- Microsoft Edge adds malicious sideload extension detection
- Other productivity and AI improvements are in the works
- Edge is still struggling with market share (vs. chrome)
Microsoft has announced plans to add a new security feature to its edge browser to protect users from malicious side -loaded extensions as it continues with plans to lure more users away from Chrome.
Sideloading allows developers to install extensions locally, but attackers have also utilized sidelines to trick users into installing harmful extensions and bypassing the controls that extensions usually go through through the Edge added store.
The company confirmed that the browser “will detect and revoke malicious side -loaded extensions” in a timetable input.
Edge soon detects malicious side -loaded extensions
Microsoft said this new security feature is currently under development but is ready to roll out in November 2025.
The company refrained from sharing details, such as detection methods – all we have is the limited timetable input (track as 503593) to pass by.
However, it is not Microsoft’s first socket by making Edge a safer web environment. It has also rolled out warnings for extensions that damage EDGE’s performance and an HTTPS-first state to upgrade from HTTP to HTTPS where possible.
It is not only security updates that find their way into Microsoft’s original browser. The company also hopes to make it a more productive place to plan to introduce a built-in Adobe-driven PDF reader as soon as October 2025. Of course, Copilot Generative AI tools also find the way into all aspects of the browser.
All of this said, Microsoft continues to fight with edge recording as the recent numbers claim that the browser accounts for about 12% of all desktop browser sessions around the world compared to 70% for Chrome. Still, it’s twice as far ahead as safari (6%) on the desktop, at least.
