A recent leak of Windows 10 build 10123 — the current build available to Windows Insider is 10074 — shows new features that are available to Microsoft's new Edge browser. As Microsoft Edge won't support browser extensions initially at launch, the new features revealed in the latest Windows leak may go a long way in improving browsing privacy.
There are three new Edge features that were shown in screenshots posted by Chinese website ITHome. The leak details a new private browsing session, autofill for usernames and passwords and a new view of top sites and suggested content.
Private browsing
Private browsing is a feature that's offered on many of Edge's rivals, including Chrome and Firefox. Through a feature called InPrivate Browsing, Edge would be able to stop cookies, passwords and your web history from being stored.
The feature is useful if you need to quickly use a public computer or a friend's laptop. With InPrivate Browsing turned on, you should be able to navigate to your email account, pay your utility bill and book your dinner reservations without having your passwords and usernames stored or your browsing history saved.
Autofill
Autofill is a useful feature if you're browsing on a personal computer. It allows the Edge browser to save your username, password and personal information. If you're logging into your Outlook.com email address regularly, autofill could automatically fill in your username and password, so you don't have to remember that information or have to manually type it in.
Browser extensions that handle passwords, like 1Password and LastPass, go a lot further. They can store multiple usernames and passwords for the same site and auto-generate complex passwords.
Top Sites
This is another feature that's supported on rival browsers. The top sites view allows users to quickly see the sites that they frequently visit when they initially launch the browser.
Interestingly enough, the feature is called with "top sites and suggested content." While it isn't clear at this time, perhaps Microsoft intends on introducing you to new websites, news stories and content based on your browsing history through Cortana, the virtual assistant that will ship with Windows 10.
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