The Chromium-based version of the Edge browser has been available since April last year, but it remains an optional version users can choose to install. However, later this year that’s set to change and Microsoft will include the Chromium version by default in a Windows Update.
As The Verge reports, Microsoft has just started talking about the next feature update for Windows 10, an update that will appear as Windows 10 version 20H2 later this year. In the official announcement, Brandon LeBlanc, Senior Program Manager on the Windows Insider Program, confirmed that 20H2 will “include the new Microsoft Edge based on Chromium.”
What it means for end users is, if you haven’t manually upgraded to Chromium Edge, the 20H2 update will replace the old Edge with the Chromium version for you. That’s no bad thing considering the good press the new Edge browser has been receiving, and how much it annoys Google to see Microsoft taking advantage of Chromium for its browser.
By switching to Chromium, Microsoft is taking advantage of the speed and compatibility of Chrome while offering strong privacy and some helpful extras. There’s also a number of tips and tricks you can use to make it even better. With the old version disappearing completely before the end of this year, Microsoft can put its full focus on the new Edge and place even more pressure on competing third-party browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, Vivaldi, and Brave.
