Microsoft says its Chromium-based Edge browser will have an IE mode, privacy tools, and Collections when it launches
New privacy and collections features are coming to Edge — Microsoft is unveiling a number of new features for its upcoming Edge Chromium browser today.
Context & Ripple Effects
This announcement completes the arc Microsoft started in December 2018, when it committed to rebuilding Edge on Google's open source Chromium project and extending it to Windows 7, Windows 8, and macOS. A March preview build had already shown Chrome extension support and a mixed Chrome/Edge UI, but left the launch feature set unclear.
IE mode is the piece aimed squarely at Microsoft's remaining enterprise stronghold: organizations still pinned to Internet Explorer for legacy internal apps now have a stated migration path inside the new browser, while Collections gives Edge a marquee feature Chrome itself does not ship.
First-order effects
- Enterprise IT teams evaluating the Chromium rebuild get their key blocker addressed at launch — IE mode lets legacy intranet apps run without keeping a separate browser deployed.
- Edge launches with differentiated surface area beyond Chromium parity: tracking-prevention privacy tools and Collections give Microsoft something to market against stock Chrome.
Second-order effects
- Google's Chromium project absorbs Microsoft as a first-class contributor, meaning Edge's privacy and enterprise features will flow upstream into the codebase Google's own Chrome draws from.
- Chrome and Firefox face direct comparison on tracking prevention and collection/clipping workflows, pushing privacy tooling from differentiator to table stakes in the browser category.
Third-order effects
- With Microsoft abandoning its own engine, the browser market consolidates around the Chromium/Blink base, and competition shifts to what vendors layer on top — sync, privacy controls, productivity features, and enterprise management.
- If IE mode works as promised, it accelerates the long tail of Internet Explorer retirement inside corporations, removing one of the last anchors keeping legacy web stacks alive.
The trend: Browser competition is moving from rendering-engine wars to a feature-and-services battle fought on top of a shared Chromium foundation, with Microsoft betting enterprise compatibility and privacy tooling can win share where engines no longer differentiate.