Microsoft Edge is nowhere near good enough to be my main browser because its performance isn’t up to scratch, and frankly, it’s too clunky for frequent use. However, it does have some features I wish were included in Google Chrome without needing to download extensions.
4Picture-in-Picture Viewing
I sometimes listen to YouTube videos in the background when using Chrome, but I sometimes want to watch the video while in another tab. This is particularly true for tutorial videos. Unfortunately, Chrome doesn’t have a native picture-in-picture viewing feature. Instead, I can access a mini-player. This lets me browse YouTube, but it doesn’t work in other browsers.
Edge, however, lets me view content within a smaller window if I want to. I can pause and fast-forward if needed, and it’s much easier to follow along if I need to view something in the video.
Once you open the video page you want to watch, right-click its tab and selectEnter picture in picture. The new video window will appear in the bottom right of your screen. From there, you can adjust the size to make what you’re watching easier to see.
Besides Microsoft Edge, you can alsoset up Picture-in-Picture Mode on Windows 11.
3Startup Boost
While I think Edge’s overall performance is worse than Chrome, I like its Startup Boost feature. Edge Startup Boost basically loads the browser each time you boot Windows. So, when you launch Edge, everything is ready to use, which makes using Edge feel simple and fast.
I’d like to see a similar feature in Google Chrome. All too often, I’ve had issues with the browser crashing upon startup, which is immensely frustrating when I sit down to get some work done and have to reboot.
However, I’m also keenly aware thatStartup Boost is one of the reasons Edge opens on its ownat times. I’ve not personally experienced that, but I wouldn’t want to trade my browser occasionally crashing for one that opens when it wants!
2A Home Screen Weather Widget
I can always search the weather for a destination on Google or view my computer’s widget for the temperature in my local area. But to be honest, both have needless friction for me.
Microsoft Edge lets you view the weather at your location when you open your browser. I can view the full forecast for the coming days if I want. The widget lets me confirm whether the report is accurate by selectingAgreeorDisagree.
1Vertical Tabs
Although Chrome lets you customize the sidebar, it doesn’t have vertical tabs. Instead, you’ll see all of the sites you’re currently visiting across the top of the screen.
Edge, on the other hand, has vertical tabs. Personally, I feel like it’s much easier to switch between tabs and view everything I have open. Despite being such a simple UX change, I think it would make a huge difference to my Chrome experience; trust me, it’s way better.
Chrome is the world’s most popular browser by a long shot. But a few small tweaks would make it even better. I know I can find Chrome browser extensions that add most of the functionality I’ve talked about here, but I don’t always want to rely on extensions to provide useful functionality. For one, Chrome extensions add to the browser footprint and require extra hardware resources, and two, sometimes Chrome extensions are removed or deleted without warning. So, on that, these simple but effective changes would lead to a much better experience.
