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If you really must have Edge on your Apple M1 silicon, there's a compatible stable build for Microsoft's browser

It works – but the more 'exciting' stuff is in the Dev and Canary Channels

Microsoft has added new features to Edge and released a stable channel version for Mac M1 users as it strives to make the browser more than a tool to download Chrome.

Unlike Windows 10 users, who get the browser bestowed on them by default, those with Apple devices must actually choose to download it themselves. After the first devices running on Apple's M1 silicon appeared last year, Microsoft moved with impressive speed in porting the Chromium-based Edge to the new hardware.

Stable it may be on the M1 Mac, but version 88 is unlikely to set the pulses of the browser's fans racing. For that there is the Dev and Canary Channels and the builds that might explode without warning as the Edge team roll out new features.

The Dev Channel was updated to version 90.0.782.0 last night, replete with improvements to how downloads work. Currently rolling out, the downloads have moved from the bottom of the window to a more useful popup, accessed from a toolbar button. It all looks a little Firefox-y to us, but we're sure any similarity is purely coincidental.

The Collections menu has also been updated as well as being added as an option for InPrivate windows. Additionally, smoothness and latency have been improved when inking PDFs.

More interesting for those concerned with security and administration is extra information about a given cookie in the Cookies In Use dialog and a management policy aimed at stopping certain context menu items from being available.

Sadly, as well as a multitude of fixes for Dev Channel users, there remain a selection of known issues. Some extensions (like the Microsoft Editor) don't work on Linux, certain antivirus software can upset the Edge applecart, and some websites on some devices can trigger an annoying "wobble" when scrolling.

Microsoft has attributed this to its ongoing efforts to make things as pleasing as the original Edge's behaviour – and this can be turned off via a flag. ®

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