News
Microsoft Lets Orgs Slow Pace of Edge Browser Updates
- By Kurt Mackie
- March 15, 2021
Organizations that need more time to test Microsoft Edge browser updates will be able to switch to a longer feature release cycle this year, Microsoft announced.
A new "Extended Stable" option coming this fall will deliver Edge features every eight weeks, instead of the default cycle of every four weeks. However, with both options, Microsoft still delivers security updates to the browser on a biweekly basis.
The Extended Stable update option is expected to be available with the release of Microsoft Edge 94 on Sept. 23, according to this Microsoft document.
Organizations wanting the Extended Stable update option with the eight-week update delays for the Edge browser will have to opt into it. "If this option is not selected, the 4-week cadence will be the default experience," Microsoft's announcement explained. Exactly how to opt into the Extended Stable update mode wasn't described.
The eight-week period of the Extended Stable update option isn't precisely fixed in time because Microsoft releases its browser updates via so-called "progressive rollouts." With progressive rollouts, Edge browser updates get released on a staggered basis. It's done as an added protection against vulnerabilities, Microsoft stated in this document.
These feature update options just pertain to the Chromium-based Edge browser. Microsoft had announced last week that its older Edge browser (known as "EdgeHTML") had fallen out of support and no longer will get security patches. On April 13 ("update Tuesday"), existing instances of the EdgeHTML browser will get replaced by the Chromium-based Edge browser, which will happen via security patches.
About the Author
Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.