The good ol’ days of 2020 when Microsoft Edge emerged as the cool new kid on the browser block. Fast, streamlined, and none of the compatibility hiccups that plagued its predecessors—Internet Explorer and the first Edge. It was like Microsoft finally got its groove back in the browser game.
But fast-forward to 2023, and oh boy, what happened? It’s like that favorite TV show that had a killer first season but lost its way in later episodes. Edge now feels cluttered, has features that leave us scratching our heads, and has gotten a bit too comfy with adware-ish tactics and privacy red flags.
So, what’s the latest on the rumor mill? A Reddit post says Microsoft is tinkering with “improved” copy-paste features for Edge. Sounds nifty, right? Not so fast. This would let you paste “Web Preview” links, complete with snazzy headlines and thumbnails. But here’s the kicker: doing this fun little trick means you’ve got to ship off even more of your data to Microsoft’s servers. It’s spelled out right there on the settings page:
“Web preview may send data to the URL destination and may call Microsoft services.”
Unlike other upcoming features in Microsoft Edge, such as password categories and notes, “Web preview” is not available via flag or controlled feature rollout (CFR). The post author claims Microsoft has been internally testing it “for quite some time,” and they do not know why it is not available for public testing:
“This feature has been tested (INTERNALLY) for quite some time, I don’t know why Microsoft hasn’t enabled it by default yet (not even with a flag), maybe there is a serious bug and that’s why they haven’t enabled it (not even in the Canary version).”
Regardless of whether Microsoft will ship “Web preview” to the public, it is not the first (and probably not the last) feature that makes you question Edge’s promise to keep you safer and more private.
Intriguing or concerning? You be the judge. But one thing’s for sure: Edge has definitely taken a curious path, and we’re here for the twists and turns.
