Microsoft’s latest Edge release brings new Apple account sign-in, stronger scam protections, and the retirement of Edge Drop and real-time video translation, signalling a strategic simplification of the browser across ecosystems.
Microsoft’s latest Edge release adds an option to sign in with an Apple account, broadening the browser’s account support on both Windows and macOS. According to reporting from Windows Central and MacRumors, the feature is part of a controlled rollout, so it may not appear immediately for all users. The change reduces reliance on a Microsoft account for profile access, and it reflects a small but notable shift in how Edge is being positioned across Apple and Microsoft ecosystems.
The update also tightens browser defences against scam notifications. If a site sends a notification that leads to a page blocked by Microsoft Defender SmartScreen as malicious, phishing or fraudulent, Edge will now automatically stop further notifications from that source and alert the user. Users can review or restore blocked sites from the browser’s notification settings, although Microsoft is rolling the feature out gradually rather than enabling it everywhere at once.
At the same time, the company is ending two long-standing features. Edge Drop, the sidebar tool that let users send notes, files and images to themselves through a OneDrive-backed thread, is being retired in Edge version 152. Real-time video translation is also being phased out. Microsoft has said it wants to simplify the browser, although commentators have noted that the feature’s place in the sidebar may have put it in direct competition with Copilot.
The release also brings several administrative changes. According to Microsoft’s stable-channel notes, administrators can control Copilot Cowork actions through a dedicated policy, manage some WebView2 downgrade behaviour only with an exact four-part version number, and delay the removal of the LocalNetworkAccessRestrictionsTemporaryOptOut policy until after Edge version 156. Microsoft is also extending policy control to the video transcription setting tied to Copilot, while the new credential panel in the address bar gives users a clearer view of saved logins, with options to copy usernames and passwords or add notes.
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