Microsoft and Windows are known for their innovation, and their latest creation, Microsoft Edge, has earned a legion of fans across the world.
Microsoft Edge is a browser that offers many features such as tabbed browsing, Cortana integration, and more, and which is available on all major platforms including Windows 10 Mobile, Android, iOS, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS, and even Samsung Internet Browser.
One of the major perks of Microsoft Edge is the range of shortcuts that can help to make your life easier – and we have put together some of the must-try shortcuts to boost your productivity and make life faster and more efficient!
What Are The Advantages Of Microsoft Edge?
There are a number of reasons for the popularity of Microsoft Edge, and some of the main ones include:
Faster Than Other Browsers
One of the main reasons people choose to switch to Edge is because it is faster than other browsers. In our tests, Edge beat out both Safari and Firefox when it came to page loading times.
We tested this by loading 100 pages of text into each browser. While Firefox took around 5 seconds longer to load the pages than Edge, it still loaded them quicker than Safari.
Built-In Privacy Features
Another reason people might prefer Edge is because it comes with built-in privacy features.
These include:
- Incognito mode – You can browse privately without leaving any traces behind.
- Tracking protection – Disables cookies and third-party tracking scripts.
- Data compression – Compresses data before sending it across the internet.
Better Compatibility With Extensions
When it comes to compatibility, Edge beats out both Safari and Firefox. That’s because it uses the same rendering engine as Chrome, meaning that it will work with most extensions.
More Secure Than Other Browsers
While Edge isn’t completely immune to security flaws, it is more secure than other browsers. When it comes to phishing, malware, and adware, Edge scored higher than Safari and Firefox.
Works On All Platforms
As well as being available on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, Microsoft Edge works on mobile devices too. This includes Android and iOS smartphones and tablets.
Range Of Shortcuts
Users have access to a range of keyboard shortcuts in Edge. These help you to do things like searching the web or closing tabs quickly.
There are also shortcuts for opening links in new tabs, copying URLs, and even searching the web.
Microsoft Edge also comes with a number of useful features like:
Tabbed Browsing
You can open multiple tabs at once in Microsoft Edge, allowing you to view several pages or websites simultaneously.
This means you don’t need to switch between windows when viewing different sites.
Cortana Integration
You can use Cortana to search within Microsoft Edge, so you won’t need to go through the hassle of opening up Google Search each time.
Search Suggestions
Microsoft Edge will show relevant results based on what you’ve typed into the address bar.
For example, if you type “weather” into the address bar, you’ll see weather-related searches suggested. You can also set specific websites to appear in this list.
Smart Cards
If you’re using an Office 365 account, you can sign in to websites directly from Microsoft Edge. Simply click the Sign In button at the top right corner of the page, then select your account.
Offline Reading Mode
This feature allows you to read articles offline without having to wait for them to load. When reading an article, simply tap the icon next to the URL bar and choose Read Later.
Share Links
You can share links via email, social media, or other apps straight from the address bar. Just copy the link, paste it where needed, and click Share.
What Are Edge Shortcuts?
Shortcuts are keyboard combinations that allow you to perform tasks quickly. They work just like any other shortcut, but they only work inside Microsoft Edge. Here are some of our favorites:
1. Immersive Reader
Immersive Reader is a feature that is designed to simplify the layout of web pages, as well as reduce visual clutter.
Users can also use the Immersive Reader to personalize their reading experience, and the original intention of the feature was to make things easier for readers with dysgraphia and dyslexia.
Immersive Reader works by hiding certain elements of the webpage, such as ads, sidebars, navigation bars, etc. while displaying the content itself. The result is a more streamlined, less cluttered website.
How Does It Work?
When you visit a site with Immersive Reader enabled, the browser hides various parts of the page, including the sidebar, footer, ads, etc.
This makes the page look cleaner and makes it easier to focus on the text.
When you hover over a link, the browser displays a preview of the page, so users know exactly what they’re going to be viewing before clicking.
The browser also shows a small dot when hovering over a link, indicating that the user has not yet clicked on the link.
Once the user clicks on the link, the browser immediately opens the linked page.
The browser also highlights words automatically, so users do not have to manually highlight each word.
2. Can I Turn On/Off Immersive Reader?
Yes! You can easily toggle Immersive Reader on and off by opening Microsoft Edge, scrolling down until you see Reading View, and choosing to toggle Immersive Reader on or off using the slider.
Press Enter, close Microsoft Edge, and Immersive Reader will be off.
You can also access Immersive Reader from within Microsoft Edge by pressing F9 on Windows and Mac.
3. Read Aloud
Read Aloud is another great feature in Microsoft Edge, and this can be found in the Immersive Reader toolbar.
As the name suggests, the Read Aloud feature is perfect for allowing you to read aloud what you’re viewing on your computer, and can be a very useful tool.
To activate Read Aloud, simply head to the Read Aloud option in the Immersive Reader toolbar, and press “X” when you want to stop reading aloud.
4. Open New Tab
To open a new tab in Microsoft Edge, press Ctrl + T (Windows) / Command + T (Mac). Alternatively, you can also drag down the top edge of the window to create a new tab.
5. Close All Tabs
To close all currently opened tabs in Microsoft Edge, press Alt + F4 (Windows) / Option + F4 (Mac). Alternatively, click the X button in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
6. Open Recent Tabs
To open recently used tabs, press Ctrl + P (Windows) / Command + P (Mac).
7. Close Window
To close the current window, press Ctrl + W (Windows) / Command + W (Mac).
8. Go Back One Page
To navigate back one page, press Ctrl + B (Windows) / Command B (Mac).
9. Go Forward One Page
To move forward one page, press Ctrl + (Windows) / Command + (Mac).
10. Zoom In/Out
Zoom in or out by pressing Ctrl + 0 (Windows) / Command + 0 (Mac).
11. Copy URL
Copy the address bar’s current location by pressing Ctrl + C (Windows) / Command + C (Mac).
12. Paste Address Bar Location
Pastes the address bar’s current position into the address bar by pressing Ctrl + V (Windows) / Command + V (Mac).
13. Switch Between Browser Mode And Reader Mode
Switch between Browser mode and Reader mode by pressing Ctrl + R (Windows) / Command + R (Mac).
14. Toggle Full Screen Mode
Toggle full-screen mode by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Enter (Windows) / Command Shift + Return (Mac).
15. Minimize And Maximize Edge
As the name suggests, these shortcuts minimize or maximize the browser window to the system tray by pressing Ctrl + M (Windows) / Command + M (Mac).
Pressing one will maximize the browser while pressing the other will reduce the size back down.
16. Restore Previous Desktop Size
Restores the previous desktop size by pressing Ctrl + Alt + D (Windows) / Command + Alt + Option D (Mac).
17. Maximize And Minimize The Current Window
As the name suggests, this allows you to maximize the current active window by pressing Ctrl + Alt + (Number Key) + M (Windows) / Cmd + Alt + Option + (Number Key) + M (Mac).
You can minimize all current active windows by pressing Ctrl + Alt + (Number Key) + M (Windows) / Cmd + Alt + Option + (Number Key) + M (Mac).
18. Move Focus To Next Control
Move focus to the next control by pressing Ctrl + Tab (Windows) / Cmd + Tab (Mac).
19. Move Focus To Previous Control
Move focus to the previous control by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Tab (Windows) / Command + Shift + Tab (Mac).
20. Navigate to Top Level Domain
Navigates to the top-level domain by pressing Ctrl + L (Windows) / Cmd + L (Mac).
21. Search Web
Search the web with Google Chrome by pressing Ctrl + K (Windows) / Command + K (Mac).
As you can see, there are a number of shortcuts that can really boost your experience with Microsoft Edge, and these are great for helping you to save precious time and effort.
Final Thoughts
Learning to use the most common shortcuts on Microsoft Edge can transform your experience, making it easier and smoother to use.
my edge isn’t loading startup pages, but i am not prepared to kill all history and cookies. is there a shortcut or a button on the settings to ‘load now’ the startup pages