Microsoft's new Edge web browser has been installed on all university Windows 10 computers. The browser has many new features and options. This article we will go through some of the more common features and questions about the browser. We have pre-configured some options to increase security. If you are having any issues with the Edge browser, please contact us.
Accessibility Options
There are several features built into the new browser that help improve accessibility. These are available from the menu (three dots in the top right-hand corner of the browser), they include:
- Read aloud
- Zoom
- Immersive Reader
- Surf using your keyboard
- High Contrast modes
For more details on these features, please visit the Microsoft Edge Accessibility Page
Using profiles
Edge by default creates a profile for you that saves your browser configuration, such as your bookmarks and start up pages. You can set up synchronisation of your profile with other computers and mobile devices to ensure you always have access to your bookmarks and the same start-up pages.
If you want to set up synchronisation, you will need to create a profile based on your University Microsoft 365 account e.g. username@leeds.ac.uk
In Edge, click this link to setup a profile: edge://settings/profiles
Importing other browser data
Within your profile settings you can import browser data from other browsers you have used on your computer.
This allows you to import bookmarks, start-up pages, addresses and more from browsers such as Google Chrome, the old version of Edge, Internet Explorer, and Firefox.
In Edge, click this link: edge://settings/profiles
Click on the Import browser data and choose the browser you wish to import data from and the information you wish to import.
Bing Enterprise Search
The default search engine in Edge is Microsoft Bing. You can change this if you like to another search provider such as Google, Yahoo! or DuckDuckGo.
We do however recommend you keep Microsoft Bing as it offers the ability to search for content within Microsoft 365, such as your email, Teams documents and messages, SharePoint, OneDrive and more.
To add the ability to search you need to sign into Microsoft Bing.
- Go to the Bing search site: www.bing.com
- At the top right, click on Sign In
- Sign in with a work or school account, this being your University of Leeds account in the format of username@leeds.ac.uk
- You may be prompted to use Duo for multi factor authentication.
When you are signed in, you can search for a term and you will be presented with content under the Work tab that relates to Microsoft 365 content, for example:
For more information please see: Explore Microsoft Search (bing.com)
To change the search provider browse to: edge://settings/search
Under the Search engine used in the address bar choose the provider you wish to change to.
New Tab Experience
When you create a new tab in the browser, the default configuration has been set to show the Bing search and 3 University quick links.
You can customise this page by clicking the cog in the top right of the browser window.
If you have a profile that synchronises, the new tab page experience will be the same on all devices you add your profile to.
Start-up pages
The start-up pages (also known as home pages) have initially been set to either the "For Staff" page or, in teaching spaces, the VLE Minerva portal. This can be customised.
To add or changes the start-up pages in Edge browse to: edge://settings/onStartup
You can change the browser behaviour to either open a new tab, continue where you left off or open a specific page or pages.
If you wish to open more than one page on start-up, click the "Add a new page" option.
Questions
Do I have to use the new Microsoft Edge web browser?
Not for everything, but some sites that need the old Internet Explorer 11 browser will work only in this browser.
For other sites we are continuing to make Google Chrome available as an alternative browser.
Should I create a profile
We recommend you do as profiles allow easy access to bookmarks and setting between computers and it makes a backup of these too.
Can I change the search engine?
Yes, however we recommend you do not - see above for the enterprise search feature.
Can I change the homepage?
You can change the start-up page(s) as detailed above.
A website I use will not work in the browser, what can I do?
Some older sites may have issues with newer browsers due to the use of outdated technologies.
If the site depends on a legacy technology such as Adobe Flash or Oracle Java, Microsoft and Google have now removed these from all their modern browsers as security updates are no longer being provided.
If you have a business-critical requirement for the use of an old site or a site which uses Adobe Flash or Oracle Java then please contact us and we will investigate what options may be available.
I cannot add extensions, what can I do?
To keep the university's computers secure we have restricted browser add-ins / extensions to a list of known and trusted options, at present these are:
- Advert blocking and Privacy
- Password Management
- Dictionaries, Spelling and Grammar
- Reference Management
- Productivity Applications
- Search Providers
These are the most commonly requested extensions. We recommend only installing extensions that you need and that come from a reputable source and supplier.
If you need other extensions, please submit a request to IT with your requirements and we will check it is secure and make it available if it passes our assessment. Note that we do not restrict which extensions you can use in Google Chrome.
For more information, these resources can offer you further help and guidance:
Getting to know Microsoft Edge: Get to know Edge Browser
Microsoft Edge Browser Features: Microsoft Edge Browser Features