Get ready for the new sidebar in your Edge browser

It was about time we had another look at Microsoft’s flagship browser, which is of course Edge. The last time we spoke of this software was to take a closer look at Dev Channel Build 105.0.1336.2

If you weren’t completely caught up, Microsoft brought some pretty neat improved reliability features, such as:

• Performance improvements to IMap properties  
• Improved iOS tooltips  
• Improved Android shared device support  
• Optimized read-aloud voice options page for Android   
• Improved Android shared device support  

Let’s not forget that the Bing search engine now also has an annotation feature that shows price history & coupons.

That was only to get you up to speed with the latest developments concerning your favorite Microsoft-designed internet browser.

However, recently, Microsoft released a new version of the Edge web browser, Edge 104, which is a new stable update that introduces the sidebar to the stable population.

The latest version of Edge Stable introduces a sidebar

Yes, you’ve heard correctly, Microsoft Edge 104.0.1293.63 is already available and is surely installed on most user systems already.

As you can tell from the title, the main new feature of Microsoft Edge 104 is the addition of the highly-requested sidebar.

This new sidebar is actually displayed on the right side of the Edge window and includes a mix of features that all open in an expanded sidebar in Edge.

The above-mentioned tools that you can find on the sidebar include Bing Search, Discover, Office, Outlook, Games, and Tools.

If you, let’s say, select the Bing icon, you can therefore run searches on Bing from the sidebar, while another website is displayed in the same window.

The Discover feature will display information about the active website or related content, while Games is powered by MSN, but individual games open in the main area and not in the sidebar.

You should also know, just in case you need this information, that Games can also be turned off by administrators by using the Allow Games Menu policy.

Moving on to the Tools button, know that it is specific to Edge and it includes a calculator, unit converter, Internet speed test, translator, and other services that all open and run in the sidebar of the browser.

As you would have already imagined, Outlook displays Outlook emails and calendars directly in the sidebar.

We also mentioned Office, so know that it links to the various Office applications and recently used documents, provided that the Edge user is signed in with a Microsoft account.

You will surely want these features as well, so know that the sidebar integration will actually roll out gradually to the entire Edge user community.

That being said, don’t be discouraged if you don’t find it in your browser right away. it will become available in a short time.

Another aspect to take into consideration is that Microsoft Edge’s sidebar is not a unique or exclusive feature, as other browsers such as Vivaldi and Opera One already have one.

But, if you chose to go with Edge for your browsing needs, then you surely have reasons to celebrate this latest integration.

What other features do you feel Edge users would benefit from? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.