New Microsoft Edge update: Themes, password monitor, more

(Pocket-lint) – Microsoft has updated its Edge browser with new themes, revamped icons, sleeping tabs, and a password generator and monitor.

“This month marks the one-year birthday of the new Microsoft Edge and to celebrate this milestone, you’ll see some beautiful new designs and visual themes so you can customize Microsoft Edge to reflect your unique personality”, Microsoft announced in a blog post.

The themes vary quite a bit, from basic colours to ones based on Halo, Gears, Forza, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Sea of Thieves, Grounded, Ori, and the Will of the Wisps. These new themes extend to many parts of the browser, including tab pages, tabs, and the address bar. You can also install get them from the Edge add-on site as well as from other stores, including the Chrome Web Store.

Microsoft is also updating the icons used throughout Edge to bring them in line with Microsoft’s Fluent Design system. “In our latest release you’ll notice subtle updates to icons in Microsoft Edge that are rounder and softer in appearance”, explained Microsoft. “This is just the beginning of our design journey and we’re already imagining how to bring Fluent design throughout our products.” 

As for sleeping tabs, it is rolling out now and is designed to improve browser and system performance. Here’s how Microsoft described it:

“When you have several tabs open, it will release system resources for inactive tabs to help power new or existing tabs as well as other applications, preventing slowdowns and sluggishness. To get started, enable the sleeping tabs option in the browser settings menu. I just wish my kids would go to sleep by themselves at night.”

Microsoft is also introducing a password generator. Edge will suggest a secure and complex password when you sign up on a new website or try to change a password. Edge will also add a password monitor feature that will notify you if your password has leaked.

Finally, Edge’s history and tab sync is rolling out at the end of January 2021, allowing you to sync their full web history and active tabs across multiple devices including iOS and Android. To enable it, go to the Edge settings > Profiles > Sync and turn on the toggles. 

Writing by Maggie Tillman.