Microsoft is currently testing out an update that enables a new Web Widget in its Edge browser. The experimental feature was spotted by a user on a Tech Community forum, and it is part of a controlled feature rollout. This means that only select Insiders in specific regions will get it initially in Edge’s Canary and Dev channels.
The Web Widget will provide access to Bing search and dynamic content, including weather and news, right on the desktop. Users will be able to personalize the content they see in the news and weather widget at a glance, instead of having to open up the browser. In addition, the company has added a search option, making it possible to perform a quick web search within the widget.
If you’re an Edge Insider, you need to be running the latest Canary or Dev builds of Microsoft Edge to use this feature. To enable the web widget, follow the steps mentioned below:
- Click the Ellipse (…) icon, and head to Settings.
- Select “New tab page” and then turn on the option “Show web widget when you start your computer” toggle button.
- Finally, click the “Launch web widget now to see how it works” button to open the widget.
The web widget opens in a vertical layout by default, and users will be able to switch to the dashboard layout from the Settings menu. It also comes with a “Language and content” button at the bottom to change the region and language of the news feed. Users who want to personalize their feed will need to head to this page and choose their relevant interests.
This update isn’t something new, and Microsoft recently added a weather and news widget to Windows 10’s taskbar. However, the built-in web widget in Edge is still a work in progress, and it comes with certain limitations. Currently, there is no option to view the search results without opening the browser, and we hope that the company will address these issues before making it available to everyone.
