For a long time, Microsoft’s web browsers were the subject of ridicule. However, thanks to Google, Edge has made a remarkable turnaround and many people are now making the move away from Chrome. I certainly never imagined I would see this. Plus the fact that Google Bard failed in their presentation while Microsoft AI Bing was superb.
Due to the same Chromium source being utilized, the two browsers are now quite alike, thus transitioning is fairly straightforward–the basic characteristics are the same, and you may even get the same extensions. But, Edge appears to function a bit better than Chrome–not only in web browsing tests but also in hardware performance.
Although Chrome has been criticized for its power-hungry nature, Edge appears to be leaner and more efficient. Of course, the amount of resources it requires is still dependent on the number of tabs and extensions you’re using as many of us tend to use our browsers extensively.
Edge possesses some exclusive functions such as an immersive reading mode, an integrated coupon detector, the ability to compile resources while surfing the internet, and more privacy controls. It does, however, have some idiosyncrasies, like the fact that pinning websites to the taskbar does not seem to be as dependable (from my personal experience). Nevertheless, its gains might exceed its drawbacks, particularly if you own an older computer.
Our list of the best tricks has more information on the new Edge. If you are planning to make the switch, here is how to transfer your data and try out a quick Chrome alternative.
Utilizing Edge, Bring in Your Data
An image of a data import is featured here. It depicts a visualization of the process of bringing in information from another source.
If you want to keep your Chrome data, I suggest transferring it to Edge. Doing so will enable you to carry on your web surfing from where you left off. When you open Edge, click the three dots in the upper-right corner and then select Settings. Even though the menu looks different from Chrome’s settings menu, I found it simpler to navigate.
From the Profiles section in the side menu, you can easily import your Google Chrome data by pressing the Import Browser Data button. It allows you to bring over bookmarks, history, settings, open tabs, extensions, passwords, and credit cards. Overall, this makes setting up your profile much smoother.
Make Edge the Default Web Browser
An image depicting a typical web browser can be seen here 
. It is a representation of the standard window that many use to access the internet.
Subsequently, you must set Edge as your default browser in Windows–otherwise, links from external applications may open Chrome rather than your selected browser. Don’t fret, you can always switch it back to Chrome if you come to a different decision in the future.
To set Microsoft Edge as your default browser, go to the “Settings” option in Windows and look for “Apps” followed by “Default Apps”. Scroll down until you reach the selection for Web Browser and then choose the Microsoft Edge option with the blue and green waves. Be aware that this is not the same as the “E” logo, which refers to the earlier, non-Chromium variation of Edge.
Return to Utilizing Google Search and Include Your Unique Keywords
When attempting a search from the address bar, Microsoft Edge defaults to Bing. However, the data-migration tool does not transfer custom search engines or keywords from Chrome; changing the default search engine back to Google is simple.
In Edge, you can tweak your Privacy, Search, and Services settings to switch the Search Engine Used in the Address Bar to Google. To do that, go to Settings > Privacy, Search and Services > Address Bar and Search.
To search specific sites with custom keywords, click on Manage Search Engines. It is necessary to add the custom engines back into the program manually, but the URL syntax is the same as Chrome, so you can simply copy and paste the vital ones from your Chrome settings.
Activate Additional Capabilities
After migrating your data, you can go back to browsing without much disruption. It is suggested that you should take some time to check out the additional settings and aspects that Edge offers.
If you take a look at Settings > System, you’ll find Startup Boost, a feature that keeps the browser running in the background when you close it, which will make it quicker to access when you come back to the web. You can also visit Privacy, Search, and Services to modify the Tracking Prevention settings, activate Do Not Track, and adjust other privacy settings.
Microsoft Edge provides vertical tabbing, a personalizable start page, and the capability to put tabs into hibernation mode, which conserves system resources. Additionally, users should take some time to look into the full-screen reader, collections page, and other unique offerings.
Keep Your Settings in Sync Across Gadgets
If you’re liking what you’re seeing with Edge, you may want to set it up on your other devices and sync the settings. To do this, go to Settings > Profiles > Sync and enable everything for transfer to all other devices. Signing into Edge with your Microsoft credentials on Windows devices should automatically sync your data. Edge is also available for MacOS, iOS, and Android so that you can continue where you left off on any device.
In general, this should serve most people. But if you are utilizing Chrome (or other browsers) on any computer–such as if you have a Chromebook–you could potentially sync some of your information with Chrome through xBrowserSync. xBrowserSync is an open-source extension and mobile app intended to synchronize data across different browsers. At the moment it only supports syncing of bookmarks, but its roadmap includes the synchronization of history and open tabs. It is hoped that this project will gain more features in the near future.
