• Cloudflare and web browsers to develop new internet protocol
• PACT protocol will help to verify legitimate web access from human and bots
• Users will be given an anonymized "personhood" token to show they have a real reason to access a website

Now that bot traffic on the internet has officially surpassed human HTTP requests, both web browsers and web infrastructure providers agree something needs to be done, especially as AI agents enter the fray.

Today, Cloudflare has announced a joint initiative with Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge to launch a new internet protocol designed to verify if web access is legitimate or malicious - without intruding on user privacy.

Private Access Control Tokens (PACT) will act as anonymous tokens that verify legitimate access by both humans and authorized agents without the need for user logins or CAPTCHAs that cause friction and harm the browsing experience.

Cloudflare establishes PACT with web browsers

To start, PACT won’t deny access to automated traffic completely. According to Cloudflare, the protocol is designed to recognize legitimate access from certain bots. As consumers and businesses turn to new automations provided by AI agents, there is still a legitimate case for allowing certain bots to access websites.

For many AI agents, there is still a human at some point in the loop with a real reason for accessing a website. PACT offers an anonymous “personhood” token that is attached to the user’s browser. This token uses “trusted information from contexts that have authentic relationships with people” to verify legitimate access “while keeping that information private.”

StatCounter places the combined market share of Chrome, Firefox, and Edge at around 77%, meaning that the PACT protocol will likely roll out to the majority of internet users.

“PACT will further empower businesses to identify genuine visitors, ensuring they can focus their resources on the traffic that matters to them,” CloudFlare said in the announcement. “Using PACT on Cloudflare’s network raises the bar for trustworthiness and integrity online without the traditional costs.”

“In commerce, every extra challenge, delay, or false positive can turn a purchase into an abandoned cart. Merchants need effective protections against automated abuse, but buyers shouldn’t have to pay for them with unnecessary friction or invasive tracking,” said Ilya Grigorik, Distinguished Engineer at Shopify.

“Shopify is proud to help develop PACT as an open, privacy-preserving standard that can help the millions of businesses on our platform distinguish legitimate shoppers and authorized agents from abusive traffic while preserving buyer privacy."

• A new Surfshark study found that over 50% of the top 15 mobile browsers collect user location data.
• Microsoft Edge, Aloha, Yandex, and Phoenix collect precise location data, with Edge and Aloha openly sharing it with third parties.
• Privacy-focused browsers like Tor, Brave, and DuckDuckGo do not collect app-level location data, proving that continuous tracking isn't technically necessary.

Google Chrome recently introduced approximate location sharing to give users more control over their whereabouts. While that’s a step in the right direction, a new study indicates that the mobile browser industry still has a massive location-tracking problem.

Cybersecurity firm Surfshark analyzed 15 popular mobile browser applications and discovered that over half of them actively gather user location data. Even more concerningly, four of those apps are scooping up your precise location, rather than a generalized area.

While using the best VPN is a fantastic way to spoof your IP address and encrypt your online traffic, granting app-level location permissions on your smartphone can completely bypass those protections, giving away your physical whereabouts.

“Your browser maps your daily routine and weekend plans before you’ve shared them with anyone. This location tracking is a profit-driven exploitation of personal habits, rather than a technical necessity for the browser to function,” said Justas Pukys, Senior Product Manager at Surfshark.

To help you understand exactly what data you are handing over, here is how the top 15 mobile browsers stack up when it comes to tracking your physical location.

The worst offenders

Precise location collection is far from an industry standard, but four browsers in the study, Microsoft Edge, Aloha, Yandex, and Phoenix, declare that they collect both approximate and precise location data.

Most browsers that collect this data keep it internal, but Microsoft Edge and Aloha are glaring exceptions. Both companies openly acknowledge that they share this location data with third parties, severely elevating the privacy risks for their users.

Phoenix collects this data under the guise of "App functionality" and "Personalization," while Yandex claims it needs your location for five distinct purposes: "Personalization," "Advertising or marketing," "App functionality," "Analytics," and "Fraud prevention, security, and compliance."

Approximate location tracking

Four popular mobile browsers collect only your approximate location: Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Opera, and Mozilla Firefox.

However, the intent behind this collection varies wildly. According to Surfshark's analysis, Safari limits its location collection strictly to personalizing the user experience.

Opera, on the other hand, relies on your location exclusively for advertising and marketing purposes. Chrome and Firefox fall into the same boat as Yandex, citing a wide spectrum of five distinct purposes ranging from analytics to marketing.

Browsers that don't track you

The good news is that seven browsers in the study do not collect location data at the app level at all. This proves that continuous location tracking is a lucrative choice, not a technical requirement for rendering web pages.

If you want to keep your daily routines entirely private, Surfshark’s research points to privacy-branded browsers like DuckDuckGo, Brave, Tor, and Ecosia, alongside Samsung Internet, UC Browser, and Mi Browser. All of these declare no app-level location data collection in their Google Play Data Safety disclosures.

The real-world risks of location tracking

Mobile browsers simply do not need to harvest your location data. As Pukys points out, websites that genuinely need your location, like a local weather or delivery site, can request one-time location access directly through the browser.

Allowing your browser app to continuously monitor your movements leaves your daily habits vulnerable.

Constant surveillance exposes your weekly routines to potential malicious entities and data brokers. By opting for approximate location settings in your device menus, or simply switching to less intrusive apps, you can easily reclaim your physical privacy.

• Researchers at Graz University of Technology unveiled FROST, a browser side‑channel attack
• The method can reveal visited websites and opened desktop apps, but requires large file creation
• Limitations exist, yet the study highlights how modern browser features expand the attack surface for surveillance

Security researchers have come up with a new way of spying on internet users, and they’re calling it FROST. Recently, more than half a dozen researchers from the Graz University of Technology (Austria) published a new report called “FROST: Fingerprinting Remotely using OPFS-based SSD Timing” in which they claim that there is a way to spy on user activities directly through the browser.

This is a remote side-channel technique that exploits a standard browser feature called the Origin Private File System (OPFS). Generally, a side-channel attack is a way of stealing secrets by measuring physical side effects, such as how long an action takes, how much power it uses. In this case, the researchers measured solid-state drive (SSD) access speeds, allowing them to track which websites a victim visited, and what desktop applications they opened.

“Web browsers have evolved from simple document viewers into complex platforms capable of running sophisticated applications,” the research paper says. “Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Adobe have developed full-fledged office suites, photo- and video editors, or even integrated development environments (IDEs) that run entirely within the browser.”

Limitations exist

“While these features enhance the capabilities of web applications and allow completely novel use cases, they also increase the browser’s attack surface, and some have already been shown to introduce new vulnerabilities.”

Unlike real-life exploits, those discovered in controlled environments have limitations, which make it somewhat harder to pull off in the wild. For example, the attack only works if the victim’s activity and the browser are running on the same SSD. The attack requires creating an exceptionally large file to bypass the computer’s memory cache, which can noticeably drain the victim’s free disk space and since Firefox limits storage space per website to 10GB, the attack is a little more difficult to pull off on that specific browser.

It was also said that the attacker cannot perform a quick, short measurement, because the large file must first be cleared out of the system’s memory cache. And finally, if a user runs software that completely moves their browser profile into RAM, the zero-interaction attack is successfully blocked.

Still, if you are worried about someone using FROST to snoop on you, just make sure you only keep one tab open at a time.

Via Ars Technica

Anthropic's Project Glasswing has changed the math on vulnerability discovery, and software teams need to sit with the implications.

Project Glasswing is an industry coalition, including Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Cisco, and others, built around Anthropic's most capable AI model, Claude Mythos Preview, with the explicit goal of finding and patching critical software vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them.

In Anthropic's own testing, Mythos scanned major operating systems and browsers and found vulnerabilities at a scale and depth that manual auditing and fuzzing have missed.

One bug in OpenBSD had been in production code for 27 years. OpenBSD is not an obscure, unexamined codebase. It has been audited and fuzzed by world-class researchers countless times across more than two decades. Mythos found an exploitable bug anyway. If that is possible there, it is possible anywhere.

The unsettling number for security teams is that Anthropic says more than 99% of what Mythos found has not yet been patched.

AI is eliminating the patch window

The traditional security model assumes defenders have time to find a vulnerability, build a patch, and deploy it before an attacker can exploit it. AI-assisted vulnerability discovery is collapsing that assumption, as AI is finding vulnerabilities faster than defenders can patch them.

What Mythos surfaced in a single research effort would require thousands of labor years to fix and validate across every affected organization.

The pressure on defenders is coming from both directions. The same AI capabilities that surface vulnerabilities at scale are also generating working exploits against those same vulnerabilities.

Attackers who gain access to comparable models will know where the holes are, and they will have tools to quickly develop exploits. That compresses the window further and raises the stakes on every vulnerability that remains unpatched.

As AI accelerates vulnerability discovery, teams will spend more time on remediation, disrupting product roadmaps and delivery schedules. Security teams that were already stretched thin are now facing a queue that will not clear in the near term. And Anthropic has said plainly that this capability will only continue to advance.

Why memory safety bugs are the sharpest edge of this problem

Memory safety vulnerabilities are a particularly dangerous part of this picture. They are prevalent across legacy codebases and reliably exploitable, and AI has now demonstrated its ability to find these bugs and chain them into a working exploit.

Buffer overflows, use-after-free errors, and out-of-bounds writes are found across compiled code in the energy grid, defense systems, transportation, and more.

Notably, among the bugs cited in the Mythos announcement, many were memory-safety-related. For example, Mythos Preview identified and then exploited a 17-year-old remote code execution vulnerability in FreeBSD. Mythos also identified memory safety flaws in the Linux kernel and prominent web apps.

Patching alone cannot keep up

The volume of what AI tools can now surface changes the math on patching as a primary defense. No security team can outrun a continuous flow of zero-days across critical software.

The organizations best positioned to weather this are the ones that have already shifted their thinking from eliminating all bugs to building resilience into software itself.

By building software in ways that reduce exploitability, even when bugs remain, organizations can reduce the patching burden. One example is runtime protections, which prevent the exploitation of certain bugs even before a patch is available.

A vulnerability only matters to an attacker if they can reach it and create a working exploit. Hardening software at the binary level shrinks that possibility, not by fixing the bug, but by pulling away the footholds needed to turn it into a breach. The bug stays.

The path to exploiting it narrows significantly. When remediation backlogs run into years, that gap between "bug exists" and "bug is usable" is where organizations can buy time.

What to do now

The practical response starts with accepting that the backlog is real and that patching alone will not clear it on any useful timeline. Audit legacy codebases for memory-unsafe components and prioritize those that are network-exposed or process untrusted data.

Deploy binary hardening and runtime protections for software that cannot be rewritten or replaced quickly. Build remediation workflows that triage by exploitability, not just severity score.

The deeper shift is in how organizations think about risk. A system that has not been patched is not necessarily one that will be breached, provided it has been hardened at the binary level and protected against what an attacker can do with a vulnerability. That posture fits the current environment.

Resilience and remediation work together, and organizations that treat them that way will be better positioned as AI-assisted discovery continues to scale. Project Glasswing is giving defenders a head start. The organizations that move now to harden what they cannot yet patch will be in a stronger position when that access expands.

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• There's a new update for the Edge browser on desktop and mobile
• Microsoft has retired Copilot Mode, which came to the browser last year
• It's been replaced by a raft of separate AI features, including one that can (with your permission) scan across all your open tabs

Microsoft is dropping Copilot Mode from Edge, but if you thought that AI was going away from the web browser, think again, as AI features are actually being baked directly into the app instead.

Microsoft announced that as part of the latest update for Edge, Copilot Mode is being retired from the browser, but there are new AI features coming in for the desktop version of the app (and the mobile one, too).

The biggest change here is that Copilot can now scan over all the tabs you have open in Edge and pull information to answer your queries.

The idea is that if you are, for example, planning to book a meal and you're mulling over different choices for restaurants across multiple tabs, you can get Copilot to compare those options without having to leave your current web page.

There's no setup required for this; you can just click the Copilot icon and get it to do the legwork for you in terms of pulling details from across those open tabs.

Microsoft explains: "Copilot in Edge, with your permission, reads across every tab you have open, so you can compare options, surface what matters, and make decisions with less tab-hopping."

Copilot can go further than this, and — with your permission again, Microsoft underlines — the AI can access your browsing history to improve its responses. It can remember and draw from previous queries, too.

As Microsoft notes: "Now, with long-term memory on desktop and mobile, Copilot not only builds on what you've seen but also can reference your past chats to provide more relevant help. You're always in control of what Copilot can access."

Extra AI functionality is also being added in terms of a 'Study and Learn' mode, which can break down a topic on a web page you're viewing to create a guided study session, or you can even have Copilot compile a quiz on the subject to test your knowledge.

Another AI feature is an in-line writing assistant, essentially summoning Copilot to write (or edit) things like social media posts for you in Edge. Copilot can also generate a podcast based on the content of any given web page.

In terms of Edge for mobile, the browser also gets Copilot's ability to work across all your open tabs to concoct better answers to your queries, as well as other functionality pulled from the desktop browser. (That includes 'Journeys,' which organizes your browsing history into topics, letting you pick up where you left off with those threads).

Note that some features are for the US only, for the moment — namely, the writing assistant and Journeys on Edge mobile.

Analysis: Copilot cloak engaged

So, the tack Microsoft is now taking is to effectively cloak Copilot. The AI isn't going away from Edge, but the more in-your-face presence — Copilot Mode, introduced almost a year ago now — is being shelved, with AI functionality instead being woven more subtly into the browser in different ways.

And granted, some of the features outlined above could be pretty useful. The worry for some is on the privacy front, although Microsoft is clear enough that Copilot only gets access to nose around in your tabs if you click the button for the AI.

The company makes clear: "With Copilot in Edge, your data stays yours. Microsoft only collects what's needed to improve your experience — or what you choose to provide via Personalization settings."

If you steer clear of clicking the Copilot icon and don't enable any of these features in Edge's settings, there will be no privacy issues. Or there shouldn't be, anyway, but that hasn't stopped some predictably negative reaction to Microsoft's latest Edge update.

There are certainly a few Redditors who don't trust what Microsoft is up to here, and comments like this aren't uncommon: "Microsoft Edge and privacy don't go in the same sentence."

Microsoft is busy trying to change the bad reputation it has been saddled with since Windows 11 arrived — which very much worsened with the advent of Copilot in the OS — and notably, we now have the big drive to fix everything that's wrong with Windows 11.

However, with skeptical Redditors saying things like "K2 will mean nothing" in reaction to this latest move for Edge — K2 is the codename of the project to streamline Windows 11, debloat the OS, and make it more performant — it looks like Microsoft still has a good deal of trust-building to do.

• Norton has updated its Neo browser with an adaptive, built-in VPN
• It adds proactive anti-phishing and advanced anti-fingerprinting
• The features run quietly in the background by default

Norton has rolled out a major update to its AI-native browser, Norton Neo, embedding a suite of powerful security tools directly into the browsing experience.

With a new built-in adaptive VPN, proactive anti-phishing defenses, and robust anti-fingerprinting features, users no longer need to rely on third-party extensions or complicated setups to stay safe online — Norton Neo handles your privacy seamlessly in the background.

The update arrives at a critical time for web security. According to Gen Threat Labs — Gen Digital is Norton's parent company — roughly 83% of attacks blocked in early 2026 were web-based, heavily driven by phishing and spam ads.

"People can get a lot done on a browser, but digital threats, including spam and phishing, are rampant. Every AI feature added to a browser is another attack surface, and people shouldn't need to be security experts to feel safe online," said Howie Xu, Chief AI and Innovation Officer at Gen.

By baking protection directly into the browser's architecture, Norton aims to secure users who want the productivity benefits of AI without the added attack surface.

Intelligent protection without the friction

As AI tools become a daily staple, they also introduce new vulnerabilities. Norton Neo is tackling this head-on by addressing threats at the browser level.

Powered by the recently launched Norton VPN for Agents — Norton VPN's AI-native app — the browser's built-in VPN intelligently adapts to your activity, stepping up encryption for sensitive tasks like online banking, while scaling back for casual browsing. This, without requiring users to turn the VPN on or off.

Phishing protection is also a big part of the update. Now, the browser actively detects and blocks malicious websites before you ever land on them, while Norton's Scam Analyzer extends that defense to your webmail.

Crucially, Norton Neo is also defending against a rising AI-specific threat: indirect prompt injections. The browser acts as a shield, preventing its AI features from being hijacked by hidden, malicious instructions buried within web page content.

As Xu explains: "With Norton Neo, protection isn't a setting you turn on; it's the foundation. The VPN adapts on its own, phishing is caught before you click, and your AI queries can't be turned against you."

On the privacy front, Norton Neo delivers true anonymity with advanced anti-fingerprinting tech. Instead of relying purely on cookie blocking, the browser randomizes your device's hidden signals, like screen size and installed fonts, preventing sites from building a persistent profile on you.

Coupled with granular ad-blocking controls and streamlined cookie consent, the browser aims to cut down on annoying banners while keeping you firmly in control.

An AI assistant you can trust

Norton Neo's AI capabilities have also been upgraded to support deeper reasoning and complex tasks. To ensure your data remains yours, all chats are stored locally by default.

Norton enforces a strict zero-retention policy with its AI providers, meaning your queries are never used for model training, and your IP address remains completely hidden.

Available across Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, Norton Neo offers a consistent, private experience across all your devices. The latest update also grants users early access to a new agentic AI assistant, a private, always-on helper designed to manage your online activities securely.

Meta’s Director of AI and Safety Alignment wanted to clean up her inbox, so she set up an OpenClaw AI agent and told it to “confirm before acting.” But it didn't. Instead, the OpenClaw agent mass-deleted hundreds of emails while she scrambled to shut it down from another device.

OpenClaw’s adoption has skyrocketed in just a few short months, amassing hundreds of thousands of GitHub stars so far. It’s part of a growing number of frameworks built to make agentic AI possible.

But greater adoption also comes with alarming headlines about unprotected setups leaking passwords, fake add-ons spreading viruses, and poor storage of sensitive information.

The good news is that with the right processes in place, agentic AI can be secure, regardless of the framework you use. ​Here are 4 best practices worth putting into action before deploying your agents.

1. Give the agent minimum permissions

OpenClaw requires broad system access to execute shell commands, manage files, and control browsers, creating a large attack surface for security issues. It’s why everyone advises running it on an isolated computer. But doing so limits what your agent can reliably and safely do.

Thankfully, there are alternatives that do not require you to give broad system access. You can build agents through a platform like NemoClaw, which runs them in a sandbox with tightly scoped permissions. Or you could use Docker Sandboxes, which use microVMs rather than plain containers for better security.

During setup, consider what the minimum access for this specific task actually is. An agent summarizing emails needs read access, not write or delete. An agent filing documents needs one folder, not an entire drive.

While it's tempting to give AI broad permissions so it can do more, it also exposes you (and your devices) to significant risk. By following the principle of least permissions, you're still giving AI permission to do the work while minimizing later headaches.

For any OAuth approval the agent requests, verify exactly which permissions you’re granting. Otherwise, you risk giving your agents too much power and access over time.

In a similar vein, ​use purpose-built credentials instead of personal login tokens during setup, and rotate them regularly. When an agent uses your personal login token, it can access your full permissions, while a purpose-built credential is scoped to exactly what the agent needs.

To create one, go to the settings on the platform the agent will access and look for "API keys," "service accounts," or "app passwords." These are separate login credentials that aren't tied to your personal account. When creating one, you'll be prompted to select what it can access; choose only the specific resource the agent needs.

2.Narrow your focus, then expand responsibilities

Before trusting an agent with anything high-stakes, watch how it handles a low-stakes task, such as analyzing logs or drafting an email. If all goes well, give it increasingly ambiguous tasks as a test to see how it responds. Ask it to complete an out-of-scope action or one that requires a permission it doesn’t have.

An effective AI agent will ask follow-up questions before proceeding or can clearly communicate its limits. What you want to avoid is an AI agent with false confidence making an assumption and proceeding, despite not actually knowing the right steps.

An agent that halts and asks on a low-stakes task will probably halt and ask on a high-stakes one. An agent that fills gaps by guessing will do the same when the stakes are real.

That said, remember that these systems are probabilistic, so agents can behave differently in production. A safe assumption is that if something goes wrong in testing, it will 100% happen when running in a live environment; but just because nothing goes wrong during testing doesn’t mean everything is secure.

That’s why constant monitoring is critical.

3. Monitor from day one

An agent that’s been running quietly for weeks may have already drifted due to configuration changes, extended OAuth consents, and new permissions acquired through normal operation. Often, it's hard to detect issues because there’s no clear breach.

Have an observability tool in place to monitor for unusual activity, such as rogue tool calls or data transfers outside normal patterns, and set up alerts so you can quickly course-correct if something goes awry. You can also use it to periodically audit your agent’s credentials and actions for anything unusual.

4. Give measurable constraints

You may have seen online that it's recommended to tell your AI to "confirm before acting" as a safeguard. Unfortunately, it’s too vague to be actionable, so in practice it often leads to inconsistent behavior.

Instead, give the AI agents testable guardrails so you can clearly decide whether they followed instructions. Guidance like "don’t delete, move, or modify any item without displaying a list of planned changes and receiving my explicit approval" is much easier to verify.

The more precisely you define the constraint, the less room there is for misunderstanding.

However, always remember that these systems are probabilistic and a bit of a black box, so there is a chance OpenClaw will ignore instructions at some point. You want to plan for the worst-case scenario when this happens.

If an action could expose an API key, delete emails, or transmit sensitive data, you need to make that outcome structurally impossible.

For example, you should revoke delete permissions at the account level so the agent literally cannot delete anything, regardless of what it decides to do, and store sensitive credentials in a secrets manager the agent has no access to, rather than in any file or environment the agent can read.

Good instructions reduce the likelihood of a mistake, but the right setup minimizes the damage.

Remember that while agents are powerful and quick, they lack human judgment, and most agentic frameworks, like OpenClaw, don’t include security features by default. It's on the people deploying them to build in those safeguards.

Scoped credentials, precise instructions, and frequent monitoring are the minimum viable conditions for deploying an agent that does what you actually want and nothing else.

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• Mullvad Browser Alpha has transitioned to the Firefox Rapid channel
• The switch provides quicker access to features
• The Alpha version is now available on Linux ARM devices

Mullvad Browser’s early testers will now receive updates every four weeks as the latest alpha version of the interface has transitioned to the Firefox Rapid Release channel.

This move offers a twofold benefit, giving testers quicker access to new features, whilst enabling Mullvad’s developers to smooth out the release schedule.

As it approaches its third anniversary, Mullvad browser, which features one of the best VPNs on the market, is now also available on Linux ARM devices, further boosting its user availability.

A more balanced approach

Launched in April 2023, Mullvad Browser is an alternative private browser developed in collaboration with the Tor Project team, offering the privacy and security of the Tor front-end combined with all the benefits of a Mullvad VPN.

Its features include anti-fingerprinting protection, default blocking of trackers during private browsing, and no telemetry for maximum privacy.

It is a fork of Firefox, which means that Mullvad’s developers must constantly update the browser to include all the latest security patches and features provided by Mozilla.

Until now, the browser has followed a long and slow update cycle known as ESR (Extended Support Release), which involves the release of major updates approximately once a year.

With the latest alpha release switching to Firefox's faster development cycle, the Firefox code updates will be sent to the Mullvad alpha team every four weeks.

The result? Mullvad’s developers will be able to update their own code faster, spreading the work steadily throughout the year rather than having to cope with a huge and stressful workload concentrated into a single major annual update.

Great for testers

The alpha cycle is the first of two interconnected cycles — alpha and beta — that the Mullvad browser is constantly engaged with. Only once the bugs in the beta version have been fixed is the code deemed ready to move on to the final stable phase.

The switch is particularly welcomed by alpha testers — those who evaluate the browser’s development in its very early stages, identifying bugs and suggesting improvements to optimise the final user experience — allowing them to test updates roughly once a month.

However, these testers also face greater risks and the possibility of bugs, crashes, and a potentially lower level of privacy and security, as not all bugs have been fixed yet. New features, however, usually aim to boost security, so this does not necessarily mean that the system will, on the whole, be 'less secure.'

Nonetheless, the change could prove to be a mixed blessing. Previously, the slower release cycle meant that the same version could be used for months, allowing for a more gradual analysis and more time to scrutinise versions between updates.

Now, however, there might be a risk that new versions will be released before all existing bugs have been fixed. Mullvad noted, in fact, that a faster cadence means it may indeed take longer than four weeks between scheduled versions to implement fixes.

Meanwhile, the Stable channel — the safest, ultimate version recommended to a wider user base — will continue to be based on Firefox ESR.

This means users will wait longer for new features, but gain maximum and fully audited stability and security: a well-worth wait for a secure and enduring digital life.

• Firefox 149 is adding a built-in free VPN starting from March 24
• It has a cap of 50GB of monthly data in the US, UK, Germany, France to start
• Mozilla is also rolling out a set of new tools to boost productivity

Firefox is gearing up for its biggest browser update in years, and privacy advocates have a major reason to celebrate.

Starting March 24, Mozilla is introducing a free built-in VPN for Firefox 149, allowing users to mask their online activities without needing to install external software or pay for a premium subscription.

The virtual private network (VPN) feature works seamlessly in the background by routing your browser traffic through a proxy, effectively hiding your IP address and location from the websites you visit.

Finding the best VPN can often be a minefield of hidden costs and security risks, but Mozilla claims its native tool is entirely different.

According to the company's official blog post, the feature actively avoids the "sketchy arrangements" associated with some free services, noting that the new VPN is "built from our data principles and commitment to be the world's most trusted browser".

However, this new privacy perk comes with some notable strings attached. At launch, the free VPN will exclusively roll out to users in the US, the UK, Germany, and France. Furthermore, Mozilla is imposing a data cap, limiting users to 50 gigabytes of protected browsing data every month.

Alternatives and data limits

If you only need a tool to securely check emails or read the news on public Wi-Fi, a 50GB monthly cap is a generous allowance. But if you plan to stream HD video or download large files, you will likely burn through that data long before the month ends.

If you fall into the heavy-usage camp, you may want to look at dedicated standalone software. Providers like Proton VPN Free and Hide.me Free offer superb alternatives for users in need of more data without spending a dime.

Cheap VPN services like Surfshark and Private Internet Access may also be valuable alternatives for those in need of a reliable streaming or P2P VPN tool, starting at the equivalent of $1.99 and $1.98, respectively.

What else is coming to Firefox?

The introduction of a free VPN is just one part of a much broader browser overhaul. As we previously reported, Mozilla is putting a heavy emphasis on giving users control over their browsing experience, including strict opt-in controls for its latest generative tools.

Alongside the VPN, the upcoming Firefox 149 update will introduce Split view, allowing users to put two web pages side-by-side in a single window to easily multitask. A new Tab Notes feature will also roll out, alongside an opt-in Smart Window tool that uses AI to summarize articles and provide quick definitions directly on the page.

Ajit Varma, head of Firefox, emphasized the scale of the upcoming release, arguing the Firefox roadmap for 2026 "is the most exciting one we’ve developed in quite a while."

"We’re solely focused on building the best browser, and our features over the next few months and beyond are driven by the feedback from our community," she added.

Varma also noted that Mozilla is "prioritizing features that give users real power, choice and strong privacy protections, built in a way that only Firefox can."

With a fresh new visual layout and a brand-new mascot named Kit, the revitalized browser officially launches on March 24.

Remember the days when your web browser was just a web browser, and not an AI-pushing, shop-selling, sponsored-content-shovelling annoyance? Corbin Davenport does, and he's made a tool to take all of that stuff out of the most common browsers: Chrome, Edge and Firefox.

The tool is a little script that works on the Windows, Mac and Linux versions of the three browsers (except for Edge on Linux, which is not currently supported). And as you'll see in a moment, it's pretty simple to use.

It's worth noting that Just The Browser changes your browser's settings, not the sites you visit – so Google.com will still answer your queries with AI summaries. If you want to get rid of that too you'll need to use the workaround. There are extensions for Chrome and Firefox that you can use to remove it automatically; there's also an Edge no-AI extension but it seems to nuke image search as well.

What does Just The Browser remove?

Just The Browser will remove AI features such as Firefox's tab group suggestions and CoPilot in Microsoft's Edge browser, although it's not intended to throw babies out with bathwater so it doesn't remove Firefox's useful page translation.

It doesn't stop at AI, though. It also removes price tracking and buy now pay later (BNPL) integration; sponsored site suggestions and suggested articles on the New Tab page; pop-ups asking if you want to change your default browser, and first-run features such as welcome screens that ask if you want to import data.

The script also removes telemetry features that collect data, with the exception of crash reporting that can notify the browser developers of bugs.

Each browser has a different set of features, and that means Just The Browser will remove different features in each. You can see a full list of the features removed from each browser on the Chrome, Edge and Firefox pages. They also contain detailed instructions about how to install Just The Browser if the script doesn't work on your computer.

How to install Just The Browser on your computer

The simplest way to install Just The Browser is to run the script. There's one script for Windows and one for Macs and Linux, and you'll find them both on the main Just The Browser web page. Copy the appropriate script with Ctrl-C (Windows) or Command-C (Mac).

In this tutorial we'll change the browser settings on our Mac. If you're on Windows it's essentially the same, but instead of the Mac Terminal you'll need to open a PowerShell prompt as the PC administrator. To do that, just right-click on the Windows button in your taskbar and select Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin). Paste the code and follow the on-screen instructions.

1. Go to the Terminal

Terminal lives in your Applications folder, and the quickest way to launch it is via Spotlight: press Command-Space and start typing Terminal, then hit Enter or double-click on the app.

2. Paste the code

Press Command-V to paste the code you copied from Just The Browser. As you can see, it includes a URL: that's the GitHub location where the script you need for your computer lives. When you hit Enter the script will run.

3. Choose the browser

The browsers you see here will depend on what's on your system, so here we have a choice of Chrome or Firefox. The Update Settings option removes the features; the Remove Settings feature removes Just The Browser's changes.

4. Make the changes

We'll change Chrome, so we'll press 1 for Google Chrome: Update Settings. This downloads a new device profile to our Mac, and macOS's security means the profile needs to be reviewed by you. Click on OK and the appropriate Systems Setting page should be waiting for you.

5. Review the profile

If the page didn't load automatically you can find it in System Settings > General > Device Management. You should see "Google Chrome settings" in the Downloaded section. Double-click on it.

6. Install the profile

This screen shows you what the profile is going to do, so in this case it shows it's going to change some of the settings in com.google.Chrome. That’s exactly what we want it to do, so click Install to make the changes.

7. Say you're sure

macOS really wants you to be sure about this, so it'll ask you to confirm your choice. Click Install again.

8. Exit System Settings

The warning triangle is now gone from the Device Management page and "Google Chrome settings" is now listed as a user. You can close this window now.

9. Do it again

If you want to change another browser, repeat the process by choosing Update Settings for that app in the Terminal window. If you want to reverse your changes, use the Remove Settings option. If you're happy, quit Terminal.

10. Open your browser

When you open your web browser it'll look the same, but there's one big sign that the script has done its job and changed the settings on our copy of Chrome: the "AI Mode" button that usually sits in the main search bar is no longer there.

• Mozilla Firefox 148 will soon get an AI kill switch
• This addition can disable all AI features in one go
• You’ll also be able to disable AI tools individually, if you like

Firefox is often chosen by people who dislike the direction Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers are taking. And as browser makers rush to stuff their products with as much artificial intelligence (AI) as possible, Firefox is taking a different tack, introducing an “AI kill switch” that disables all AI features in the Mozilla app.

In a blog post about the decision, Mozilla says users will get the feature with the Firefox 148 update, which is set to arrive on February 24. Not only will this let you manage individual AI features within the browser, but you’ll also be able to switch them off entirely with a single click.

Aside from the all-in-one kill switch, you’ll be able to choose whether to enable or disable the following features: translations, alt text in PDF files, AI-powered tab grouping, link previews, and the AI chatbot that’s located in the browser’s sidebar.

Mozilla caused something of a backlash late in 2025 when it announced it would bring AI features to the Firefox browser. Although these run on your device – meaning your information is not sent to any company’s cloud servers – many users were unhappy with the advent of AI features in a browser like Firefox, which has often sought to differentiate itself from rival offerings.

Banish AI from your browser

Mozilla’s latest move seems to have met with a positive reaction from some sections of the internet. Responding to the announcement on Reddit, user jpsreddit85 quipped, “Says a lot about the future state of AI when the most requested feature is to disable it.” User David-J, meanwhile, commented that “Someone is actually reading the room.”

As a long-time Firefox user, this feels like the right move by Mozilla. AI is controversial at the best of times, but especially so among Firefox users, who pride themselves on their independence and generally seem less on board with AI than many internet users.

Adding AI to Firefox was always going to be a risky move by Mozilla, given the userbase’s sentiments – adding a way to block it entirely is a sensible way to win back support.

That said, this seems to be a fairly isolated move in the world of web browsers. Chrome has a near-monopoly on browsers, and its creator, Google, a major AI investor, has added numerous AI features to the app. Microsoft and Apple, makers of Edge and Safari, are equally committed to AI.

Very few browsers have added an AI kill switch like Firefox's, though privacy-focused alternatives like Brave and DuckDuckGo can also be customized in this way. That all means that if you’re sick of AI in your browser, there are options available to you – you just need to avoid the biggest players.

AI browsers are the next hottest AI tool to hit the workplace. Tools like Atlas, Arc Max, and a growing set of 'AI-first' browsers let employees summarize pages, rewrite text in place, surface answers across tabs, and act as assistants that navigate websites on their behalf.

What once required switching between apps now happens directly inside the browser window.

It’s not surprising these tools have spread so quickly. They feel intuitive, and they help employees get through the day a little faster. But as they become part of normal workflow, they’re also creating a new challenge—one that most organizations haven’t fully clocked.

AI is no longer something workers “go to.” It’s something embedded in the browser itself, and that shift is introducing a harder-to-detect form of shadow AI.

A different kind of shadow AI

Until recently, shadow AI mostly referred to employees experimenting with unapproved chatbots or external models. That pattern was visible enough for IT teams to spot: a new account here, a policy exception request there.

An AI browser changes that dynamic. When intelligence is baked into the browsing experience, AI doesn’t look like a separate tool anymore. A summarization sidebar in Arc Max, a rewritten paragraph in Atlas, or a real-time suggestion in Opera’s Aria model feels like part of the page—not a data-processing event.

Much of this activity blends into routine work, and organizations lose visibility into when employees are actually invoking AI and what information they’re exposing.

Shadow AI isn’t happening outside the workflow anymore. It’s happening inside it.

The document behaviors no one is tracking

The most significant impact may also be the hardest to see. AI browsers are changing how people read, edit, interpret, and circulate documents—often without anyone noticing. The changes show up in three specific behaviors:

- Version drift accelerates. An employee opens a draft contract or policy in the browser. With one click, Atlas or Arc Max produces a summary, explanation, or rewrite. That derivative often gets pasted into an email, saved in a notes app, or dropped into a shared drive.

Over time, these unofficial fragments start circulating as if they were authoritative, even if they came from outdated or incomplete documents.

- Review steps get skipped. Many business processes—legal, HR, compliance, finance—depend on structured review. AI browsers compress this structure. A change that once required an approval workflow can now be generated instantly and shared just as quickly.

- Interpretation shifts away from the source. AI summaries become the version people remember. After a few months, teams find themselves relying on AI-generated distillations rather than the actual documents.

These don’t look harmful in isolation. Over time, though, they reshape how institutional knowledge forms and how decisions get made.

Governance starts to fall behind

As document workflows shift, governance gaps widen.

- Audit trails become incomplete when unofficial summaries and rewrites are stored outside managed systems.

- Retention and legal hold obligations get harder to meet when derivative content spreads into personal apps.

- Compliance exposure grows when sensitive materials are processed through tools with unclear data pathways.

- Operational consistency declines as teams reference different snapshots of the same information.

None of this is the result of deliberate policy violation. It’s simply what happens when AI tools make it easy to manipulate documents while making it harder to track how those documents evolve.

- Make derivatives traceable by design. When people use AI to summarize or rewrite, require a link back to the source.

- Pull AI-generated content into governed systems. If a summary or rewrite informs a decision, it shouldn’t live in a personal notes app.

- Keep structured review in the loop. Assume AI will draft the first version. The control point is what happens after.

- Extend retention and legal-hold rules to AI output. Update retention schedules so they explicitly cover AI-generated snippets and summaries that influence decisions.

- Teach simple “trust tiers” for content. Give employees a mental model: the governed document is authoritative; AI summaries are working aids.

- Watch behavior, not just tools. Look at how documents move: how often content leaves core systems, where “final” copies accumulate, which teams rely heavily on snippets.

AI in the browser is not going away. It must be accepted as a new default interface for work—one that demands clearer rules about where knowledge lives, how it changes, and what counts as the truth.

The new center of gravity for work

AI browsers aren’t just another gadget. They represent a shift in where work happens and how people engage with information. They change which documents workers see, how those documents evolve, and how interpretations spread.

Organizations that pay attention now will avoid the fragmentation that comes when AI accelerates work without guardrails. Those that don’t may find that the browser—the place where most work begins—is rewriting how their information is understood.

AI is becoming part of the work surface. Governance needs to move there with it.

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If you’re anything like me, your Google Chrome browser currently has more tabs open than a small startup’s entire IT department.

You know things have gotten bad when you’ve got so many tabs squeezed into the toolbar that the page icons have turned into tiny, unrecognizable pixelated blobs. Still, overusing tabs is a hard habit to break.

What’s even worse is trying to switch between tabs when you need to compare information across two different pages. That usually turns into a slow, frustrating process of hunting down the exact tab you need among the dozens you’ve got open, then remembering where it was when you want to switch back.

Sure, you can open tabs in a new window and toggle between them using a keyboard shortcut, but that’s a clunky workaround at best.

How to use Split View Tabs

You may not realize it, but there’s now a much neater way to solve this problem, thanks to a November update to Google Chrome. Chrome has quietly added Split View tabs, a feature that lets you look at two open tabs side by side in the same browser window, with each tab occupying half the screen.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because it works a lot like Split View on devices like the iPad, where two apps can share the screen at once.

To use Split View in Chrome, simply right-click on an open tab in your toolbar. In the menu that appears, you’ll see a new option called Split View with Current Tab.

If you don’t see this option, you’ll need to update Chrome. Head to the three-dots menu, then go to Settings > About Chrome to make sure you’re running the latest version.

Once you activate Split View with the current tab, both tabs are displayed on screen at the same time, and you can interact with either one as normal.

Managing Split Views

To manage your Split View layout, click the Arrange Split View icon that appears at the top left of the toolbar. This opens a small menu with several options:

Separate Views – returns everything to how it was before you enabled Split View.

Close Left View / Close Right View – These options do exactly what they sound like, closing the selected tab entirely.

Reverse Views – A surprisingly handy option that swaps the position of the two tabs on screen.

Once you get used to Split View, browsing suddenly feels far less chaotic. Comparing documents, cross-checking sources, or filling out forms while referencing another page becomes faster and more natural. It’s one of those small features that doesn’t sound exciting on paper, but once you start using it, it’s very hard to go back to juggling tabs the old way.

• Microsoft is testing a new banner message in Edge
• Its aim is stop people downloading Google Chrome
• The message highlights Edge's security features

Microsoft appears to be getting even more heavy-handed in its attempts to stop Windows 11 users downloading Google Chrome, with a new pop-up appearing for some people in Edge, Microsoft’s rival internet browser, trying to convince people to stick with its product by highlighting its security features.

As Windows Report… uh… reports, a new banner has appeared for some Windows 11 users who use the Edge browser, which is installed by default, to go to Google’s Chrome download page. The new pop-up suggests that you can “Protect your privacy and security with Microsoft Edge,” and then highlights private browsing, password monitoring, and advanced threat defense as reasons why you’d want to stick with Edge.

If you click on the ‘Browse securely now’ button, Edge will open a page from Microsoft’s website that goes into further details about the browser’s online safety features.

Old game, new rules

This isn’t the first time Microsoft has used tactics like this to try and convince people to stick with Edge. Many people, myself included, who get a new Windows 11 PC will often open up Edge for the first and last time simply to download Chrome. Despite Edge having the advantage of coming pre-installed in Windows 11, it remains a rather unloved web browser, and we recently reported on how it’s actually lost users, with just 10.37% of the web browser market compared to Chrome’s 73.81% share.

This is clearly frustrating for Microsoft, which to be fair has worked hard on improving Edge, hence the new push to keep people using its web browser. What’s noticeable about its latest nag is that it focuses on online safety and how sticking with Edge can boost your security.

Now, while I don’t agree with its methods (more of that in a bit), I think this is a wise decision by Microsoft. Previous pop-ups leant more heavily on how Edge compares to Chrome, and highlights the fact that they both use the same Chromium web engine (which powers the browsers). I don’t think there are many regular users of Windows 11 who care about web engines, and trying to win over users by saying how similar your product is to your main competitor’s isn’t a terribly exciting way to sell something.

Online security is a much bigger concern for a lot of people, so I can see the logic with switching focus like this – but will it do anything to stem the tide of Windows 11 users dropping Edge for Chrome? I don’t think so.

The one time I want Microsoft to copy Apple

I’ve been getting increasingly frustrated with Microsoft’s attempts to stop me from using Chrome on my Windows 11 laptop. While Chrome is far from perfect, and I have my own reservations about Google as a company, there’s a reason why I (and millions of others) want to use Chrome over other web browsers.

So, when I load up Edge on a new PC or fresh install of Windows 11, and type ‘Chrome’ into the Bing search engine, it’s not a mistake, and I don’t appreciate Microsoft putting a big ‘All you need is right here’ banner that claims ‘Microsoft Edge runs on the same technology as Chrome, with the added trust of Microsoft’ that appears above the page I’m actually looking for.

Putting aside that ‘with the added trust of Microsoft’ is nonsense (what does it even mean, and how could you quantify that?), it comes across as desperate. The fact that another pop-up appears when you finally get to the Chrome download page just deepens that sense of desperation, and ironically makes me even more determined to install Chrome and never return to Edge, no matter how good the browser is these days.

The thing is, I do exactly the same when reviewing a new Mac device. I open up Safari, Apple’s default web browser, and go to the Chrome download page and install Google’s web browser. The difference is that Apple doesn’t nag me about sticking with Safari – there are no annoying pop-ups or notifications pleading with me to stay, and changing the default web browser to Safari in macOS is also very easy, unlike in Windows 11.

The results are the same – I ditch the built-in web browser for Chrome – but I don’t feel exasperated and irritated by Apple, compared to Microsoft’s attempts.

So, while I understand Microsoft’s switch to talking about online safety, the fact that it’s still using heavy-handed methods and exploiting its advantage by having Edge and its search engine Bing, being the default, continues to annoy me.

That’s before I even get to the fact that some of the features Microsoft hypes up, such as InPrivate browsing, password monitoring and malicious content blocker, are also available in Chrome and other web browsers.

At the moment, this new pop-up appears to be in testing by Microsoft, so you might not see it if you try to download Chrome. However, if it is successful, be prepared to see it pop up more often.

But what if, as I suspect, it isn’t successful in getting people to stop using Edge just to install Chrome? Rather than treating its users like adults and going the Apple route, I fear Microsoft will get even more aggressive with its nagging. Let’s hope I’m wrong.

• Browse through the best Chrome extensions of 2025
• They're picked by Google based on the last 12 month
• These Chrome extensions all use AI in one way or another

'Tis the season for end-of-year recaps – from Spotify Wrapped to YouTube – and Google has now published a list of its top 10 extensions for Chrome of 2025. You probably won't be surprised to discover that they all use AI, to some extent or other.

You've got AI for writing, translating, note-taking, transcribing, summarizing, screenshotting, image editing, shopping, and more here. See how many of these you already have installed and which you might find useful.

AI browser companions

Google's first batch of recommended Chrome extensions comes under the banner of AI browsing companions, led by Monica, which gives you easy access to searches and prompts through models from ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and DeepSeek.

Sider is based on a similar idea, introducing a sidebar to Chrome where you can quickly get help from the AI model of your choice. You can use it to translate text, generate images, and generally do everything that's possible inside a modern AI chatbot app.

Rounding out this group we've got Harpa AI for automating browser tasks and analyzing the pages you're visiting, and Quillbot as an AI assistant focused specifically on writing and editing text (no AI was used in the production of this article).

AI note-taking and tutoring

The next group are recommended AI browser extensions that can help with your work meetings (that maybe should've been emails). First up is Fireflies, which will automatically transcribe and summarize Google Meet video chats in the browser.

Bluedot offers more or less the same set of primary features, though it also works with Zoom and Teams as well as Google Meet. You need never have to manually note down what someone said ever again – at least in theory.

If you want to use AI as a tutor, then there's QuestionAI for getting complex topics explained to you through the power of AI, and eJoy, which in Google's words "turns daily browsing into a language learning opportunity".

Even more AI – and my own favorite

Think that's everything that AI can do? Think again, because Google has also found time to recommend Phia, which helps you find the best price for specific fashion items on the web, with a single click. Plot twist: it uses "advanced AI" to study pricing trends.

Last but not least is my favorite of the bunch, Adobe Photoshop for Chrome, which helps me quickly remove backgrounds and adjust colors on pictures. You do need to pay for some of the more advanced features – but a free 12-month trial is included.

Photoshop uses AI too of course, but in a more transparent and useful way than a lot of the other extensions in this list. See you same time again next year for another Chrome round-up – and no doubt AI will be dominating once more.

When we browse the internet using Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox or Opera, there’s an option that promises privacy called Incognito Mode or Private Browsing, depending on which browser you’re using.

Now, you might assume (no judgement) that because these options say “incognito” or “private”, it means no one can see what you’re doing. That you’re off the grid and browsing in complete secret. But not so fast.

Private browsing only hides certain things, and not always the ones you expect from who you might expect. So what does it actually protect you from – and what doesn’t it? We asked cybersecurity experts to explain.

The myth

Many of us might assume that Incognito Mode makes your browsing completely private – that no one, anywhere, can see what you’re doing. Not your employer, your internet provider or the websites you visit. You’re private, right? You’re incognito.

It’s easy to see why that idea stuck. Everything about private browsing looks secretive. Chrome’s little spy icon, the dark window, the reassuring messages, like “no history will be saved.” It feels like you’ve stepped into stealth mode.

But in reality, Incognito Mode was never designed to make you anonymous online. This misunderstanding is so widespread that even Google has faced lawsuits over users claiming they were misled about the level of privacy that Incognito Mode offered.

What experts say

So, is Incognito Mode actually private? “It depends on your definition of ‘private’,” says János Moldvay, VP of Measurement at marketing intelligence platform Funnel. “Incognito Mode primarily protects you against being spied on by people you might share your computer with. That’s the main extent of user privacy.”

In other words, it’s designed to keep your local history clear and any forms or account details you've filled in clear too, not to make you totally anonymous. “Incognito Mode does not protect against online tracking or surveillance,’ Moldvay says.

He tells me that third-party cookies are blocked – those are the small data files advertisers use to track you between sites and build up a profile of your browsing habits. But otherwise, websites can still see plenty. “They can detect your device and browser specifications, which could be used for fingerprinting – a method to identify users,” he tells me. “They can also see your IP address, your internet service provider, load tracking scripts to track users, and view any login and account data you enter.”

So where does this myth come from? “Obviously the names used by the browsers imply they’re private,” says Lee Gilbank, Co-Founder and Director of cybersecurity company YorCyberSec. “Chrome has Incognito, Edge has InPrivate, and both Firefox and Safari call it Private Browsing. Three out of four literally say ‘private’, so it’s easy to see why people assume that means total privacy.”

The visual cues reinforce that impression too. “There’s also the fact that there’s no browsing history and you get pop-ups saying 'third party cookie blocked' or 'blocked ads', which all adds to the idea that the browsing session is completely secure,” Gilbank says.

But there are things you can do if you want more privacy. “To start with, there are browsers that offer stronger privacy by default,” Gilbank explains. “Brave and DuckDuckGo both block cookies, trackers and sometimes even mask your IP address automatically.”

For deeper anonymity, choosing one of the best VPNs is your best bet. “If you don’t want to give away information like your IP address or ISP details, use a VPN,” Gilbank advises. “Many browsers now include built-in VPN options for a small fee, or you can use a dedicated tool like NordVPN, ExpressVPN or ProtoVPN.”

However, there are trade-offs. “VPNs can cause issues, such as slower browsing, limited functionality and certain sites even block VPN traffic,” Gilbank says.

So although Incognito Mode is handy for keeping your local activity private, not leaving any tracks on your device, it’s not a cloak of online invisibility. If you really want to browse anonymously, you’ll need to go further – check out our guide on how to private browse in Chrome on Windows, Android and ChromeOS for step-by-step guidance on exactly how to do that.

• Microsoft is trying to promote its Copilot AI in the Edge browser
• When people visit ChatGPT or Perplexity they may see a 'Try Copilot' button
• This fires up Copilot in Edge's sidebar, and the idea is to poach traffic from these rival AI services

Microsoft's latest idea to promote its services is an attempt to get people who are using ChatGPT or Perplexity AI to try Copilot instead.

Windows Latest reports that this is happening for those using Microsoft Edge. When you visit either the ChatGPT or Perplexity websites in Microsoft's browser, there's a button that appears on the far-right of Edge's web address bar which urges you to 'Try Copilot' instead (with a small Copilot icon next to it).

It's relatively subtle - by Microsoft's standards - but visible enough, and if you click on it, Edge will open Copilot in its sidebar. Obviously, the hope is that you'll use Microsoft's AI rather than either ChatGPT or Perplexity, and therefore Microsoft is trying to poach traffic here.

I tried opening both these rival AI websites in my Edge browser, and just as Windows Latest promised, this button popped up in the URL bar. Oddly enough, it didn't appear the first time I went to the ChatGPT site, but it did appear on the second visit.

Analysis: Hey ChatGPT - how do I stop Copilot nagging me?

This appears to be happening with ChatGPT and Perplexity (plus Deepseek, the Chinese AI), but notably not with Google's Gemini AI - which seems odd, as Microsoft has no qualms about trying to warn Edge users off downloading Chrome, as we've seen in the past, and that's still true today.

In fact, navigate to the Chrome download site in Edge and you'll get a full pop-up, not just a tiny icon, trying to dissuade you from defecting to Google. It explains that Edge uses the same tech as Chrome - namely the Chromium engine - but with the "added trust of Microsoft", whatever that means.

So, these kinds of nudges are quite commonplace for Microsoft's browser, and indeed in the interests of fairness, Google gets up to the same kind of online cajoling in the reverse direction.

At any rate, this promotion of AI isn't anything new. We've seen this kind of thing before with Microsoft trying to hijack a Bing search for rival AI services and redirect people to the Copilot AI in Edge, after all. And given Microsoft's overall big push with AI - which is now becoming very obvious with all the latest developments in Windows 11 - it's really no surprise to see more of this type of activity.

That doesn't make it any less disappointing, though, as Microsoft seems to be getting increasingly heavy-handed with all its promotional tricks in Windows and Edge. That suggests the company has evidence that this kind of nudging works, but for me, it's just an annoyance, and one that makes me less likely to use any given product. Edge, Copilot, or other Microsoft services should stand on their own merit (and indeed the irony is that Edge very much does, seeing as it's our current pick for the best web browser).

Incidentally, I asked ChatGPT whether it was aware of Microsoft Edge's behavior while visiting its site, and as you'd expect, the AI acknowledged reports around this - though it remained implacably neutral in terms of its general tone. Interestingly, ChatGPT did suggest turning off the Copilot button (to the right-hand side of the address bar) to get rid of this particular 'Try Copilot' nudge, and would you believe that this worked for me. With the main Copilot button disabled, I didn't see Microsoft's nag in the address bar any longer (at least in my brief testing).

If you're wondering how to turn off that Copilot button, in the Edge address bar, type the following to access this part of the browser's settings:

edge://settings/appearance/copilotAndSidebar

At the bottom in the 'App specific settings' panel, click on 'Copilot' and where it says 'Show Copilot button on the toolbar', turn this off. You'll no longer have a Copilot button, and hopefully won't see any Copilot-related suggestions in Edge's address bar - or at least fewer of them.

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• Google Chrome is adding a new notification management feature
• Notifications will be disabled for sites you haven't used recently
• The tweak is being pushed out to Google Chrome on desktop and Android

Google Chrome is taking steps to reduce the number of notifications you see in your browser: starting on the desktop and on Android, the app will start to turn off notification permissions for websites you "haven't interacted with recently".

As per the Chromium Blog, the idea is that you get a quieter browsing experience that's disrupted less often, but still see notifications that matter – from websites you are using regularly. The blog states that "this feature will only revoke permissions for sites when there is very low user engagement and a high volume of notifications being sent".

This is actually something Chrome already does for camera and location permissions. If you've given a site these access privileges and then stop visiting it, it's best to revoke the privileges in the interests of security.

According to the blog post, less than 1% of notifications get any interaction, but there's also an acknowledgement that "notifications can be genuinely valuable and helpful" – and nothing will happen to the alerts from sites you're visiting often.

Notification settings

There's no exact timeframe given for what actually counts as a site you haven't interacted with recently, but you will see a message pop up from Chrome whenever it decides to unsubscribe you from notifications from a particular website.

At that point (or at any other time) you can review the list of sites allowed to send you alerts: In the desktop browser, click the three dots (top right), then Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications. On Android, tap the three dots (top right), then Settings > Notifications.

It's also possible to turn this new feature off entirely, if you don't want Google Chrome messing with your notifications settings for any site – though it seems to be a useful and convenient tweak that doesn't need much in the way of management.

Tests by the Google Chrome team "show a significant reduction in notification overload with only a minimal change in total notification clicks" apparently, and sites that send fewer notifications actually end up getting more clicks on them.

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• Microsoft Edge has dropped to a 10.37% browser market share
• Statcounter figures show it has lost a lot of users since May
• Meanwhile Chrome has never been more dominant with a 73.81% share

Microsoft Edge continues to plummet in popularity, and Google Chrome hasn't been more dominant in a long time, according to fresh stats on desktop web browsers.

Statcounter's figures for September 2025 show that Chrome now holds 73.81% of the overall browser market on PCs, and while Edge is still in second place, it sunk to 10.37% last month.

That represents a loss of 1.36% over this past month, and a very worrying drop since May 2025, when Edge had a 13.64% market share going by Statcounter's estimation (and of course, it is just that – an estimation). Matters just seem to be going from bad to worse for Microsoft here.

In September, Safari (in third) also slipped to 5.69% from 6.34%. Firefox is in fourth place on 4.45% and also dropped from 4.93%, all of which fuelled Chrome's gains.

Analysis: Microsoft needs to rethink its browser strategy

It's Edge which is the clear loser here, though, and to have shed almost 3.3% of its desktop browser share in the past five months is really bad news. While that percentage figure may not sound like that big a deal, remember that it's a fall of 3.3% relative to a high point of 13.64% this year – so that's actually a relative loss of a quarter of the browser's user base.

Can Microsoft afford to go backwards like this? No, absolutely not. More to the point: why is Microsoft's share in reverse like this? That's a good question, and I have an answer which is purely speculation, but I feel it's very likely that there's some truth to it: Microsoft is simply too pushy with Edge.

Yes, I've said this before, but the more the Edge browser is promoted in one way or another in Windows 11 (or indeed Windows 10), the more people are likely to be put off. When something is consistently shoved in your face over the years, the automatic reaction for many people is to start to get suspicious. Why is Microsoft so keen to get me to use Edge? Why does it keep telling me to make Edge my default browser? It sows distrust that there must be something wrong with Edge that it needs the backing of this much nagging.

It might also be a source of annoyance for some that Microsoft has given license to Windows 11 users in Europe to remove Edge (and stop the nagging related to it), due to data regulations - but nobody else gets that privilege.

Another possible reason folks are leaving Edge is a perception that the browser might be bloated with extra features that nobody wants. That's a trickier area, though, because in more recent times, Microsoft has realized this is an issue and has been enacting streamlining measures. What Microsoft does keep doing, though, is adding more AI capabilities – as part of its overall Copilot AI drive – to the browser, which may be a turn-off for some. (Although in this case, I don't agree – there are some genuinely useful AI trimmings, at least in my book).

So, we could argue about pinning down the exact reasons, but my strong feeling is that promoting Edge is the root cause of this exodus, and that the various ads and promos for the browser are very much backfiring.

It seems to be becoming clear enough that Microsoft needs to try a different approach - so how about laying off the nagging, and giving users across the globe the same choices regarding Edge? Okay, that means granting folks the chance to remove it, and while uninstalling Edge to get more users may seem counterintuitive, this is really about meaningfully changing perceptions - and building trust that there isn't some kind of hidden 'agenda' with the browser.

Most of all, it's a shame to see Edge failing as 2025 rolls onwards, as it is actually a good browser – the top dog, in fact, in our roundup of the best web browsers. Something is very wrong somewhere, then, for it to be flailing around as badly as Statcounter's figures indicate.

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• Microsoft Edge is adding malicious sideloaded extension detection
• Other productivity and AI enhancements are in the works
• Edge still struggles with market share (vs. Chrome)

Microsoft has announced plans to add a new security feature to its Edge browser to protect users against malicious sideloaded extensions as it continues with plans to entice more users away from Chrome.

Sideloading allows developers to install extensions locally, but attackers have also exploited sideloading to trick users into installing harmful extensions, bypassing the checks that extensions usually undergo via the Edge Add-ons store.

The company confirmed its browser “will detect and revoke malicious sideloaded extensions” in a roadmap entry.

Edge will soon detect malicious sideloaded extensions

Microsoft said that this new security feature is currently in development, but is set to roll out in November 2025.

The company refrained from sharing any details, such as the detection methods – all we have is the limited roadmap entry (tracked as 503593) to go by.

However, it’s not Microsoft’s first stab at making Edge a more secure web environment. It has also rolled out warnings for extensions that harm Edge’s performance and an HTTPS-first mode to upgrade from HTTP to HTTPS wherever possible.

It’s not just security updates that are finding their way into Microsoft’s native browser. The company also hopes to make it a more productive place to be, with plans to introduce a built-in Adobe-powered PDF reader as soon as October 2025. Of course, Copilot generative AI tools are also finding their way into every aspect of the browser too.

All of that being said, Microsoft continues to struggle with Edge adoption, as recent figures claim the browser accounts for around 12% of all desktop browser sessions worldwide, compared with 70% for Chrome. Still, it’s twice as far ahead as Safari (6%) on desktop, at least.

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• Atlassian will buy The Browser Company for $610 million
• It wants to support the development of Dia, a new AI-powered browser
• The way we interact with the web will change, and legacy browsers aren’t fit

Atlassian is set to buy The Browser Company, responsible for Arc and Dia, for $610 million in cash.

The company says its first focus will be on improving the Dia browser by optimizing it for SaaS apps, but it will also integrate AI via browser-based context to help users “connect the dots between… apps, tabs and tasks.”

“Your current browser isn’t designed to help you move any of that work forward," noted Atlassian co-founder and co-CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes. "It was designed before the explosion of SaaS apps, and well before the current AI revolution.”

Atlassian snaps up Arc and Dia for $610m

Despite the backing of a much larger software company, The Browser Company is set to continue operating independently.

The deal stemmed from discussions surrounding the enterprise readiness of Arc, used by Atlassian workers. Enhanced data privacy, security and management were missing in The Browser Company’s tools, thus Atlassian is stepping in to ramp these up, it says.

Cannon-Brookes also cited separate Gartner research which claims although 85% of the average employee’s day is spent in the browser, fewer than 10% have adopted a secure enterprise browser.

Gartner noted with a secure enterprise browser, IT admins can enforce security policies, reduce reliance on VPNs and VDIs and enhance visibility and reporting.

Speaking about Dia, The Browser Company claimed that “webpages won’t be the primary interface anymore.”

Instead, users will be interacting more with AI chat interfaces. However, “new interfaces start from families ones,” which is why Dia still resembles legacy browsers, thus requiring a smaller learning curve and supporting a longer-term transition.

Cannon-Brookes expects the combination of a “passion[ate]” browser builder and a software company that has a “deep expertise on how the world’s best teams operate” will result in a truly powerful next-generation browser.

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• Microsoft Edge has a new AI feature hidden in testing
• 'Journeys' uses your browsing activity to produce AI-powered "helpful summaries"
• This could be a very convenient touch - the catches are it may require a Copilot Pro subscription and some privacy worries are attached

Microsoft has another AI feature planned for its Edge web browser – or at least that appears to be the case – but there's something of a catch here.

Windows Latest noticed the new functionality, called 'Journeys', in testing with Edge, where it's currently hidden in the latest Canary build of the browser. You need to set a flag to enable it, but even then, the feature doesn't actually work yet.

All you can see is the option for turning on Journeys in the interface, which lives in the 'AI Innovations' panel in Edge's settings, and the accompanying text that explains what Journeys is all about.

We're told that Journeys uses AI to turn your browsing activity, including the content of web pages, into "helpful summaries" to make it easy for you to revisit past work or resume whatever tasks you may have previously been carrying out in Edge.

Let's come back to the aforementioned catch with this new AI trick for Edge, which is that it won't be free. At least if it's implemented as the interface shows in testing, because next to the slider to enable it is an 'Upgrade to Pro' button.

In other words, this feature looks like it'll only be available to those who subscribe to Copilot Pro (at the price of $20 per month currently).

Of course, you wouldn't be paying that $20 just for access to Journeys, but a whole bunch of other stuff that's provided in the Copilot Pro package. Still, the fact remains that this isn't something your average Edge user will benefit from - unless Microsoft changes its mind about the positioning of the feature between now and release.

Analysis: how Journeys might work – and some privacy concerns

Of course, Microsoft may never realize this concept as part of Copilot Pro, or in any other form. This is still very early work in testing. However, the company is obviously keen to push AI hard in Edge (and more broadly, Windows 11), so I'd bet that this is a fairly likely development for the future.

As to how it might work, we don't get much in the way of clues, although the name 'Journeys' suggests there will be various threads of activity kept by Edge, presumably organized by AI in what should be a helpful way.

It sounds like a potentially useful feature, though anything that involves the monitoring your browsing activity, and specifically diving into the content of web pages you visit, is likely to induce cold sweats for the privacy conscious – particularly after the whole ongoing Recall debacle.

That said, in the case of Journeys, the blurb revealed in testing also contains an assurance that "your data is securely stored on your device and is never used for AI training and advertising". I take that to mean that the relevant data will be used locally by Edge, and not sent to the cloud, thereby theoretically maintaining the privacy of your browsing history – although the cloud isn't explicitly ruled out as such. So, concerns remain at this (admittedly early) stage of the game.

Microsoft will doubtless explain more when – or rather, if – the company officially makes Journeys a part of Edge. As Windows Latest points out, Edge has a built-in AI model (Phi-4-mini) that could be used to deal with the necessary processing locally, on the device, staying out of the cloud (and making the feature run more snappily, too) – so that could well be the plan.

If this does turn out to be a vehicle to help drive Copilot Pro subscriptions, though, it may see limited usage anyway.

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• Microsoft Edge has dropped a chunk of users in the past month
• This is according to Statcounter's figures, which show Chrome making some major gains at the top
• Microsoft may hope that Copilot in Edge will help turn things around, but there are other factors at work

Chrome has cemented its dominance in the web browser world in the past month to the detriment of Microsoft Edge, which has slipped back in its tall order quest to challenge Google's top dog.

Neowin flagged up the latest report from Statcounter showing how the world's best desktop browsers stack up to each other, and Chrome has accelerated ahead in July, gaining just over 3% to put it a whisker away from a 70% share of the entire market (69.98% to be precise).

Microsoft Edge is in second place, but after making a little headway through 2025 thus far – in between periods of stalling – the browser has again slipped, as it did in June. It's now down to 11.8% which represents a month-on-month drop of 1.26%.

If you're wondering about the rest of Chrome's rivals, there's Safari, which is in third place, but it barely has half of Edge's user base, with the Apple browser sitting on 6.51% (also down from last month; in fact, it's lost 0.85%).

Firefox is next and is close behind Safari on 5.32%, and again, that's a loss, this time of half a percentage point. All of those losses have, of course, provided fuel for Google's Chrome fire.

Analysis: Copilot isn't the answer - or at least not the only one

Naturally, we need to take any single source that's measuring the popularity of any given set of products with some caution - it represents a sample of the market, not the entire picture. Although in Statcounter's case, it's a pretty beefy sample, and the company is regarded as one of the more accurate judges of how the browser world stands.

Microsoft isn't doing well, then, in its bid to get Edge noticed - and as I've said before, I think part of the problem the software giant has is that it's trying too hard to get the browser noticed. It does this mainly by shoving it in the faces of Windows 11 (and 10) users with too much gusto, recommending it as the default browser in certain circumstances, or having Edge pop up in various ways even though it isn't set as the default browser.

Notably, Microsoft has been changing this kind of behavior in Europe due to regulatory pressures, so, for example, the company just made it so that web links in Windows 11's widget board now don't open in Edge automatically, but use the selected default browser in the OS (as they should for a consistent experience).

I wish Microsoft would adopt this scheme of things in other regions outside of Europe, but sadly, it doesn't seem like this will happen, not when there's no legislation twisting the company's arm.

Microsoft has another tactic in mind to get traction for Edge, though, and that's AI. The introduction of Copilot in Edge has just happened (so won't have made an impact in July's figures from Statcounter), and while it may not seem like a massive carrot to many – who might think, 'Not more AI', complete with a yawn – as we've recently reported, this feature actually looks pretty nifty. It offers voice commands and some clever touches like being able to instruct the browser to skip to a certain section of a YouTube video, and with agentic AI abilities promised down the line (the ability for AI to book things for you within the browser, for example).

I accept that it could be a promising lure for new recruits to the Edge flock. However, I think Microsoft will struggle to make its browser more relevant unless it also reins in some of the excesses of its constant promotion of Edge within Windows. And of course, don't forget that Google has its own AI (Gemini) tricks in the pipeline for Chrome, too, so it's not like the dominant competition will be standing still on the AI front.

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Chrome Enterprise is Google’s enterprise-centric version of its popular Chrome browser. With Chrome Enterprise, businesses get the ability to remotely manage the browser and its various aspects, for all their employees across the company.

They can, for instance, manage and control the use of web apps, and extensions, and can influence all kinds of browser settings. Chrome Enterprise also offers several security controls, protects against malware and phishing attempts, and even offers data loss prevention functionality.

This is especially useful these days as web browsers have emerged as a doorway to cyberattacks. In fact, several security reports have shown that a majority of security breaches hit companies through their browsers.

This doesn’t come as a surprise since the growth of cloud-based applications, and powerful SaaS platforms, combined with the accelerated adoption of remote working, has helped transform the web browser into an all-in-one workstation.

Here’s everything you want to know about Chrome Enterprise and whether it’s the best web browser for your business.

Chrome Enterprise: Features

Chrome Enterprise is built around the Chrome web browser and inherits all its security features, and productivity enhancements.

For instance, Chrome Enterprise too runs every web page and web app in an isolated environment of its own to protect other tabs against malicious code. You also get Google’s Gemini AI to help create content and summarize information, as well as improve your search with Google Lens.

Besides the regular browser features, Chrome Enterprise also gets you a cloud-based management and reporting interface for free in the form of Chrome Enterprise Core.

After signing up for Chrome Enterprise Core, IT admins can control how your employees use their browsers, from a single console, irrespective of whether they use Windows machines, Linux distros, MacBooks, and Macs, or even iOS and Android devices.

The IT department can segregate browsers into multiple groups for fine-tuned control. This allows them to define and implement different policies for different departments, different job profiles, and even different offices. They can, for instance, mandate certain extensions for the sales team, while disabling them for remote developers.

Talking of extensions, you can use Chrome Enterprise Core to allow, block, force-install or pin Chrome extensions, and even enable your employees to request extensions. IT admins can also remotely send commands to the browser, for example, to delete browser caches or cookies, and tweak all kinds of settings.

In addition to controlling the browsers, Chrome Enterprise also offers detailed reports on the browser’s deployment and use across your organization. You get the ability to view all versions of Chrome installed in your company, along with all the installed web apps and extensions. It’ll also help you keep track of things such as browser crashes, password reuse and more.

For more advanced security and data protections, you can subscribe to Chrome Enterprise Premium, which costs $6/user/month. This will get you additional controls to enforce policies, detailed security reporting functions, and more.

Chrome Enterprise: Privacy

The biggest advantage with Chrome Enterprise is that it enables centralized browser management. This helps reduce privacy risks by enabling knowledgeable IT admins make informed decisions on behalf of the employees, not all of whom will be well-versed with the dangers lurking on the web.

Chrome Enterprise benefits from Chrome’s malware and phishing protections, and will also prevent users from visiting harmful sites. It’ll also help the IT department keep an eye on the use of extensions and their behavior, for instance, if they are accessing cookies.

Chrome Enterprise also helps cure some of Chrome’s nefarious privacy-invading features. For instance, it’ll help you control your users’ ad privacy settings, and override whether the browser sends usage statistics and crash-related data to Google.

This is especially useful as depending on how it’s configured, the usage stats include details such as memory usage, button clicks, as well as web page URLs and other personal information. Similarly, crash reports contain system information at the time of the crash, and even URLs, and personal information depending on what the user was doing when the crash reporting was activated.

Chrome Enterprise: Ease of use

The management console of Chrome Enterprise Core is fairly intuitive and easy to navigate, which, Google claims, makes it accessible to IT admins of varying technical skill levels. It helps IT define and enforce policies and browser configurations across different operating systems and devices using a point-and-click interface that’s easy on the eyes.

It also helps ease the process of managing a large number of devices, as all browser settings and policies are controlled from a single console.

The cloud-based management console has interactive setup guides that’ll take admins through the entire setup and configuration process. The process to enroll browsers is straightforward and well-documented with detailed OS-specific instructions.

Chrome Enterprise: Competitors

Chrome Enterprise is built around the regular Google Chrome browser, and has all the features you’d expect from a modern desktop and mobile web browser. As an everyday browser, it’s right up there with the best such as Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and their ilk.

The primary competition for Chrome Enterprise Core comes from other enterprise-focused browser management solutions. Different enterprise browsers have different capabilities and go about securing the browser differently.

One of the first enterprise browsers in the market was Island. While Chrome Enterprise takes pride in its management capabilities, especially for large-scale deployments, Island offers fairly detailed reports about how the users are using the web, as well as granular security controls.

Other popular enterprise browsers include the Citrix Enterprise Browser whose USP is its seamless integration with the Citrix Workspace platform. There’s also Microsoft Edge for Business that similarly offers tight integration with Microsoft 365 applications like Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive.

In addition to standalone browsers, you also get products that operate much like browser extensions. They are designed to make regular internet browsers act like enterprise browsers. Solutions like LayerX Enterprise Browser Extension, and Red Access add extra security layers to your existing browser, saving your employees the effort to switch to a completely new browser.

Chrome Enterprise: Final verdict

Chrome Enterprise offers the familiarity of the Chrome web browser along with the centrally managed advantages of an enterprise browser.

You can sign up for Chrome Enterprise Core for $0, which makes it affordable to even the smallest of organizations. Chrome Enterprise is a good option for businesses with mixed device environments, and even more so for those that need to strengthen their BYOD policies.

The product’s central management console is fairly intuitive and well-documented for IT admins, and presents a familiar user experience to end users. Combined with its no-cost tier Chrome Enterprise presents itself as a must-try option for any business looking for an enterprise browser.

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• Microsoft Edge has two smart new features in beta testing
• AI will help you find websites in your browsing history
• A new media control center provides a hub for all media playback activity

Have you ever found a useful web page, forgot to bookmark it, then remembered about it later, and had to go hunting through your browser history to try and find the site? This can be a frustrating experience, but Microsoft Edge is aiming to remove the pain from such a scenario.

Neowin reports that as of the beta release of Edge 138 for testers (version 138.0.3351.14 to be precise), there’s a new AI-powered web history search.

Of course, you already get a search facility in Edge’s history (and the other best web browsers out there), but the new feature gives your search query a wider scope and the ability to use synonyms (and more besides).

Microsoft explains: “Enhanced search finds sites in your History even when you use a synonym, phrase, or typo.”

In short, you can type something only vaguely related, and possibly make mistakes or typos when doing so, and AI will still be able to work out what you’re looking for – and hopefully surface the correct website.

Elsewhere in the beta of Edge 138, Microsoft has introduced a media control center. This is a central hub that allows for controlling any video or music playback that’s currently underway within the browser, or other activity such as casting media to another device.

Whatever’s happening media-wise, you can deal with it from here, and the control center is opened by clicking the music note icon along from the address bar in Edge.

Analysis: On-device model

Remember that these features are just in testing for the moment. On top of that, the AI-powered web history search is a limited rollout among testers, so even if you do run the beta of Edge, you may not see it for a while.

In short, it may be some time before this functionality progresses to the release version of the browser, but it’s inbound. And with Microsoft keen to expand AI powers however it can, I can’t imagine this is a feature that’s in any danger of being discarded.

For those worried about privacy in terms of AI hooking its tendrils into your web history, Microsoft is using an “on-device model” and the company promises that none of your data is ever sent off the device into the cloud, or to Microsoft’s servers. Furthermore, the feature needs to actively be enabled, rather than being on by default.

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• Google has made a number of under-the-hood tweaks to Chrome
• It claims the browser is now 10% faster than it was a year ago
• That’s based on benchmarking with Speedometer 3.0, but we're not shown comparative results with other popular web browsers

Google has boasted that Chrome is now faster than ever, outlining the improvements it's made to its popular web browser to achieve this speed boost.

Neown flagged up the latest blog post from Google in a series entitled the ‘Fast and the Curious’ for those who are intrigued to see what tinkering Google has been doing.

We’re told that Chrome has recorded its highest score ever on Speedometer 3.0, a browser benchmarking tool, and that it’s now 10% faster than in August 2024 with the release of the latest version 139 (still in testing, in the Dev channel).

Google says these improvements have been possible due to the Chrome team working across all the main ‘rendering paths’ of the browser, referring to the fundamental mechanisms that convert the nuts-and-bolts of code for a website into a visible web page in Chrome.

With that work happening more swiftly across multiple fronts, you see web pages rendered in the browser a bit faster, and it should act more responsively overall.

Clearly, though, performance mileage depends not just on the browser, but on a lot of factors (including any given website itself, and how it’s implemented, alongside the spec of the PC and its current overall workload).

Analysis: faster than ever – but some RAM concerns remain

There’s a fair bit of techie detail provided in terms of the exact tweaks Google has applied here, but to summarize, they include memory-related optimizations, better use of caches, and work on refining data structures.

Fortunately, us mere non-programmer mortals don’t need to know those ins and outs. The simple takeaway is that, as mentioned, Chrome is now 10% faster – at least based on this run of benchmarking.

This is the latest in a series of boosts for Chrome, as Google showed us how much faster its browser was at around the same time last year, as Neowin pointed out.

The benchmarking tool employed, Speedometer, is a respected suite of tests for web browsers, generally acknowledged to reflect a real-world browsing experience with a commendable degree of accuracy. What we don’t see here, though, are any comparative results that show how fast Edge, or Firefox, or some of the other best web browsers are in relation to Chrome.

That said, a quick scan of recent independent testing with Speedometer does suggest that Chrome is no slouch, and it seems like it currently has the edge (no pun intended) over other browsers.

Google appears to be doing good work on the performance front, then, despite Chrome’s reputation as a RAM hog, an issue it has sought to address. There have been improvements in terms of streamlining memory usage with Chrome in the more recent past, though – and overall, Google’s browser seems nippy enough these days.

That said, concerns around RAM-related performance headwinds remain. How much of this is down to tainted perceptions is debatable, but complaints certainly persist on various online forums that Chrome doesn’t fare so well here, and overreaches with its demands on the system, particularly with lower-end PCs that aren’t well-equipped in the RAM department.

There’s more to web browsers than speed, too, and one of the thornier remaining issues for Chrome is one of trust – or rather a lack of it, regarding Google ‘spying’ on its users, which is a common theme in terms of accusations leveled online. Not that Google is alone in terms of tech giants in this respect – far from it.

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• Microsoft is changing Edge for the better in the European Economic Area
• This is happening due to the Digital Markets Act in that region
• It means Edge will stop nagging to be the default browser

Microsoft is relenting with its constant prompting of folks to use the Edge browser under Windows 11, but not everyone is getting this welcome relief.

Sadly, the pushing of Edge in some notable ways is only being curtailed in the European Economic Area (EEA) due to rules imposed by the Digital Markets Act. With no such regulatory pressure in the US or elsewhere, these restrictions on Edge aren’t happening.

TechSpot noticed Microsoft’s blog post introducing these various changes, the key one being that Edge will stop annoying you to set it as the default browser in Windows 10 and Windows 11. It’ll only prompt a request to be your go-to app for web browsing if you open Edge directly, and this feature has already been implemented as of the end of May, with version 137.0.3296.52 of the browser.

Another change is that when Edge is uninstalled, you won’t get other Microsoft apps telling you to reinstall it.

Furthermore, when you set any web browser as your default choice, it’ll have a whole lot more file formats (and link types) tied to it, rather than having Edge still open some file types. This stood as another sneaky way to get Edge back on your radar after you’ve chosen to give it a wide berth.

Additionally, when using the Windows search box and clicking on a web search result, it will be opened in your chosen default browser, rather than Edge, in Bing.

All these changes should be in place soon, and will be rolling out in June in the EEA, save for the main one, which is already in place as noted.

Away from Edge, another potentially sizeable plus point for Windows users in this region is that they’ll be able to uninstall the Microsoft Store, should they wish. That move won’t be coming until later in 2025, though.

Microsoft clarifies that if you remove the Microsoft Store, but have already used it to install some apps, that software will continue to receive updates in order to ensure it gets the latest security patches, which is good news.

Analysis: Give us all a break, Microsoft

These are welcome moves for Windows 11 and 10 users in this region, but it’d be nice if Microsoft could implement them elsewhere as well. However, without the relevant authorities breathing down the neck of the software giant, it won’t do anything of the sort. All these behaviors will persist outside the EEA because Microsoft clearly believes they may help drive more users to Edge.

When in fact they are more likely to drive people up the wall. Repeatedly insisting that folks should use Edge in scenarios of varying degrees of overreach is a tiresome policy, as is popping up Edge whenever possible, rather than using the default browser choice. That should always be the default; no matter what’s happening, the clue is in the name, Microsoft.

Don’t expect Microsoft’s overall attitude to change anytime soon. Still, at least some people will get to enjoy a slightly less nag-laden experience in Windows 11, and fewer instances of Edge clambering onto their monitor screen in a bid to remind them that it exists. However, the majority of us can doubtless expect more pop-ups and general weirdness in terms of some of the more left-field efforts Microsoft has made to promote its browser.

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• Microsoft is implementing Copilot prompts on Edge’s New Tab Page
• It’s also rolling out an ability to trigger a web search to happen with Copilot rather than Bing
• Moves in testing to have Copilot take over the New Tab Page still appear to be in the pipeline

Microsoft Edge is getting more Copilot, with the AI assistant coming to the New Tab Page (or NTP) in a more prominent way.

The NTP is what you see in the web browser when you open up a new tab, serving as a place to start for exploring what you might want to do in Edge – which will usually, but not always, be a web search.

However, rather than that traditional query in the search box (which fires up a Bing search, unsurprisingly), Microsoft would prefer you to use Copilot, as there’s an icon for the AI assistant right next to said web search option.

Clicking that icon brings up Copilot on the web, ready for your query, but with the latest update for Edge version 136 (which was deployed earlier this month), Microsoft is rolling out a fuller integration of the AI in the NTP.

Windows Latest reports that Microsoft explains in the release notes for the update to Edge that: “Starting at the end of May 2025, users may see suggested work and productivity-related Copilot prompts by their search box on the NTP page.”

Those suggested prompts are efforts along the lines of ‘get advice’ or ‘write a first draft’ which invoke Copilot to achieve the indicated task.

Microsoft further notes that some Edge users may also see the Copilot icon in the search box, and when clicked this triggers the current search query, but sends it to Copilot rather than having Bing resolve it.

Analysis: Copilot context

In short, Copilot is slowly gaining a grip on the New Tab Page, although the mentioned capabilities are part of what Microsoft calls a “controlled feature rollout,” and I’d imagine this will be a fairly slow and tentative affair. I don’t have this feature yet on my Edge browser, and neither does Windows Latest.

The company will likely want to conduct this deployment at a leisurely pace because there are some Windows 11 users who are wary of seeing AI creep into more corners of the OS and its various apps, which is certainly a goal Microsoft’s intent on pursuing. So, moving slowly and regularly taking the temperature of feedback is likely to be the way forward for Microsoft.

More AI is likely coming to Microsoft’s browser, though, in the form of the Edge Copilot Mode spotted by Windows Latest (hidden in the flags menu, as an experimental feature in Edge).

This appears to be Microsoft’s plan that’s already been seen in testing, whereby the New Tab Page becomes far more Copilot-focused – read more about that here (and see the above screenshot for a glimpse of what this might look like). It also dumps the MSN feed in favor of Copilot, which I feel is a good trade-off (though your opinion on that may vary, of course).

A second part of this Copilot Mode may be a less popular addition, namely so-called ‘context clues’ that tap into the web page you’re visiting, and your web history, to allow the AI to provide better and more personal responses.

A fair few privacy red flags are appearing at this point, but we don’t know how (or even if) this feature will be implemented – though it certainly appears to be allowing Copilot to access your browsing history. As such, it’s surely going to be an optional (and opt-in) capability, if any of this is realized with Edge.

Remember, all this is still in testing, save for the changes to the NTP that Microsoft has confirmed are now rolling out with Edge v136.

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• How to use Microsoft Edge

• Microsoft Edge slipped slightly to 13.29% according to Statcounter’s latest figures for the browser market in April 2025
• Edge has been stuck around the 13% mark for over a year now
• To make progress, Microsoft needs to rethink its strategy, and stop overzealously promoting Edge in Windows 11

Microsoft’s Edge browser appears to be facing a distinctly uphill battle in the browser wars, with its market share having clearly stalled over the past year.

Granted, that percentage share of the browser market has been bobbling up and down a bit as time has passed, going by analytics firm Statcounter’s global figures. But the upshot is Edge doesn’t seem to be making any real headway against Google’s Chrome browser.

As Neowin noticed, with April’s browser stats, Edge is on 13.29% which is a slight loss of 0.08% on March 2025. If we rewind a year, it’s actually up a little bit, but the increase is marginal with a 0.32% gain.

Essentially, Edge has been stuck around the 13% mark for over a year now, and has been unable to break free of the shackles of that particular number.

At the start of 2024, it crept over 13%, then hit 13.8% in August 2024, seeming to make some decent progress – except it dropped back down under 13% towards the end of last year.

Then it rose like a phoenix (ahem) to reach 13.9% in February 2025, again a solid uptick, before dropping back down (like a phoenix somebody turned a fire hose on) to 13.29% this past month.

In short, whenever there’s an increase that makes it look like Edge could get over 14%, the browser appears to shed users again. And given how far away Microsoft’s app is from Chrome – which is way in the lead on 65% – it’s not looking good for the overall campaign to dethrone Google here.

Analysis: Drop the promos, Microsoft – or, erm, just buy Chrome

Actually, looking at the entire browser market in recent history, nothing is really doing much – it’s a very static overall picture. All the major browsers have pretty much flatlined, and are maintaining a strict balance of power, with only minor fluctuations from month-to-month.

Chrome holds most of that power, as noted, and Edge is a very distant second, ahead of Safari and Firefox which are a good way behind it (relatively speaking at the low-end). Opera is the other minor player bringing up the rear, but whichever graph you look at, it’s pretty much a straight line through the months for all these browsers, with very slight bobbles.

What is Microsoft getting wrong? Well, I know it’s a well-beaten drum, but I’m convinced part of the problem is the overzealous promotion of Edge in Windows 11 (and 10). These kind of exercises – which have been numerous in recent history – only smack of desperation, and will likely turn off people, rather than persuade them to give Edge a chance.

I know that repeated prompts to make Edge my default browser have annoyed me quite a number of times, cropping up here and there, and I’m sure I am not alone (a quick rifle through some online posts on typical forums like Reddit underlines this).

The crying shame is that Edge is actually a good product. Indeed, it’s rated as the top pick in our roundup of the best web browsers, so it deserves to be a meaningful rival to Chrome, even if it’s not perfect. And Microsoft is working to iron out some of those imperfections, like bloat, slowly but surely.

What does Microsoft need to do to stand a chance of breaking through the 15% barrier, then? Well, keep on the path of streamlining by all means, but just shut up about Edge in Windows 11 (or elsewhere), and try to get a turnaround in the public perception of the browser being overly promoted. Because that only leads to suspicion that Edge needs to be promoted because it’s not all that great – which isn’t true.

Microsoft positioning itself to gain favor and more goodwill from the computing public in this way could stand Edge in good stead, given that the top dog browser is currently navigating some unsteady waters, with Google currently under fire regarding selling off Chrome.

Or there’s an idea: just buy Chrome, Microsoft. Of course, that remote prospect would be highly unlikely to fly with regulators as it’s rather an ‘out of the fire and into the frying pan’ solution.

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• Microsoft appears to be mulling the idea of building Edge’s new tab page around Copilot
• The new layout for the page is still hidden in testing, though, so it’s still very early days
• It looks more streamlined, dispensing with MSN content on the face of it, though it’s not clear if that’s how the final implementation will pan out

Microsoft Edge already has the Copilot AI assistant built in, but now it’s been spotted taking center stage in the web browser’s new tab page (known as NTP for short).

Windows Latest flagged up that this change (first noticed on Reddit) is present in the Canary (earliest) testing channel for Edge, although it’s not active by default. You must enable various experimental flags behind the scenes to get it working.

To explain the NTP briefly, whenever you create a new tab in Edge, this is what you see. Effectively it’s a (kind of) blank canvas, and right now in the release version of Microsoft’s web browser it contains a central search box (for firing up a Bing search) which is complemented by MSN feed material. (You can customize the latter to show very little of the feed, or have it cover most of the screen – in the latter case, the NTP isn’t such a blank canvas).

With the new scheme of things seen in testing, all that is replaced by a central Copilot prompt.

You can still type in a search query – as you would with the current search box – but alternatively, you can ask the AI assistant anything you would elsewhere (such as via Copilot on the web, or in the Windows taskbar, or Copilot in the Edge side panel for that matter).

There are shortcut buttons below the Copilot prompt box on the NTP, allowing the user to click to ‘write a draft’ or to ‘learn something new’ and so forth.

Windows Latest further points out that there’s also a small dropdown menu that allows you to adjust how the NTP works. The ‘Default’ setting here is a mix of search and chat suggestions, so based on what you type in the Copilot prompt, theoretically Edge will determine whether you’ll get a fuller AI response, or a simple Bing search result.

Alternatively, you can select ‘Search and Navigate’ which is focused on web searching (with no AI responses), or there’s a ‘Chat’ setting which offers a conversational experience with Copilot.

In other words, you can go for a more traditional search (as is currently the case with the NTP), a full-on AI experience, or a mix of the two (by default) with Edge hopefully making intelligent decisions about what needs to be done based on your initial query.

Analysis: More AI, but more streamlined (for now)

Remember, all of this isn’t even in testing yet, it’s still in the early stages of being readied to be tried out in the Canary channel. The ‘Chat’ setting mentioned above doesn’t work at all yet – it just brings up a Bing search result – and the shortcut buttons (for the likes of writing a draft) don’t work either. As such, this is still a rough idea, and it could well change before it’s fully enabled even for testers.

We can see the direction that Microsoft is thinking of heading in, though, and this overhauled NTP certainly has positive aspects. It’s a lot less cluttered and the refreshed new tab page looks commendably clean, notably rid of the MSN feed gunk that a lot of folks aren’t keen on.

There are people who will argue that it’s just Microsoft pushing AI and Copilot in yet another way, but to be fair to the software giant, there is a choice to dispense with the AI responses (by electing for the basic ‘search’ option). And also, if that’s the price we must pay to get a more streamlined NTP with no MSN content peppered about, then it’s arguably well worth paying.

That said, as Windows Latest also points out, Microsoft is testing MSN content within Copilot (on Android currently), and it’s quite possible that this (personalized and targeted) material will be served via the Copilot box on Edge’s refreshed NTP. It might not pan out that way, but it seems unlikely that Microsoft is going to stop pushing its network content anytime soon.

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• Google’s Chrome installer for PCs with AMD and Intel CPUs has been broken for the past week
• Detective work suggests that the version for these PCs was accidentally replaced by the Arm installer, which is for very different Snapdragon CPUs
• While the issue has now been fixed, Google took a long time to resolve it

Those trying to install the Chrome browser in Windows 11 or 10 over the course of the past week may well have been flummoxed by an error telling them the app won’t run on their PC – and I can’t quite believe how long it’s taken Google to fix this.

Nonetheless, the good news is that the glitch is fixed, even if it took the company way longer than it should have.

The problem, in case you missed it, was flagged on Reddit and by Windows Latest a week ago.

What happened was that on firing up the Chrome Installer file (ChromeSetup.exe, download from Google’s website), people watched the process come to a screeching halt, with an error message that read: “This app can’t run on your PC: To find a version for your PC, check with the software publisher.”

As to the cause, Windows Latest did some detective work, and theorized that what Google had done here – somehow – was accidentally swap the Arm installer of Chrome with the x86 installer. Meaning that the version of Chrome for Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon (Arm-based) processors got swapped with the version for AMD or Intel CPUs.

That conclusion was based on digging into the setup file and finding references to ‘Arm’ which surely wouldn’t be there with a non-Arm executable. Furthermore, 9 to 5 Google backs up this theory, as the tech site tried the faulty version of Chrome on a Snapdragon PC, and found it worked fine (as it would do if it was the Arm installer).

9 to 5 Google was also on the ball in terms of noticing that the issue is finally cured, and you can now download the Chrome installer on a Windows PC with an AMD or Intel CPU, and it’ll work just as you’d expect.

Analysis: A bafflingly basic mistake with only one winner (Edge)

Okay, so mistakes can be made. Indeed, they happen all the time in the tech world, or elsewhere for that matter. But for such a basic glitch to be left in place to annoy a bunch of Windows users for the best part of a week is baffling – especially while reports were flying around about the problem.

I can’t imagine this was something that was particularly difficult to resolve, either, as it looks like a simple mix up of files, as noted (unless there’s something I’m missing here). Apparently, the Arm version of Google Chrome wasn’t affected, and the installer still worked for those with a Snapdragon-powered machine.

This could have cost Google some Chrome users potentially, who might have got fed up with the browser failing to install, and maybe even plumped for Microsoft Edge, its main rival, instead. (Incidentally, Edge is the best overall web browser as far as our roundup of the most compelling offerings out there is concerned).

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Blocking YouTube ads is one of the most requested features associated with the world’s most popular video viewing platform (and incidentally, the world’s second-biggest search engine).

So you want to watch YouTube without any ads but don’t want to try any of these annoying plugins advertised on social networks and in your social feed? Then I’ve got a solution for you.

Microsoft’s web browser, Edge, can be used to bypass pesky YouTube adverts on desktop and on mobile. I know it because I have used it extensively over the past few weeks.

I don’t know how long that will last though if suddenly its popularity picks up. It is a big loophole that Google may close at any moment. So caveat emptor. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Edge’s default search is Bing and Bing's default video source is YouTube

You will need to download and install Edge on your device: it is already present on all recent Windows device and also available for Linux, MacOS, Android and iOS.

Just like Google, Microsoft prioritizes YouTube as its main video source.

Looking for any terms straight from Edge’s address bar and appending the word “video” will bring up related video entries in your Bing search results.

Clicking on any one of them will open the video in a new window on desktop (but not on mobile) and autoplay it. Note that clicking on the actual YouTube link will open YouTube rather than Bing’s own video player.

2. A barebone viewing experience

Bing Videos - when playing Youtube videos - offers a far more simplified viewing experience compared to Youtube. Think of it as YouTube Lite.

There’s no comments and no ability to interact with the video (e.g share, likes etc). It retains YouTube’s core features though: volume, close caption, ability to change resolution, play on TV (which reverts to Youtube and and play in fullscreen).

I like the fact that it has a big timeline of key moments in the video but I’ll give it a thumbs down for the tiny, unlabelled Save button (which saves the video in your Edge browser collection).

3. You can get paid for viewing

You will get paid in points if you choose to. You can exchange these points for gift cards and then use these gift cards to buy tens of thousands of products.

In the UK, you can spend your points on digital gift cards from Amazon, Microsoft, Roblox, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, John Lewis, TK Maxx, Starbucks, Argos, Uber and many, many more.

With Microsoft Rewards, you can earn three points for every Bing search and earn up to 150 points per day (up to 90 on your PC and 60 on your phone).

That’s good enough for 50 different videos but you will need to be signed in as well. In the UK and at the time of writing, 12,400 points earn you £10, that’s 83 days maxing out your search quota (and playing up to 10,000 videos).

So that amounts to 0.1p (or fractionally more in USD) per video played. And like in YouTube, it will autoplay to the next file in the “related videos” section from the right-hand side.

4. You can create your own playlist (sort of)

There’s no playlist feature by default. However, you can save any video in Edge’s Collection feature but you can’t get them to autoplay, which is a shame.

Clicking on the save button will automatically save the video to the last Collections group selected. Also any videos opened from Collection will play in theater mode.

5. No screens of on mobile (sadly)

You won’t be able to play YouTube videos via Bing on Edge mobile with your smartphone screen off or if played in the background. It stops just like the free version.

That would have been perfect; putting your phone in power-saving mode and your screen on minimal brightness could help save some power.

More about how to extend your smartphone battery life.

6. You can’t install Edge on streaming devices

Edge is not available on any major streaming devices like Amazon Firestick or Roku but you can still stream it from a mobile if your smartphone is Miracast compatible (most recent Android ones are). You may be able to download and run it as an APK but I haven't tried it.

If you still want to use YouTube app on your smartphone or streaming device (or the site on your desktop) to enjoy the full functionality of the video playing platform, then one controversial option would be to use ad blockers (we’ve got a list of the best adblockers here).

• Google Chrome Enterprise will now support custom branding with logos
• The browser will become more visually distinct for work users
• More admin controls are also here for BYOD policies

Google Chrome Enterprise users will now see improved warning labels when logged into a work profile, hopefully helping them to keep personal and work browsing sessions separate.

The enhanced interface and branding changes are even more prominent to distinctly separate work and personal profiles.

The change was announced in an update to the business-oriented version of Google's popular web browser, along with upgrades to the sign-in experience and improved reporting for admins.

Chrome Enterprise warnings

“With the browser playing a more critical role in daily work, it’s more important than ever for IT teams to make it clear to employees that they are logged into a corporate browsing experience that is managed and monitored by their company,” wrote Product Manager Julia Lomakina and Group Product Manager Hakan Kilic in a blog post.

The managers explained how companies can use their own branding and logos to customize the Chrome experience. They also noted employees can use the browser to understand which additional controls may be in place, imposed by their workplaces.

Lomakina and Kilic noted that, even if companies decide not to customize their Chrome Enterprise, upcoming releases will add more features to make work browsers stand out from personal ones: “employees will receive an indication that they are in a managed ‘Work’ profile environment.”

In recognition of the continued popularity of hybrid working, the post also highlights new reporting features that let admins see signed-in managed users across platforms including Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android, which is great for companies with bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies.

Browser customization with logo support is available for Chrome Enterprise Core, which is available to all businesses at no additional cost. Advanced data protections and profile reporting come with the Chrome Enterprise Premium package.

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• Cloudflare is reportedly blocking some browsers from accessing some sites
• Pale Moon, Falkon, SeaMonkey and even Firefox are affected, users claim
• It’s unclear whether a more permanent solution is coming

Cloudflare has admitted its browser-detection system is blocking some users’ access to websites if they’re using lesser-known web browsers.

Affected browsers include Pale Moon, Falkon and SeaMonkey, as well as some versions of more popular offerings such as Firefox 115 ESR.

The issue is caused by Cloudflare’s security system, which blocks browsers it doesn’t recognize from certain sites (including, embarrassingly, its own community site) – potentially mistaking privacy-conscious users for bots.

Cloudflare keeps accidentally blocking less common browsers

Users encountering the problem have no direct way to report it except through Cloudflare’s forums, but it seems that they’re not actively monitored. Moreover, it’s hardly a new problem, with similar reports dating back to 2015.

Some affected browsers have attempted workarounds, but either Cloudflare’s system keeps reintroducing the problem or users encounter different problems.

For example, release notes for Pale Moon v33.6.0.1 read: “This is an extra update to mitigate as much of the CloudFlare issues leading to browser hangs and memory issues as possible on the web browser side.” However, efforts to circumvent Cloudflare’s security measures often

One user on the Hacker News thread explained what Cloudflare’s doing is like “like kicking anyone wearing dark sunglasses out of a physical store” – although burglars might want to obscure their faces, there are endless reasons to want to wear sunglasses, and there are endless reasons why internet users might want to protect their anonymity.

It’s not just Cloudflare customers who are being restricted from certain areas of the web. Another commenter wrote “Vendors who block iCloud Relay are the worst… Blocking IP addresses is o-ver.”

TechRadar Pro has asked Cloudflare to comment on the matter and to share its plans on any fixes, but we did not receive an immediate response.

Via The Register

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From Netscape to Chrome, the consumer browsers we have used since the dawn of the internet were first built for a singular need: accessing information. They worked brilliantly for that purpose, which is why – thirty-five years later – the browser remains one of the most pervasive consumer-grade technologies on the planet.

In the early browsing days, the internet just consisted of websites. Applications, on the other hand, lived outside the browser. Until one day someone had the brilliant idea to deliver apps inside the browser itself. Users have been accessing web apps ever since, from communications platforms to online banking. Today, it is the most pervasive way to engage applications on the planet. Extensions were tacked onto the browser, adding productivity and other features to extend the consumer browser’s capabilities.

However, consumers have not been the browser’s only users. Over the past three decades, enterprises – from banks and manufacturers to hospital systems and universities and beyond – have inextricably integrated the browser (as well as myriad apps and extensions) into their everyday operations.

Here’s where the friction starts to arise.

Unchanged browser, evolving needs

The core functionality of the traditional browser has remained largely unchanged, continuing to serve its original purpose for consumers without evolving to meet the enterprise's specific security and productivity needs. In fact, when you consider that the consumer browser must support billions of users worldwide, it must have a great deal of openness and flexibility to meet a wide array of consumer and advertiser needs. After all, consumer browsers were not designed to be a safe application delivery platform. They were designed for accessing websites and content.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that enterprise IT teams have always fought an uphill battle to place control around consumer browsers, not to mention browser extensions, which number more than 200,000 today. When these consumer browsers are used, security teams must layer on complex stacks of tools to secure their environments​​. Further, applications teams must commonly bolt on Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) environments and Virtual Private Networks (VPN) for connectivity. These measures are expensive, inefficient, and ineffective.

It’s not a knock on consumer browsers – these tools were simply never designed for enterprise needs.

It’s like putting a Rolls-Royce in the Daytona 500: the car may be perfect in its own right, but it isn’t built to perform in that environment.

The browser designed for the enterprise

That’s where the enterprise browser comes in.

The enterprise browser uses its native mechanics to deliver corporate applications while embedding security, control, and productivity features directly into the browser itself – retaining the same experience users have enjoyed for decades while eliminating the need for complex add-on application delivery technologies and security stacks to keep them safe.

In an enterprise browser, security teams have full visibility into what employees can see and do at the appropriate times. Security features are native, from zero-trust and data loss prevention to session isolation and encryption. Workforce enablement is seamless, nearly eliminating the need for VPNs or virtual desktops for secure access to corporate resources. And access to cloud applications is fine-tuned without extra security tools.

For example, the enterprise browser can empower the user to freely engage personal applications such as ChatGPT, personal email, etc., while preventing users from copying sensitive data from corporate applications into such personal applications. It can enforce role-based access, ensuring that users only see and interact with resources that are appropriate for their role. And it can log and monitor all browser activity for security and compliance purposes where needed, providing visibility into who accessed what, from where, and how.

It can govern who uses what extensions under what circumstances and shut down high-risk extensions and access to unsanctioned GenAI websites in real-time. All while preserving privacy and without adding user delays or disruptions.

It’s a win for CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, and users. Employees enjoy faster, more efficient workflows in a familiar browser-based experience, while leadership gains visibility, compliance, security, and cost savings.

Secure browsers are not enterprise browsers

And what about secure browsers? Are they enough to address enterprise needs and issues? In a word, no. It’s a lingering misconception that an enterprise browser equals a secure browser. They are fundamentally different. Sure, an enterprise browser is a highly secure environment to operate within, but the concept of an enterprise browser is so much more than the old-school secure browser approaches.

Secure browsers were built primarily to prevent security breaches, relying on clunky and restrictive measures that can interfere with necessary work tasks. These browsers are often virtualization engines wrapped around consumer browsers. They degrade the user experience while offering little to no enterprise-level control.

The bottom line is security is table stakes for an enterprise browser. However, they are designed from the ground up as an application delivery platform designed to secure and optimize the entire enterprise IT environment while giving the user a very natural and familiar environment to operate within. It is an optimistic landscape where the user has freedom and comfort while the organization can rest safely knowing their applications and underlying data are secure. Indeed, that’s why we coined the term “enterprise browser.”

Different cars for different tracks

Today’s consumer browser has evolved beyond a window to the web to an unwitting participant for application consumption. It helps billions of people communicate across borders, learn new skills, watch their favorite sports, manage their money, and more – and drive trillions of dollars in ecommerce every year. Like the Rolls Royce, it’s an engineering marvel that has stood the test of time.

But at the end of the day, the enterprise requires a different vehicle. The enterprise browser finally delivers on challenges that have thus been out of reach for its consumer counterpart – empowering organizations to safeguard data, enforce policies, gather app and user insights, and more, all without compromising performance. Both have value, but enterprise demands require a different approach that can change everything.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• Microsoft Edge is telling testers their old extensions, like uBlock Origin, are no longer supported
• However, this appears to be a move accidentally introduced to the earliest test version of Edge
• Don’t be under any illusions that this won’t happen eventually, but looking at Microsoft’s timeline, it feels like that’s still quite a way off

Microsoft Edge just received a change in testing that makes it look like the browser might soon follow in Chrome’s footsteps in ditching certain extensions – notably including a popular ad blocker, uBlock Origin – but in actual fact, this isn’t the case.

Granted, it’s a somewhat worrying development for some folks – and it does point the way to the future, I won’t argue that. However, as the discoverer of the change for the earliest test version of Edge assures us, it’s likely something that’s been piped through automatically into testing prematurely, rather than an intentional move by Microsoft.

As highlighted by Leopeva64 on X in the below post, the Canary version of Edge recently received a new preview build and it’s producing a message about some extensions (add-ons for the browser) not being supported anymore, instructing users to remove them.

This is happening to uBlock Origin as mentioned, and other extensions which are built using Manifest V2. This is the platform these browser extensions are built on, and it’s been upgraded to Manifest V3 – a change long in the works, and one that has already come into play for Chrome (by which I mean the release version of Google’s browser, not just test builds).

However, what appears to have happened here is because Edge is built on Chromium – the same engine as Google Chrome – the change has been piped through automatically somehow.

In other words, Microsoft didn’t mean to enact this, and the move will (presumably) be corrected soon enough.

It’s worth noting that even in this (seemingly errant) form in testing, only extensions grabbed from the Chrome web store are affected, and not the official add-ons from the Edge store.

Analysis: A big shift for all Chromium browsers (albeit with some Brave resistance)

All that said, we don’t know for sure if this is what has actually gone on here – Leopeva64 says they ‘think’ this is the case, and that does seem likely.

Mainly because Microsoft has a schedule for migrating from Manifest V2 to V3 extensions with Edge, and currently, as Neowin flagged up, there is no firm date for ditching the older V2 add-ons – the timeframe remains marked as TBD (To Be Determined). That’s both in terms of dumping these V2 extensions for consumers and businesses (the latter will happen later).

But there is a schedule, and this V2 to V3 migration is happening, make no mistake, which will mean that the traditional version of uBlock Origin – which is the extension most folks are bothered about in terms of losing support – will be given the elbow from Edge eventually. It’s just that it probably won’t be for quite some time yet.

Indeed, in its support document on the timeframes involved, Microsoft notes: “The Microsoft Edge team is currently in the process of updating this MV3 migration timeline.” So, we may hear more on the exact schedule soon enough, perhaps.

All web browsers built on Chromium will eventually be affected by the change Google has instigated here, although some developers are going to try and swerve around it as best they can.

For example, the maker of the Brave browser, another from the Chromium stable, has said it will apply patches to try and keep certain popular V2 extensions alive even after support is fully yanked by Google (and that includes uBlock Origin). Although that’s going to be implemented on a ‘best-effort’ basis and there are no guarantees made.

On a final note, it’s also worth remembering that there’s already a V3 version of uBlock Origin in place, but it’s a ‘lite’ take on the ad blocker, because with V3 it simply isn’t possible to offer the same capabilities.

Google’s big switchover to V3 is being made to get what the company argues is better security and performance for browser extensions over V2, but not everyone agrees with this line of thinking, to put it mildly.

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• A Google Chrome Canary beta build has revealed a new split-screen feature
• It's been updated twice and renamed since it was first discovered
• It's not available to the public yet, but is expected to release soon

The latest beta build of Google Chrome features brand-new split-screen functionality. This feature lets you use two windows in a single tab and even dynamically change the size of the windows for enhanced productivity.

Uncovered by X user Leopeva64, the new Google Chrome split-screen feature appears to be now known as "Show side-by-side". However, it was first available in the drop-down menu as "Split tab with active tab".

Naming conventions aside, the functionality is identical between the two beta updates; you can merge two windows in the browser under one larger tab, and then you're able to resize the two sides, which means you won't have to manually drag two windows snapped together or swap tabs out.

While confirmed to not be fully functional yet, plans are in place for the handle (space between the tabs) to be resizable as well. With a larger dividing gap, you can better separate the two tabs or minimize the gap completely for a seamless encompassing window.

The functionality is not live yet for regular users in Google Chrome, as it's currently only available in a Chrome Canary test build. Considering it's already been updated twice since it was discovered earlier in the month, there's no telling how it will perform when it's eventually rolled out in an update for everyone.

A time-saving productivity tool for one of the best web browsers

Despite how demanding Google Chrome can be on your RAM and CPU, there's no debating that it's one of the best web browsers you can use in 2026. This new split-screen tool is a smaller update than what we've traditionally seen rolled out, but it is something that could be a productivity powerhouse for those studying and working and needing web access.

It sounds particularly good for laptop users or people working with a smaller computer monitor, as there will be no need to awkwardly try to snap multiple windows together in a cramped space. Similarly, with adjustable scaling to each tab, all under one umbrella. If you're someone doing research and you need the source larger than where you're writing, that can be easily done, and vice versa. It's another step in improving the speed and customization of Chrome as a web browser at a time when more users are demanding more functionality or going elsewhere.

Google Chrome Canary is a beta build of the web browser aimed at developers that is updated every single night. While it can be unstable, it provides insights into new features and improvements long before they arrive to the rest of the users (if they show up at all). Things are tested automatically, and usually not too extensively, so it's a chance to play around with things that may or may not always work.

Recent Chrome updates have included long-term security features for ChromeOS, and stability updates for desktops, iOS, and Android. Previously, in October 2024, Google released performance controls for the web browser so you could make it run faster or more efficiently. In the same month, the company made its plans known to crack down on ad blockers and other unauthorized extensions on its web store.

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Chrome is a pain, isn't it? It's one of those browsers that just sticks with you, no matter what you try. For better or worse. I've personally shifted back and forth between a number of browsers over the years; mostly alternating between Firefox and Chrome, and using Opera as a backup, usually to see if one website or another is broken or not. Yet no matter how long I'm gone, even in the deepest of Firefox stints, inevitably, I always end up back with Google's shiny metal goliath.

Unlike phones, operating systems, processors, graphics cards, or even the best VPNs, browsers inherently don't have that flux. It never feels like there's a need to swap to upgrade. No single one has a significant advantage over the other, and no browser has ever really introduced any feature that's quite as revolutionary as something like Nvidia's DLSS upscaling tech or AMD's CPU 3D V-cache. It's all iterative change, trying to entice you over and keep you there, and I do believe a lot of Google's initial success was down to societal peer pressure and just being one of the first alternatives that provided a slicker initial setup and user experience than anything else.

Although it ended up as a browser that has a RAM footprint akin to the mass of a small brown dwarf star, it simply provided people with a slicker, seamless experience than what Internet Explorer, Safari, Netscape, or Firefox could back in the day.

Chromed up

So how did Google corner the market following on from the success of those early years? How did it manage to oust IE, Firefox, and later Edge as kings of the free browsers? Particularly given how Microsoft literally installs its own browser on Windows for you? It's one of those questions that you genuinely have to step back, look at Microsoft, and ask: "No seriously, how did you mess this up so badly?".

In today's era, the answer is simple enough. It's not because of anything Google is doing directly with Chrome. There's no killer app or silver bullet here, no feature that's going to blow your mind wide open. It's still easy to use and operates smoothly as it almost always has done (memory quandaries aside), but it's the entire environment Google has built around it that really nails its dominance to the table.

It's effectively built out this beautiful, seamless ecosystem for us regular folk. Create a Google account, and you immediately have access to YouTube, Drive for office work, Gmail, and a Chrome account that'll sync all of your settings, passwords, passkeys, bookmarks, cookies, and extensions, all in one place. On top of that, for Android users, it'll tie into your phone too, syncing across platforms in the process.

Dominant Search Engines

Not only that, but Google as a search engine is just impeccable. Sure, its recent experiments with generative AI have been hit and miss, but it's not utterly littered with ads or incorrect listings. If you try to use Bing, DuckDuckGo, or Yahoo, the experience by comparison is shocking. It's like traveling back in time by five to ten years, depending on which one you use.

As a web-based tech journalist, I'm conscious that Google often gets a lot of ire from those in my line of work for its constant iterative SEO changes and updates to how it ranks things. This can massively impact site rankings, and kill smaller brands, potentially leaving people without work. It's a grim dance with livelihoods on the line, particularly with Google's new use of Gemini AI prompts as well.

The reality is, though, that as harsh as that is, it does this because it's still trying to provide the best search experience for the user. It comes from a good place. Although that drive might be market-driven, it still needs to provide the best sources, the best answers to your questions. Those SEO changes are necessary, and you can see the way it's going is centered around making sure it selects content and answers that align with its EEAT philosophy ('Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness' - basically, choosing authors and content that have good knowledge in a certain field) while providing information that is accurate, unique, and to the point.

YouTube is a whole other kettle of fish, and it's anyone's guess as to which way the wind blows on that search algorithm, but for its core brand, its core product, Google's search is unparalleled in many ways.

And the fact is that this wider ecosystem and everything tied into it, as much as some of us might dislike it, still makes Chrome my go-to browser. No doubt in a year's time, I'll get fed up and dive back into Firefox for a few months, enjoying the new experience, the feel of being slightly edgy (and having adblockers on my phone), only inevitably to fall back into that old habit, to miss my army of extensions on a platform that just works, without fault, without hindrance. It's sad, but it's true.

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Microsoft Edge just got a smart feature that a fair few people have been keenly awaiting for a long time now – the ability to control how much RAM the web browser gobbles up, with a useful side serving for gamers here, too.

Windows Latest reports that resource controls are now live in the finished (stable) version of Edge, after having been in testing since around the middle of 2024.

These are controls to limit how much RAM that Edge uses (certainly not the only hardware resource in a computer, but a major part of the picture, particularly for a web browser when running a whole load of tabs).

The resource controls panel offers a slider that can be adjusted to make all of the system RAM on your PC available to Edge, or as little as 1GB.

You can also choose whether that limit applies all the time, or only when you’re playing a PC game. The latter option allows those keen on gaming to have Edge operating normally, with the full amount of RAM, when doing other tasks, but whenever a PC game is running, the browser’s allocation of system memory can be trimmed down considerably to help ensure games run a bit more smoothly.

It likely won’t be a world of difference for gamers, but every extra frame helps in terms of having a better gameplay experience. Google Chrome, take notes.

Analysis: A definite Edge over Chrome

You might be thinking: why would I want to have Edge running while I’m gaming, anyway? Fair point, and closing the browser completely is obviously going to free up the maximum amount of memory resources for the PC game you’re playing.

However, there may be situations where you’re tackling a single-player game and get stuck, needing to consult a walkthrough. So, in that case, you might want Edge running in the background with the walkthrough open so you can Alt-Tab between the game and the tips. You’ll want a minimal impact on your gaming session, so you can turn Edge right down to use just a small amount of RAM.

Obviously, Edge can be limited in the general use of your computer, too, giving more of your RAM to the other apps you have running on your PC, but I’d be very careful about being too stingy with the memory allocation for Microsoft’s browser. Turning it down to the absolute minimum of 1GB of RAM (or near there) is likely to make Edge chug like a rusty old steamboat, especially if you have multiple tabs open.

My advice, then, is not to go too far to the left (minimum) side with that RAM slider, and start with a more middling setting to test the waters. As you might imagine, it’ll be a bit of trial-and-error as to exactly where might be best to position the slider for your particular system.

Overall, the new resource controls are a smart move to give Edge something extra over its big rival Chrome. Google’s browser does have performance alerts, along with a Memory Saver feature (which makes tabs that haven’t been used for a while inactive to save RAM), but this doesn’t provide anything like the same level of control as this fresh introduction for Edge.

I’ve got to say that I’m more tempted than ever to switch to Edge at this point. I do use Microsoft’s browser as a secondary option right now, here and there, but maybe it’s time to start thinking about adopting it as a primary candidate – or at least giving that a whirl for a time.

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Microsoft has ditched an online document that was ostensibly about catering for those wanting to uninstall the Edge browser, but in actual fact, was an attempt to dissuade those thinking of removing the app to stick with it.

We reported on the ‘uninstall document’ last week, which came in the form of a web page that, from search results, looked like it pertained to removing Edge from your PC.

However, when actually navigating to the page, it turned out that the document was all about comparing Edge to Google Chrome, and extolling the virtues of the former.

When this hit the headlines, there were a fair few people left unimpressed by this heavy-handed attempt at persuasion – unsurprisingly – and so now Microsoft has canned the web page, as Windows Latest noticed.

When you try to visit this page now, you’re redirected to Microsoft’s Edge portal, which is still all about promoting the benefits of the browser – but without any pretence that this might help you remove Edge (and no mention of Chrome anywhere, either, it should be noted).

Analysis: A misleading tactic that needed to be canned

As you’re likely aware, Microsoft has a long history of prodding folks to use Edge, dating back to, well, the inception of the browser. The Windows operating system has long played host to various nudges, or outright adverts, pushing Edge, so it’s not exactly a surprise to see Microsoft having tried yet another angle on persuasion.

The misleading nature of the search result, compared to the contents of the web page (when it was still active), was the real problem here – and I’m not surprised Microsoft has quickly dropped this one.

What made it worse was the lure of clicking through to ‘uninstall Edge’ when for most folks (outside of Europe), there’s no official way to completely remove the browser from a Windows 11 installation. That’s because other bits of the operating system rely on code within Edge, or this is Microsoft’s stance on the matter, anyway.

You can delete all the shortcuts and so on to the browser, and ignore it, but you can’t actually remove the app as such. It’ll still be sat there lurking in the background. (Furthermore, I should clarify, you can try to ignore it, but it’ll pop up again and again with some regularity in the form of suggestions in various parts of Windows that you should be using Edge, and to make it your default browser).

One of the more frustrating elements about all this is that Edge is a genuinely good product – it tops our list of the best web browsers, in fact – but with constant attempts to promote it, Microsoft is more likely to drive folks away from the app, not into the fold.

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It's no surprise that Microsoft is making more attempts to shift PC users away from other browsers in favor of its own Edge option yet again - but its latest scheme could be a new low point.

As spotted by Windows Latest, a new 'uninstall document' was released by Microsoft, supposedly explaining how to remove Microsoft Edge from your PC, but surprisingly, it doesn't. Instead, it compares Edge to Google Chrome with a checklist (pictured below) of features that it claims are available on Edge but not Chrome (which isn't completely true) - essentially, it's doing the opposite of what most people would expect a document about uninstalling an app to do..

It’s a shame that this comes after Microsoft’s well-received privacy updates for Chrome incognito mode, which is a huge positive for its users. However, it’s now hit a low with this 'uninstall' document that users won't like at all. Microsoft already aggressively pushes Edge via pop-ups and ads in Windows 11, which many users consider to be invasive and annoying. Meanwhile, Chrome remains the most popular browser despite Microsoft’s boasts of Edge’s high user numbers in 2024, so it’s not a surprise that many may want to uninstall Edge.

It shouldn't come as a big surprise, since Microsoft has used numerous tactics to win users over to its browser - but this feels particularly disingenuous.

Reminds me of membership cancellation pages...

Trying to get rid of something, only instead to be bombarded with reasons for not getting rid of it, will feel awfully familiar to many people who have tried to cancel a subscription. Try to cancel your PlayStation Plus subscription, for example, and Sony will try to tempt you to stay with an offer on a 12-month premium subscription.

Amazon is also notorious for this - if you try to cancel Prime, you have to click through multiple pages convincing you to stay - and it was actually sued for this, mainly because its marketing tactics were viewed as deceptive and coercive by the FTC (US Federal Trade Commission).

So, Microsoft is far from the only company that is trying to change the minds of its customers wanting to ditch a product. However, there’s no denying that this move seems particularly strange - you'd expect a document which is supposed to give you instructions to uninstall a program to do just that, rather than the opposite by trying to get you to keep using it. It also feels a bit cheeky using the word ‘uninstall’ if there’s literally no way to officially uninstall Edge.

Personally, I think that essentially forcing users to keep a program installed on their PCs will instead push them further away from using it. Saying one thing but doing another could come back to bite Microsoft...

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Web browsers are so ubiquitous that once you settle on a choice, your default often quickly becomes a dreary part of your computer's furniture. At some point in the last 20 years (I honestly can't tell you when), I switched to Google Chrome and have never bothered to look elsewhere since.

I've tried the odd alternative, including Microsoft's Edge and Opera, but never with the conviction that I might one day switch. I also need Google Chrome for work, so having a separate personal browser has never really felt like an option.

That was until Opera unveiled its new Opera Air browser. It's the world's first browser built around mindfulness. Beyond safety, security, and speed, Opera Air is designed to make you feel better while you surf the web. As a tech writer, I can happily report that the internet can sometimes be a miserable place to live, so when I saw Opera Air was available in early access, I finally decided it was worth trying to ditch Chrome one last time. I wasn't disappointed.

After maybe 10 minutes, I'd seen enough to know that Opera Air is definitely staying installed on my PC and that I'll be ditching Chrome as my personal browser. Here are three of the features that convinced me to jump ship.

Boosts

Except in short bursts, I really struggle to work in silence, and for years, I've experimented with using different playlists and background sounds to white noise my internal monologue and help me focus. I've tried everything from Cyberpunk synthwave music to medieval bardcore.

Opera Air puts productivity-focused music at your fingertips right in your browser. These "Boosts" are pinned to the sidebar. There are 19 different boosts to help enhance various mental states. Binaural beats (two tones of slightly different frequencies played in each ear so that your brain perceives a third frequency) include Theta Waves for deep meditation and creative inspiration and Alpha Waves for relaxation. There are also ambient sounds like rain (this one won't get much playtime in Scotland), forest, ocean, and even urban sounds like trains or café crowds.

There's a myriad of settings, and you can tweak every aspect, from the timing to the frequency and the sound that's playing, all controlled by a nifty, unintrusive mini player, and my early impressions are extremely positive.

Take a Break

When it comes to being sedentary at your desk, whether for work or play, standing or sitting for too long can start to have a pretty negative impact on your health. That is why we recommend the best standing desks and under-desk treadmills. And Take a Break gives you regular reminders to do exactly that.

Opera Air has a built-in set of mindfulness exercises, including breathing programs, neck exercises, meditation, and a full body scan tune-in. Think of it like the standing reminders on your best Apple Watch, a gentle push every hour or so to re-center your body and your mind.

That cripsy interface

When I first installed Google Chrome all those years ago, I was blown away by how simple and clean it was. Now, it's chock-full of buttons and icons like every other browser. Opera Air is the first browser I've seen in years that actually looks clean and simple, harkening back to the old character of Chrome that Google has lost along the way.

I love the sidebar, which is clean and minimalist. It even hides a ton of great settings and quick-access tools. I love the glassy look that has shades of Windows Vista, and the tranquil wallpapers add to the feeling of Zen.

Get in early

The best thing about Opera Air is that it's still in Early Access, so there are plenty more tweaks, settings, and features to come. I can't recommend it highly enough if you're a Windows or Mac user who fancies a change of pace from Google Chrome.

What's more, you get all of Opera's other great features, including its free built-in VPN, ad blocker, tracker blocker, and native browser AI Aria, replete with Chat GPT-4o, Gemini 1.4, and Imagen 3 just a click away. Happy mindful browsing!

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• A new highjacking attack targets Chrome browsers
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Whether you believe it to be the best web browser, Google Chrome is undoubtedly the most popular search engine by a landslide. For that reason, it remains a popular target for hackers as well. And now, a massive new threat is on the horizon, which could threaten billions of users.

A new attack called ‘Browser Syncjacking’ has been discovered by security researchers at the cybersecurity firm SquareX (reported on by BleepingComputer). Though it requires several steps, it’s shockingly easy for the average Chrome user to fall victim, as it needs minimal permissions.

First, a malicious Google Workspace domain is created with multiple user profiles, and security features like multi-factor authentication are disabled. This is used to create managed profiles in the background of the victim’s devices. Then, hackers will then create a malicious Chrome extension to launch on the official Chrome Store, appearing as a useful tool to attract potential victims.

Once any potential victims install the extension, it hides a browser window that runs in the background to log the victim into one of the Workspace profiles previously made. The final step involves tricking the victim into activating Chrome sync by opening a very real Chrome support page that’s been tampered with, then guiding them through turning on sync. If this happens, that person’s full Chrome account and stored data — including browsing history and passwords — are now available on the hacker’s profile.

From here, as SquareX explains, a victim’s entire browser can be taken over, often through a seemingly innocent Zoom invite that, if accepted, gets malicious content from that Chrome extension injected into it. If the victim falls for a prompt that asks to update Zoom, the update (actually an executable file that contains an enrollment token) will allow the hacker to control the browser completely.

Not only does this give hackers free reign over any data stored in your browser and allow them to spy on any websites you browse (and see any sensitive information you input), but it also allows them to access your OS to “install malware, capture keystrokes, extract sensitive data and even activate a device’s webcam and microphone,” as Tom’s Guide details.

How do you stay safe?

This all sounds overwhelming and even impossible to avoid since the attacks require so little input from users to get the ball rolling. But there are ways to keep your browser safe from harm.

The first is to avoid installing new Google Chrome extensions while limiting the ones you already have. If you really need to install anything new, make sure to research it and its developers for signs of suspicious activity.

It’s also essential to have the best antivirus software, which will automatically scan your PC or Mac regularly and immediately alert you to suspicious activity. It’s best to store passwords in the best password managers instead of in the browser, protecting them from hackers’ prying eyes.

There are always new attacks on the horizon, but it’s vital to stay vigilant in your online activity and be careful of extensions and software you download. This will always serve to protect your browser and computer.

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• Google has added several new features to ChromeOS
• These include Class tools, Workspace, and Classroom
• Most are aimed at both students and educators

Google has announced several brand new features for the best Chromebooks, Google Workspace, and Google Classroom in a series of official blog posts.

First of all, there are Class Tools: real-time features that educators can use with their students, such as sending and pinning educational content to students’ screens, or turning on live captions and translations.

Google Classroom has several new features, including the ability to generate vocabulary lists through Gemini in Classroom, allowing educators to create customized word lists with definitions, parts of speech, and examples tailored to various grade levels.

Figma’s FigJam lets educators assign group whiteboards for group work, discussions, and brainstorming ideas. Educators can also create distinct student groups based on their needs and assign grades at scale, as well as keep students’ guardians informed with weekly newsletters and share Classroom page links to keep them up to date with assignments.

Another tool, somewhat related to education but also applicable more widely, is Face Control on Chromebooks, which is finally being released. First revealed back in 2023, it’s an incredibly useful accessibility tool that allows users to control their cursor with head movements and perform actions with facial gestures. It’s now rolling out with the ChromeOS M132 update.

There will also be a whopping 20 new Chromebook and Chromebook Plus devices launching in 2025 for students and educators. These include the Acer Chromebook Spin 511 and Lenovo Chromebook Duet EDU G2, which will come with styluses and are built with a younger audience in mind, while the Asus CR1204CTA, and HP Fortis G1i 14 Chromebook are meant for older students. There’s also the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 for educators.

Google is continuing its winning streak with ChromeOS

In the past I've written about how Google has done surprisingly well in its initiative to create useful AI tools meant to aid users and enhance lives, rather than simply (and poorly) perform tasks better suited to humans. In that quest, Google has been also developing useful tools in other underrepresented markets, like education. Chromebooks are especially useful for students and educators, as their simple UI, affordable pricing, and portability are ideal for those who need a laptop to carry around and use eight or more hours a day.

Now with enhancements to Class tools, Google Classroom, Face Control on Chromebooks, and a bevy of models specially designed for education, Chromebooks and ChromeOS as a whole have become even more valuable, offering features that other laptops simply don’t.

Hopefully the tech giant will continue to innovate in this regard, as this is one of the best ways it sets ChromeOS and Chromebooks apart from the competition.

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Microsoft has a grand plan to revamp Edge apparently, and one of the possible next steps in the evolution of the web browser has just been flagged up.

As Windows Latest explains, the software giant has a project with the codename of ‘Phoenix’ which has the aim of overhauling Edge, and making it look more modern, but not in one big update – rather a series of drip-fed moves.

And one of the incoming changes could be the ability for the browser to morph its color palette to match Windows 11’s settings, the tech site theorizes.

This is based on a couple of flags Windows Latest noticed in a test build of Edge from the Canary channel (the earliest preview builds).

The flags are ‘msEdgePhoenixColorPaletteGenerator’ and ‘msUseSnappingPointsForPhoenixPaletteGeneration’, so we have the clear reference to the Phoenix project here.

What these flags likely refer to is the ability for Edge to run a piece of ‘color palette generator’ code that could detect Windows 11’s accent colors or theme, and change the browser to match that. In other words, Edge would dynamically switch to complement the Windows 11 environment in this respect.

Analysis: What happens in testing, sometimes stays in testing

This is educated guesswork on Windows Latest’s part, but it makes sense to me. Bear in mind that not only is this early testing, but the functionality isn’t even enabled in preview yet, and only present in these flags hidden away in the background. It’s possible that nothing may come of this ultimately, but we can keep a watchful eye out for further clues.

Mica is also apparently coming to the Edge title bar, which is an opaque effect that means the bar is slightly tinted by the desktop color behind it.

While all this is commendable – if it happens – will it be enough to propel Edge forward in terms of browser share? I’m looking for bigger moves than this, and expect you will be too, although it certainly won’t hurt the chances of Microsoft’s browser.

To be fair to the software giant, some nifty bits have been brought in as part of Project Phoenix in the past, such as Edge’s split-screen feature which lets you browse two websites simultaneously, side-by-side in the browser window. Now that is a smart touch.

A further point to note here – albeit more minor – is another flag Windows Latest spotted recently in testing, namely ‘msVisualRejuvTooltips’ which likely represents a revamp of Edge tooltips. While this has since been removed, it’s still something Microsoft could return to at some point down the line.

Furthermore, Leopeva64, a source of a lot of Edge rumors and leaks on X, recently flagged up that the ‘Auto Picture in Picture’ feature in Microsoft’s browser is being removed from testing (see the below post).

All of which illustrates exactly why changes in testing need to be regarded carefully – not all of them make it through to release by any means.

Whatever happens, it’s clear Microsoft is hoping to improve Edge substantially with Project Phoenix, but I’m hoping to see some bigger pieces of that puzzle come into view this year.

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• The Linux Foundation launches new initiative to look after Chromium browsers
• It’s meant to give a “neutral space” for developers to contribute without barriers
• Google, Meta, Microsoft and Opera have already joined

The Linux Foundation has declared its support for open-source Chromium-based browsers with the launch of a new initiative.

The ‘Supporters of Chromium-Based Bowsers’ program is designed to help support open source contributions and improve the sustainability of Chromium projects to “drive technological advancement.”

Its goal is to create a “neutral space” where industry leaders, academia, developers, and the broader open source community can come together to contribute to open-source browsers without barriers.

Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers

“This project will provide much-needed funding and development support for open development of projects within the Chromium ecosystem," Linux Foundation Executive Director Jim Zemlin commented.

Google, Meta, Microsoft and Opera have already committed to supporting the initiative, which is hoped to foster collaboration and distribute resources across Chromium projects.

Like other Foundation initiatives, the Chromium program will focus on transparency, inclusivity and community-driven development to “[meet] the needs of the wider Chromium community.”

The Foundation, which of course supports the Linux operating system, has been spreading its support and positive messaging across the entire tech industry since its inception as a nonprofit in 2000.

In late 2022, it launched the Overture Maps Foundation to create an interoperable mapping data set for the likes of autonomous driving and data visualization, with founding partners including AWS, Meta, Microsoft and TomTom.

Then, in April 2024 it announced the LF AI & Data Foundation to improve the state of generative AI for enterprises.

Speaking about the Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers initiative, Chrome VP Parisa Tabriz commented: “We believe the Supporters of Chromium-Based Browsers is an important opportunity to create a sustainable platform to support industry leaders, academia, developers, and the broader open source community in the continued development and innovation of the Chromium ecosystem.”

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Microsoft has boldly suggested its Edge browser has been central to the AI experience for users across the world over the last 12 months.

In a blog post, the company's General Manager for Product Management and Growth at Microsoft Edge, Search and Mobile, Roger Capriotti, revealed users accessed Copilot within the Edge browser window to engage in over 10 billion generative AI chats in 2024.

Edge has also, apparently, proven instrumental in other areas, like improving accessibility with built-in translation and supporting the world of ecommerce.

Microsoft gives us Edge unwrapped: 2024

An estimated 38 trillion characters were translated using Edge’s auto-translate function in 2024, with built-in shopping features saving shoppers $400 per year on average. Furthermore, 800 million articles and stories were consumed on MSN, with 46 million messages and files shared with Drop.

Capriotti also drew attention to the browser’s performance enhancements, quantifying their usefulness by stating seven trillion megabytes of PC memory were saved by using sleeping tabs.

Security features also got a major mention for the role in preventing over 1.4 billion phishing, malware, and scam attacks on Edge and over 1.8 trillion trackers on the Edge mobile app.

However despite all this success, Edge still lags behind in the global browser market. Google Chrome accounts for two in three (67%) desktop browser sessions (via the December 2024 Statcounter figures), with Edge in a very distant second place (13%). Across all platforms, including smartphones and tablets, Edge resides in third place with a tiny 5% market share, second to Safari (17%).

The update also notes Bing reached over 140 million daily active users, however it, too, lags behind competition. Google, with a 90% market share, leads the way, with Bing taking just a 4% slice.

Looking ahead, Microsoft is hoping injecting artificial intelligence into its browser to improve its usefulness could be one way to help it boost takeup.

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The world’s most popular browser, Google Chrome, is experimenting with a new AI-powered tool designed to help you avoid online scams.

The feature is currently being tested and apparently uses AI tech, specifically a Large Language Model (LLM) on the device, to analyze web pages and determine if they seem suspicious or scam-related.

This development was spotted by Leopeva64 on X, who regularly highlights web browser features which are being tested. What they actually discovered was a flag that can be enabled called ‘Client Side Detection Brand and Intent for Scam Detection,’ which is present in the latest version of Chrome’s experimental browser, Canary.

The new flag leverages an on-device LLM to investigate the content of any given web page and figure out what it's trying to do, and whether that content falls in line with the website’s supposed purpose or brand.

This is explained in the flag’s description, which reads: “Enables on-device LLM (large language model) output on pages to inquire for brand and intent of the page.”

On device is key to privacy

One key detail about this process is that it uses an on-device LLM, which means that the analysis of web pages happens on your device (as opposed to in the cloud somewhere, which would involve sending your browsing data to a third-party). In short, this means your data will stay private.

To try this feature out, you would have to install the latest Google Chrome Canary release, which is not something I’d generally recommend, unless you’re really keen (if so, you can follow Neowin’s advice on how to enable the new flag).

This is the latest in a series of AI-powered tools coming to Chrome, which also includes a ‘Store reviews’ feature that’s currently in testing. This capability uses AI to summarize reviews from platforms like Trustpilot or ScamAdvisor, helping users quickly check if an online store is reliable.

As ever, we don’t know if features in testing will make it through to release, but it’s likely these will - Google is keen on building out AI powers for its browser, and I expect we’ll see this scam warning system rolled out before too long. Unless the Google Chrome team finds some good reasons to go back to the drawing board.

Even though Chrome is the dominant web browser by a long way, Google shouldn’t rest on its laurels, and I think it’s very savvy of the company to keep improving its browser to stay in pole position. And with scammers and hostile actors now having AI-powered tools at their disposal, it’s good to see Google (hopefully) bringing LLMs in to help defend Chrome users from the unwanted attention of these nefarious types.

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• Google for Android has a new feature for duplicate tabs
• It archives duplicate tabs and displays the most recent one
• It's available in Chrome Canary right now

Avid Google Chrome users often grapple with juggling multiple tabs, especially with duplicate tabs. On the desktop browser, there’s the battery saver and memory saver features to mitigate the massive memory costs of all the open tabs but Android browser users haven’t had a proper option until now.

According to Chrome researcher @Leopeva64 from X (formerly Twitter), the latest Chrome Canary build has a new feature that, when switched on, will automatically archive duplicate tabs. If you have several tabs duplicating information, Chrome will archive the older ones and leave the most recent one in the tab switcher. This is only for the Android version of the browser, with the process remaining manual on the desktop version.

Keep in mind that this is still only usable in Canary and therefore for only developers, meaning there’s no guarantee that it’ll be released globally as a stable build. That said, users can still install the Canary version of the browser and test out the feature for themselves.

What else is new with Google Chrome for mobile?

Google Chrome for Android isn’t the only mobile version that’s been getting attention. The iOS version has been getting plenty of love too. Back in November 2024, four upgrades were announced: improvements to Google Lens search, online shopping, and integrations with Google Drive, Google Photos, and Google Maps.

The Google Lens upgrade affects the search, which already lets you use a photo from the camera or your gallery, by letting you refine them with extra text. The second one is Shopping Insights, in which if you see a product in Chrome that Google knows is available online at a discount, it’ll display a "good deal now" notification in the address bar.

There’s also integration between Chrome for iOS and other Google services, allowing you to transfer files between them. Finally, the process of bringing up a map pop-up without actually opening Google Maps has been streamlined, only requiring a single tap.

That said, in typical iOS fashion it’s late to the party as Android already has these features. But better late than never right?

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• Google has announced its 12 favorite Chrome Extensions of 2024
• There are extensions for productivity, shopping, and more
• It even recommends a fun browser game

Following Google’s November announcement of its picks for the best Android apps of 2024, the company has now revealed its 12 picks for the top Chrome Extensions of 2024. All of which promise to improve your internet browsing experience with a diverse suite of free upgrades.

The Todoist for Chrome and Evernote Web Clipper make it easier to access your to-do list and virtual notebook from your browser to easily mark off objectives or create new ones with links to sites you might want to revisit later.

Meanwhile, Momentum and Stylish aim to give you more control over your browser's appearance and function. Momentum is designed to keep you focused on your key tasks with a streamlined design, daily inspiration via quotes and images, objective reminders, and website blockers to prevent you from booting up distractions. In contrast, Stylish offers thousands of custom website themes so you can alter how your Chrome browsing experience looks across the web.

If your travels take you to YouTube or other media sites, then these next two will be great pick-ups. Turn Off the Lights turns your Chrome browser into a cinema-like experience by dimming the parts of the webpage that aren’t the video you’re playing so you can focus on the clip, and Volume Master offers greater volume control. It adds voice boost and bass boost options, as well as the ability to turn your volume up to 600%.

Find shopping deals, and improve your productivity

Starting off the back half of the list are two apps that seem perfect for shoppers. Keepa lets you easily track Amazon price history for the stuff it sells, so if you’ve ever wanted to see if an item you’re about to buy has ever been cheaper (and if it’s worth waiting for sale) or if a discount is as good as Amazon says this could be the one for you. CouponBirds is a free coupon-finding app that could help you save money wherever you shop.

If productivity is more your thing, then you have Text Blaze, which lets you set up typing shortcuts and document templates to make your repetitive writing tasks pass by more quickly.

You can also consider Bardeen, which leverages AI to help you create automated workflows across multiple sites and Google apps, and Immersive Translate, which can automatically translate documents, pages, and videos and boasts useful tools like bilingual reading, which shows the translation next to the original words.

Lastly, we have Ice Dodo, a simple yet addictive 3D parkour game you can quickly access from your extension toolbar.

If any of these extensions have tickled your fancy, you can head to the Chrome Store to download them or learn more about them.

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