Microsoft’s change to dark mode in Edge could prove divisive
A much darker dark mode is only in testing right now, though
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Microsoftis experimenting with making itsEdgebrowser even darker when it comes to the dark mode for the app.
As spotted by Leopeva64, one of the regulars chiming in about Edge testing on Twitter, Microsoft is trying out a fully black background – as opposed to the current dark gray – for the browser’s dark mode.
In Edge Canary Microsoft is testing a full black background for the tab strip, toolbar, favorites bar, vertical tabs and sidebar, here’s a comparison between the Dev and Canary versions (the first two screenshots have the Mica effect enabled): pic.twitter.com/X6E2QouK3nJune 21, 2023
The black background extends across the tab strip, toolbar, favorites bar, vertical tabs, and sidebar, as Leopeva64 points out – the whole interface nine yards, in other words. It may also grace Edge’s Settings and History panels, Leopeva64 observes in anothertweet.
All this is happening in Edge’s Canary version, mind, which is the earliest testing channel for thebrowser, and only some testers are seeing it there. Meaning it’s still very early days for the change, which may not clear all the hurdles in front of it before reaching the release version of Edge.
Analysis: The importance of choice
We rather like this new ‘properly dark mode’ as it were, with the jet black color giving the browser a crisp look. Doubtless it won’t be to everyone’s taste, though, and Microsoft will be watching feedback carefully as testing progresses.
The middle road, of course, might be to give Edge users the option to switch between a dark mode that’s dark gray, and one that’s fully black. The best of both worlds would then be accessible to all users depending on their preference (or indeed the current lighting conditions).
We’re seeing Microsoft doing a lot of work on Edge in recent times, as it continues to try and drive the browser to be a meaningful rival toGoogle’s dominant Chrome.
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That includes stuff like abuilt-in VPN,BingAI integration (naturally), and even amode for gamers. The volume of stuff coming in has led us to worry that Microsoft is going down the road of bloating the browser, but of course, changes like alterations to dark mode aren’t going to be guilty on that front. As long as a choice is provided, as mentioned, we can see this darker dark mode making progress to the release version of Edge eventually.
Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - ‘I Know What You Did Last Supper’ - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).
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