Microsoft Edge update wants to end web spam forever

News
By Anthony Spadafora
published

Edge will soon allow users to block annoying browser notifications

Microsoft Edge
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Browser notification dialog boxes are an annoying way for websites to push their content or even spam on users which is why Microsoft Edge is now giving users the ability to hide them.

Google first introduced browser notifications for Chrome back in 2013 and other browser makers quickly followed suit. These notifications pop up when a user visits a website for the first time and ask if they would like to sign up to receive notifications regarding new content.

Unfortunately though, spam websites have begun to abuse this feature by forcing users to accept to show browser notifications before allowing them to play a video, download a file or even view a site's content.

If a user does accept the subscription, these scam sites then begin sending a steady stream of unwanted advertisements for online dating sites, browser extensions, adult sites, games and sometimes even malware.

Hiding browser notifications in Edge

Microsoft Edge has debuted a new feature called “Quiet notification requests” that allows users to block all browser notification dialogs from being displayed.

Interested users can test out this feature for themselves in the Microsoft Edge Beta 83 by opening Edge settings and going to the Site permissions / Notifications section where they can enable Quiet notification requests.

With the feature enabled, Microsoft Edge will hide all browser notification dialogs and will instead display a small bell icon in the address bar. To see a notification, users can click on the bell which will show a dialog that allows them to decide if they wish to allow notifications or not.

By blocking browser notification dialogs, Microsoft will effectively kill off a great deal of web spam and make browsing the internet less annoying for Edge users. While Quiet notification requests are still in beta, expect them to get rolled out in a stable release of the software giant's Chromium-based browser soon.

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Via BleepingComputer

Anthony Spadafora
Anthony Spadafora

After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.