for handling inactive tabs. The new feature is called sleeping tabs and is designed to improve performance by minimizing system resources used by tabs that remain open for extended periods of time.

Another innovation is related to the increased launch speed of the browser. The fact is that some Edge 88 processes will start in the background already when the computer boots. Thanks to this, the browser will start much faster.

In terms of security and privacy, the new browser will alert users if credentials stored in Edge have been compromised and made publicly available. A tool will appear to remove third-party cookies, which are used by sites to track user activity for advertising purposes.