Sidebars were all the rage in the first browser wars in the 1990s. With Microsoft so in love with that decade, it is no surprise that the company has returned to this feature.
The latest release of its web browser in the Stable channel is packed full with the new Sidebar feature.
In fact, you can access Outlook, Office, and much more right from these panels. Not everyone is keen on additions like this—and the browser is being criticized for the bloat that Microsoft has been adding lately—but they are here.
To get them, you will have to look for version 104.0.1293.63 and deploy it on your system.
But be aware that these new additions are part of a feature currently on a controller rollout. That is to say that you may not immediately find them upon updating. You can, however, find all the feature updates and how to enable them in the changelog that Microsoft has put together.
The changelog can be accessed here.
Anyway, the big idea behind the newly developed sidebar is to include convenient shortcuts for users for common browser features, including search. It is not exactly a new idea, as similar features have been available in other web browsers for quite some time.
Both Vivaldi and Opera have been offering sidebars for ages now.
As Microsoft notes:
“The Microsoft Edge sidebar lets users access Microsoft Edge features side-by-side with their browsing window. Available features include Discover, Bing search, Outlook, Office, Games, and Tools such as a unit converter and Internet speed test.”
As expected, Outlook and Microsoft Office apps are key components of the new sidebar experience. If you regularly use these programs and services, you will appreciate this new addition the most.
In addition to the new sidebar feature, this particular build of Edge 104 includes a security fix for a vulnerability noted above.
