Microsoft is experimenting with a new Edge Canary feature that allows users to disable specific browser features and download them individually, making for a more streamlined browsing experience.
Over the past year, Microsoft Edge has become infamous for the bloatware it added. In response, Microsoft is now offering the ability to disable optional browser features and still maintain access through a separate download.
The first feature to be made optional is “Cite this”, a tool designed to help students manage and generate citations more effectively. When enabled, Microsoft Edge automatically generates total and in-text citations in a variety of styles, including MLA, Chicago, and APA 7.
The Optional Features page displays a list of all available optional features. Users can click “Add” to download and enable any feature they want in the browser.
By taking a modular approach, Microsoft aims to reduce the size of Edge and eliminate bloatware, giving users a faster and more customizable browsing experience.
Microsoft Edge has been criticized by users for its bloatware. The bloatware came to the fore when Microsoft added unnecessary features to Edge, the most controversial of which was the Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) functionality.
When Edge 96 became widely available and the general public came across the BNPL feature, the complaints started pouring in. One user expressed his problem: “Microsoft has added Buy Now Pay Later to Edge (and thus Windows 10 and 11 base OS), which are known to be abused to harm people.” They urged others to continue speaking out on the issue.
While users continue to raise concerns, Microsoft’s decision to make Edge more modular is intended to solve these bloatware issues and provide a better browsing experience.
