Still using Chrome? Microsoft Edge has quietly become a superior browser for business. Explore the 7 features that make it a true productivity powerhouse.
Microsoft Edge is the default browser on Windows 11 and is pre-installed on all Windows devices. Many users immediately replace it with Chrome out of habit — but Edge has evolved significantly from its initial 2015 release and its Chromium-based rebuilt version since 2020.
For Microsoft 365 users specifically, Edge has genuine integration advantages that Chrome cannot match. Here are seven features worth knowing.
1. Microsoft 365 Integration: Single Sign-On Across Everything
Edge signed in with your Microsoft 365 account provides single sign-on to the entire Microsoft 365 suite without additional authentication prompts. Open SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams on the web, or any Microsoft 365 application in Edge and you are automatically signed in — no separate login flow.
Chrome requires separate sign-in to each Microsoft service. For staff who spend significant time in Microsoft 365 web apps, this removes daily authentication friction.
Edge also integrates with Azure AD Conditional Access — if your Intune policies require a managed browser for certain corporate resources, Edge with the Work Account profile satisfies these requirements where Chrome may not.
2. Vertical Tabs for Managing Many Open Tabs
Edge supports vertical tabs: a sidebar on the left that lists all open tabs vertically rather than horizontally across the top.
Why this matters: With horizontal tabs, once you have 15+ tabs open, the tab titles are hidden — all you see are favicons. You cannot identify which tab is which without hovering over each one. Vertical tabs always show the page title regardless of how many tabs are open.
How to enable: Click the Vertical tabs button on the left side of the tab bar, or Edge Settings → Appearance → Tab layout → Vertical.
3. Collections: Better Than Bookmarks for Research
Collections is Edge’s built-in research and reference tool. Unlike browser bookmarks (a static list of links), Collections allows you to group pages, images, quotes, and notes together in a named collection — with preview thumbnails, the ability to add your own notes, and export to Word or Excel.
Workflow: Research a topic → Add relevant pages, highlighted quotes, and notes to a Collection → Export to Word when ready to write up.
How to use: Click the Collections icon (+ with lines) in the toolbar, or press Ctrl + Shift + Y.
For roles involving research, competitive analysis, or reference gathering, Collections is meaningfully better than a bookmarks folder.
4. Immersive Reader for Better Reading Focus
Immersive Reader strips a web page to its essential content — removing navigation, ads, sidebars, and visual clutter — and presents it as a clean, readable document with configurable font size, spacing, and background colour.
How to use: On any article or content page, press F9 or click the book icon in the address bar.
Additional features within Immersive Reader:
- Read Aloud (text-to-speech with highlighting)
- Line Focus (highlights one, three, or five lines at a time for focused reading)
- Translate (translate the content to another language)
For reading long documents, technical articles, or research, Immersive Reader reduces the visual fatigue of cluttered web layouts.
5. Built-In Screenshot Tool with Annotations
Edge includes a screenshot tool that captures the visible page, the full page, or a custom region — and allows annotation (text, arrows, highlights) before saving or copying.
How to use: Ctrl + Shift + S, or Settings → More tools → Take a screenshot.
This replaces the need for a separate screenshot extension for most use cases, and the annotations work directly in the browser without opening a separate application.
6. Shopping and Price Tracking (Disable for Business Use)
Edge includes built-in shopping features (price comparison, coupon codes, price history tracking) that appear on e-commerce pages. For business purchasing research, this can be useful. For focused business environments, many IT administrators disable this feature via policy to reduce distraction.
How to disable: Edge Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Shopping in Microsoft Edge → Off.
This is worth reviewing in a business context — it is enabled by default and not obviously business-relevant.
7. Enterprise-Grade Password Management Built In
Edge’s built-in password manager is more capable than Chrome’s for business scenarios: it supports Microsoft Authenticator integration for MFA on saved sites, has a Password Monitor that alerts when saved passwords appear in data breaches, and integrates with Windows Hello for biometric authentication to autofill credentials.
For Microsoft 365 environments: Credentials saved to Edge with a work account are tied to the Microsoft account, not the local device. They are accessible on any device where the staff member signs into Edge with their work account — useful for hybrid workers on multiple devices.
Note: For businesses that have deployed a dedicated business password manager (1Password, Bitwarden), Edge’s built-in password manager should be disabled to avoid confusion between two credential stores. Edge → Settings → Passwords → Offer to save passwords → Off.
Deploying Edge via Intune
For Microsoft 365 Business Premium customers managing devices via Intune, Edge can be deployed and configured through Intune policies:
- Set Edge as default browser
- Configure specific settings (disable shopping, set homepage, manage extension allowlists)
- Deploy the Microsoft Edge enterprise policies that enable Work Account integration
This ensures consistent, configured Edge deployment across all managed devices without end-user configuration.
CX IT Services configures browser policies and Microsoft 365 environments for Melbourne businesses. Contact us to discuss your browser and endpoint management setup.
