Microsoft Edge comes pre-installed on every Windows 11 machine and is often dismissed as just another browser — but it has several genuinely useful features for office work that Chrome does not offer out of the box. If you use Windows at work, it is worth knowing what Edge can do.
Vertical Tabs
If you regularly work with many open tabs, Edge’s vertical tab layout puts tabs in a sidebar on the left instead of a horizontal strip at the top. This is much easier to read when you have 20+ tabs open because you can see full page titles rather than just favicons.
To enable: click the Tab actions menu (the small icon at the top left of the tab strip) and select Turn on vertical tabs. Or press Ctrl + Shift + , to toggle.
Collections — Organise Research Without Bookmarks
Collections is Edge’s answer to saving and organising research. Unlike bookmarks, Collections let you group pages, add notes, and organise material by project:
- Click the Collections icon in the toolbar (looks like a folder with a +)
- Click Start new collection and give it a name
- Add pages to it by clicking Add current page while browsing
Collections sync across devices and can be exported to Word or Excel, making them useful for building reference lists or research notes.
Built-in Screenshot Tool
Edge has a web capture tool that lets you take and annotate screenshots of any webpage — full page or selected area:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + S
- Choose Select area to capture a region, or Capture full page for the whole page
- Annotate with the drawing tools and copy or save the result
Immersive Reader
Immersive Reader strips away ads, sidebars, and clutter from web articles, leaving just the text in a clean, readable format — great for reading long documents without distraction. Press F9 on any supported page, or click the book icon in the address bar.
PDF Tools Built In
Edge can open and annotate PDF files directly in the browser without any additional software. You can highlight text, add notes, draw, and even fill in PDF forms. Simply open a PDF file in Edge (drag it into the browser window) to access the toolbar.
Work and Personal Profiles
If you use Edge for both work and personal browsing, set up separate profiles to keep history, passwords, and bookmarks completely separate:
- Click your profile picture (top right)
- Click Add profile
- Set up a separate profile for work with your work Microsoft account
Profiles keep your work and personal browsing entirely separate, which is also useful from a security standpoint.
Edge vs Chrome for Work
Edge tends to use slightly less memory than Chrome, which makes a difference on lower-spec machines. It integrates tightly with Microsoft 365 — clicking a SharePoint or Teams link in Edge often opens it more smoothly than in Chrome. It also supports Chrome extensions via the Edge Add-ons store, so you can still use most Chrome plugins.
Copilot Built In
Edge has Microsoft Copilot built into the sidebar (the Copilot icon on the right-hand toolbar). You can use it to summarise long web pages, ask questions about content you are reading, or draft text — without leaving the browser.
Related Browser Guides
- How to Clear Cache in Google Chrome
- Google Chrome Running Slow Fix
- How to Set Up a Chrome Work Profile
Related articles: How to Manage Saved Passwords in Google Chrome
