The Microsoft Edge browser is constantly changing, but some of those adjustments aren’t so great. Microsoft is now testing a new button and side panel in Edge that aims to help you boost performance and battery life.
Microsoft announced in a blog post today that it is testing a new “Browser essentials” hub in the desktop Edge browser, accessible from a new toolbar button with a heart icon. Clicking the button reveals a sidebar showing you which tabs are sleeping to conserve resources, as well as information from SmartScreen about how many sites and downloads have been scanned for safety.
The panel also has a “Performance Detector,” intended to give you tips about improving browser performance. Microsoft said, “Performance Detector helps identify scenarios where browser performance may be impacted and recommends actions to you through Browser essentials that will decrease memory use or other resources. We expect to add more recommendations in the coming months.”
The new panel seems marginally useful, but it’s more of a symptom of the browser’s ever-increasing feature bloat than anything else. It’s just another way to access information and settings already available elsewhere, because a lot of people probably can’t find them right now, because they’re buried under a pile of other toggles and switches. The filtering information also doesn’t seem useful except to reassure users that Edge is the most secure browser possible — most other browsers do the same site safety checks, but without the reminder that something is happening.
Browser essentials is replacing the old Performance Hub, starting with a limited rollout in Edge 112.
Source: Windows Blog
