Microsoft Edge extensions leak ahead of launch

Microsoft is preparing for a major update to its Edge browser, shipped as the default in Windows 10: the ability to install extensions to customise the browser or add functionality.

Developed under the codename Project Spartan then launched as Edge, the Windows 10 browser marks a move away from Internet Explorer - kept around only for legacy support, particularly in older enterprise sites which don't like the new rendering engine rewritten from the ground up to support shiny new functionality. While it's the default for Windows 10, many users have complained that Edge is lacking in functionality compared even to Internet Explorer - to say nothing of third-party alternatives like Google's popular Chrome.

One area in which Edge is lacking is support for extensions, small add-on programs which are developed by third parties to add functionality to a browser such as the ability to play back a certain type of media or save files in a cloud-based notebook. Thankfully, support is just around the corner - at least according to an eagle-eyed Twitter user who posted a screenshot of an Edge extension page showing off the means of installing the extensions as well as extensions targeted at users of Pinterest and reddit.

The page, it appears, was sent live in error: attempts to access the site, hosted on Microsoft's Azure platform, return a 403 error warning that 'the web app you have attempted to reach is currently stopped and does not accept any requests' - confirming it did once exist, and was likely activated only for test purposes. Sadly, Microsoft has not yet indicated a launch date for the Edge extensions functionality.