Microsoft Edge is getting a redesigned dark theme with mica material and a new feature that allows users to leverage the browser as a photo viewer.
Although the default browser for Windows 11 already includes a dark theme, the current version uses dark solid colors. However, the new theme (via @Leopeva64) brings the mica material to match the acrylic semi-transparent effect already available in the menus of the browser and in the design system for Windows 11.
The mica material support won’t be only available for the dark theme since the company has already been testing the same visual effects for the light theme.
The new dark theme is already available (for some users) in the Canary version of the browser. You can switch themes from the “Appearance” page inside the Edge settings.
Another noticeable feature coming to Microsoft Edge is the new photo viewer (EdgePhoto). In the current version of the browser, you can already open images among other file types (such as PDF documents). However, the new implementation will include an updated interface and the ability to list the other images stored in the same folder. In addition, there’s a new button in the bottom-right corner to open the image on a new window without the browser interface elements.
The Photo feature is still in development, but you can enable it in the latest version of Microsoft Edge available in the Canary Channel. You only need to right-click the app’s icon, select “Properties,” and in the “Target” field, append this --enable-features=msEdgePhoto command at the end of the path. Finally, save the changes, and restart the browser.
It’s unclear the reasoning for this feature when the operating system already includes a Photos application. However, the browser has had the ability to open this and other file types for a long time, and the company is probably simply adding some visual elements to make the experience more complete.
While these new improvements are already available for some users in the Canary Channel, it’s not clear when Microsoft plans to roll them out to Windows 11 users.
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