4 Microsoft Edge Features Users Wish Google Chrome Had

Microsoft Edge isn’t good enough to be your primary browser because its performance isn’t up to par and, frankly, it’s too bloated to use on a regular basis. However, Microsoft Edge does have some features that users would love to have in Google Chrome without having to download extensions.

4. View Picture-in-Picture

Sometimes people listen to YouTube videos in the background while using Chrome, but sometimes I want to watch a video while in another tab. This is especially true for tutorial videos. Unfortunately, Chrome doesn't have a native Picture-in-Picture viewing feature. Instead, you can access a mini player. This feature allows you to browse YouTube, but it doesn't work in other browsers.

Edge, however, lets you view content in a smaller window if you want. You can pause and fast forward if needed, and it's much easier to follow if you need to see something in the video.

Once you have the video page you want to watch open, right-click on its tab and select Enter picture in picture . A new video window will appear in the lower right corner of your screen. From there, you can adjust the size to make it easier to see what you're watching.

Note: In addition to Microsoft Edge, you can also set up Picture-in-Picture mode on Windows 11.

3. Startup Boost

While Edge's overall performance is worse than Chrome's, many people still like its Startup Boost feature. Edge Startup Boost essentially loads the browser every time you start Windows. So when you launch Edge, everything is ready to go, making using Edge simple and fast.

People would love to see a similar feature in Google Chrome. They often have trouble with the browser crashing on startup, which is incredibly annoying when you sit down to get some work done and have to restart. However, Startup Boost is one of the reasons why Edge sometimes opens by itself.

2. Weather widget on home screen

You can always Google the weather for a destination or check your computer's widget for the temperature in your local area, but honestly, both are unnecessarily annoying.

Microsoft Edge lets you see the weather for your location when you open the browser. You can see the full forecast for the coming days if you want. The widget lets you confirm whether the report is accurate by selecting Agree or Disagree .

1. Vertical tab

While Chrome lets you customize the sidebar, it doesn't have vertical tabs. Instead, you'll see all the websites you're currently visiting at the top of the screen.

Edge , on the other hand, has vertical tabs . It's much easier to switch between tabs and see everything you have open. While it's a simple UX change, it makes a big difference to the Chrome experience.

Chrome is the world’s most popular browser. But a few small tweaks would make it even better. You can find Chrome browser extensions that add most of the functionality mentioned here, but it’s not always a good idea to rely on extensions to provide useful functionality. First, Chrome extensions add to your browser’s footprint and require additional hardware resources, and second, Chrome extensions are sometimes removed or uninstalled without warning. So in that regard, these simple but effective changes would make for a much better experience.