Microsoft released its Edge mobile web browser for iOS on Thursday following a brief preview period, with the new browser aiming to provide Windows 10 users a 'continuous browsing experience' between their desktop and their iPhone.
Bearing the name of its Windows 10-based counterpart, the Edge browser for iOS is intended to make it as easy as possible to move from browsing on their mobile devices to a PC or vice versa. Similar to aspects of Apple's Continuity feature, the browser allows users to "continue on PC," synchronizing content viewed in the mobile browser with the PC.
Microsoft advises that the seamless content synchronization of "Continue on PC" requires the Windows 10 Fall Creator's Update in order to function.
The synchronization also includes other types of data that could be useful to users, including favorite links, and their reading list, keeping the data the same across multiple devices. A central Hub View collects these as well as the user's history and books in one place, theoretically making it easier for users to find and manage content.
The browser also includes a QR code reader, voice search, and a private browsing mode called "InPrivate," which does not retain items like the history, temporary Internet files, and cookies of a browsing session.
Two other additions have been made to Edge since it became available as part of a limited preview in October, with Microsoft enabling passwords to be shared between devices as part of its data synchronization function. Lastly, a dark theme has been added, giving an alternative appearance to the browser's user interface.
Microsoft Edge for iOS is available as a free download from the App Store in the United States and the United Kingdom, with versions for China and France including support for Simplified Chinese and French respectively. Weighing in at 121 megabytes, the app requires iOS 9.0 or later, and is compatible with all iPhones, iPads, and the iPod touch.
A version of the app is also available for Android, with a similar feature set.