Microsoft has initiated testing of a groundbreaking feature for its Edge browser that incorporates an AI-powered search function for browsing history. Dubbed “enhanced search,” this feature allows users to locate websites in their browsing history even if they enter a phrase, synonym, or a misspelling related to the desired site.
This AI-driven history search began to surface in beta versions of the Microsoft Edge browser last week. According to Microsoft’s beta channel release notes, “Once this feature is activated, the sites you visit will appear in enhanced history search results.” They noted that “an on-device model is trained using your data, which never leaves your device and is never transmitted to Microsoft.”
This optional feature appears to pose a lower privacy risk compared to Microsoft’s Recall function, which captures screenshots of much of your activity on a Copilot Plus PC to facilitate searching for websites, photos, and documents. The implementation of an on-device model that is solely focused on browser history marks a notable improvement over storing extensive data from your screen in a local database.
In addition to the AI-enhanced browsing history, Microsoft is introducing a media control center within Edge. This feature will enable users to manage multiple media sources across websites, providing quick access to Edge’s picture-in-picture mode, which is also receiving upgraded controls, along with the capability to manage audio from music, videos, or any other sounds within the browser.
