Microsoft is taking the development of its new web browser very seriously. The new Edge , in addition to using Chromium as a base, has a large number of changes and improvements with which the company seeks to make it unique and special. In recent weeks we have been able to see a series of changes in the interface of this browser, specifically in the history and favorites. And now, it is the turn of downloads.
Current web browsers, such as Chrome or Edge itself, allow us to open bookmarks, history, and downloads in the form of new browser tabs. We can use the keyboard shortcuts Control + H for history, Control + Shift + O for bookmarks or Control + J for Edge downloads and we will see how these panels open in a new tab, in the form of a full page.
These sections can be improved. What can be done with them (which is basically displaying information) can perfectly be displayed in a floating window. And this would be much less intrusive and would allow us to work better with the browser. For this reason, Microsoft has been turning these complete pages into simple floating panels that we can launch at any time from the browser. And after doing it with the history and bookmarks, it’s time for downloads.
What the new Edge download menu offers
From this new floating menu, the first thing we are going to do is to be able to control all the downloads we make from the browser. As we can see, when we go to download a file, a new icon will appear to the right of the address bar, from which we can display this new panel. If we prefer, from the customization section we can choose that this icon is always displayed.
When we make a new download of a file , it will appear here. We can start it from this panel (if we have the option to ask when starting) and control its progress from it. When the download is finished, we can choose if we want to open the file or if we want to delete both a single item from the list and the entire download history. Of course, the icon will show us the progress of the download.
We will also be able to access the download options easily from this section and hide the button of this new download panel in case you do not want to use it.
As we can see, this new Edge feature is quite successful in Firefox. Although Microsoft has worked to make it, if possible, even more useful to try to fill one of the main shortcomings of browsers: the download manager .
Availability
At the moment, this new Edge feature is in an experimental phase, a very early development. It has only appeared to a few users who have downloaded and installed Edge Canary version 89.0.760.0. However, being a remotely activated feature, it could appear without problems in any other version (within the Canary branch).
We do not know how long it will take Microsoft to consider that this new Edge download panel is ready and start activating it to users of the stable version of the browser. At the moment we can only wait a little longer.
If you are not yet using the Canary version of Edge, you can download it from this link .
