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This article describes how to configure Microsoft Edge kiosk mode options that you can pilot. There's also a roadmap of features we're targeting.
Hi, we’re the Microsoft Edge Team. We’ve created this space to give us the ability to more easily talk with you, share our progress, answer questions, and take your feedback. This site will be updated regularly with articles and discussions published by our own engineering team, but we will also be here every day participating in. In the official announcement, Brandon LeBlanc, Senior Program Manager on the Windows Insider Program, confirmed that 20H2 will 'include the new Microsoft Edge based on Chromium.' Signle frame scanner vendor driver download.
Note
This article applies to Microsoft Edge version 87 or later.
Important
Invoke Microsoft Edge kiosk mode features on Windows 10 using the command line arguments provided in Use kiosk mode features.
Overview
Microsoft Edge kiosk mode offers two lockdown experiences of the browser so organizations can create, manage, and provide the best experience for their customers. The following lockdown experiences are available:
- Digital/Interactive Signage experience - Displays a specific site in full-screen mode.
- Public-Browsing experience - Runs a limited multi-tab version of Microsoft Edge.
Both experiences are running a Microsoft Edge InPrivate session, which protects user data.
Set up Microsoft Edge kiosk mode
An initial set of kiosk mode features is available to test with Microsoft Edge Stable Channel, version 87. You can download the latest version from Microsoft Edge (Official Stable Channel).
Kiosk mode supported features
The following table lists the features supported by kiosk mode in Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Edge Legacy. Use this table as a guide to transitioning to Microsoft Edge by comparing how these features are supported in both versions of Microsoft Edge.
| Feature | DigitalInteractive Signage | Public browsing | Available with Microsoft Edge version (and higher) | Available with Microsoft Edge Legacy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| InPrivate Navigation | Y | Y | 89 | Y |
| Reset on inactivity | Y | Y | 89 | Y |
| Read only address bar (policy) | N | Y | 89 | N |
| Delete downloads on exit (policy) | Y | Y | 89 | N |
| F11 blocked (enter/exit full-screen) | Y | Y | 89 | Y |
| F12 blocked (launch Developer Tools) | Y | Y | 89 | Y |
| Multi tab support | N | Y | 89 | Y |
| Allow URL support (policy) | Y | Y | 89 | N |
| Block URL support (policy) | Y | Y | 89 | N |
| Show home button (policy) | N | Y | 89 | Y |
| Manage favorites (policy) | N | Y | 89 | Y |
| Enable printer (policy) | Y | Y | 89 | Y |
| Configure the new tab page URL (policy) | N | Y | 89 | Y |
| End session button * | N | Y | 89 | Y |
| All internal Microsoft Edge URLs are blocked, except for edge://downloads and edge://print | N | Y | 89 | Y |
| CTRL+N blocked (open a new window) * | Y | Y | 89 | Y |
| CTRL+T blocked (open new tab) | Y | N | 89 | Y |
| Settings and more (..) will display only the required options | Y | Y | 89 | Y |
| Restrict the launch of other applications from the browser | Y | Y | 90 | Y |
| UI print settings lockdown | Y | Y | 90 | Y |
| Set the new tab page as the home page (policy) | N | Y | 90 | Y |
Note
Features followed by '*' are only enabled in an assigned access single app scenario.
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Use kiosk mode features
Microsoft Edge kiosk mode features can be invoked with the following Windows 10 command line options for Digital/Interactive signage and Public browsing.
Kiosk mode Digital/Interactive signage
Kiosk mode Public browsing
Additional command line options
--no-first-run: Disable the first Microsoft Edge run experience.
--kiosk-idle-timeout-minutes=: Change the time (in minutes) from the last user activity before Microsoft Edge kiosk mode resets the user's session. Replace 'value' in the next example with the number of minutes.
The following 'values' are supported:
- Default values (in minutes)
- Full screen - 0 (turned off)
- Public browsing - 5 minutes
- Allowed values
- 0 - turns off the timer
- 1-1440 minutes for reset on idle timer
- Default values (in minutes)
Support policies for kiosk mode
Use any of the Microsoft Edge policies listed in the following table to enhance the kiosk experience for the Microsoft Edge kiosk mode type you configure. To learn more about these policies, see Microsoft Edge – Browser policy reference.
Note
Policy configuration isn't limited to the policies listed in the following table, however additional policies should be tested to ensure that kiosk mode functionality isn't negatively affected.
| Group policy | DigitalInteractive signage | Public browsing single-app |
|---|---|---|
| Printing | Y | Y |
| HomePageLocation | N | Y |
| ShowHomeButton | N | Y |
| NewTabPageLocation | N | Y |
| FavoritesBarEnabled | N | Y |
| URLAllowlist | Y | Y |
| URLBlocklist | Y | Y |
| ManagedSearchEngines | N | Y |
| UserFeedbackAllowed | N | Y |
| VerticalTabsAllowed | N | Y |
| SmartScreen settings | Y | Y |
| EdgeCollectionsEnabled | Y | Y |
Microsoft Edge with assigned access
Single app kiosk
Microsoft Edge currently supports a subset of the same Microsoft Edge Legacy kiosk mode types for single-app assigned access with the following lockdown experiences: Digital/Interactive signage, and Public-browsing.
Microsoft Edge kiosk mode with assigned access single app is currently available for testing with the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview Build, version 20215 or higher, and with the Microsoft Edge Beta Channel, version 89 or higher.
How do I get the Windows Insiders preview?
To install a Windows 10 Insider Preview Build on a PC, follow the instructions in Getting started with Windows 10 Insider Preview Builds.
Multi-app kiosk
Microsoft Edge can be run with multi-app assigned access on Windows 10, which is the equivalent of Microsoft Edge Legacy 'Normal browsing' kiosk mode type. To configure Microsoft Edge with multi-app assigned access, follow the instructions on how to Set up a multi-app kiosk. (The AUMID for the Microsoft Edge Stable channel is MSEdge).
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When using Microsoft Edge with multi-app assigned access, you can configure Microsoft Edge kiosk to use theMicrosoft Edge browser policies to configure the browsing experience to meet your unique requirements.
Configure using Windows Settings
Windows Settings is the simplest way to set up one or two single-app kiosk devices. Use the following steps to set up a single-app kiosk computer.
Install the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview, version 20215 or higher. Follow the instructions in Getting started with Windows 10 Insider Preview Builds.
To test the latest features, you can download the latest Microsoft Edge Beta channel, version 89 or higher.
On the kiosk computer, open Windows Settings, and type 'kiosk' in the search field. Select Set up a kiosk (assigned access), shown in the next screenshot to open the dialog for creating the kiosk.
On the Set up a kiosk page, click Get started.
Type a name to create a new kiosk account or choose an existing account from the populated dropdown list and then click Next.
On the Choose a kiosk app page, select Microsoft Edge and then click Next.
Note
This only applies to Microsoft Edge Dev, Beta, and Stable channels.
Pick one of the following options for how Microsoft Edge displays when running in kiosk mode:
- Digital/Interactive signage - Displays a specific site in full-screen mode, running Microsoft Edge.
- Public browser - Runs a limited multi-tab version of Microsoft Edge.
Select Next.
Type the URL to load when the kiosk launches.
Accept the default value of 5 minutes for the idle time or provide a value of your own.
Click Next.
Close the Settings window to save and apply your choices.
Sign out from the kiosk device and sign in with the local kiosk account to validate the configuration.
Functional limitations
With the release of this preview version of kiosk mode we're continuing work on improving the product and adding new features.
We currently don't support the following features and recommend that you turn off:
See also
Join Transform 2021 this July 12-16. Register for the AI event of the year.
Right on schedule, Microsoft today launched its new Edge browser based on Google’s Chromium open source project. You can download Chromium Edge now for Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, and macOS directly from microsoft.com/edge in more than 90 languages. This is Edge 79 stable, for those who like tracking version numbers. Edge 80 is slated to arrive in early February, and afterwards Microsoft will stick to a six-week cadence for stable releases, just like with Chrome.
Microsoft has yet to lay out which features will ship in Edge 80, Edge 81, and so on. When asked what to expect from the next few Edge releases, a spokesperson said developers and users should use the beta releases as an indication. If you want to peek at the pipeline, download one of the Edge Insider Channels: Beta (updated every six weeks), Dev (updated weekly), or Canary (updated daily). Insider builds can be installed side by side with Edge stable. Update: Microsoft has published a support article that lists features in the works and requests that are not currently on the roadmap.
It’s worth noting that the new Microsoft Edge, as Microsoft is calling it, has a fresh logo. For the first time in decades, Microsoft’s browser is not denoted with a blue “e” — the logo is a wave, presumably for “surfing” the web.
Today’s debut has been a long time coming. Back in December 2018, Microsoft embraced Chromium for Edge development on the desktop. In April 2019, Microsoft released the first Chromium Edge builds (daily Canary and weekly Dev channels), and the Chromium Edge Beta channel followed in August 2019. In November 2019, Microsoft launched the Chromium Edge release candidate and positioned Edge and Bing as “the browser and search engine for business.” Microsoft today shared that the Insider builds have gotten “millions” of downloads. Now we’ll see if the stable release can get traction.
Features and performance
Microsoft plans to ship more consumer Edge features later this year, but this launch is largely targeted at businesses. That means AAD support, Internet Explorer mode, and Microsoft Search in Bing integration. Business and education IT administrators can download offline packages and policies for Chromium Edge. Many businesses already use Chrome and at least one Microsoft browser (Internet Explorer and/or Edge) — Microsoft is hoping these features will get them to switch to using just Chromium Edge.
Business features aside, there’s also support for Chrome-based extensions, 4K streaming, Dolby audio, inking in PDF, and privacy tools. For the last one, it’s worth noting that tracking prevention is on by default and offers three levels of control, like Firefox’s tracking protection.
Chrome extension support is probably the most important feature for most users. By default, extensions that have been ported over to Edge can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store. Chromium Edge also has an option to “Allow extensions from other stores” to get Chrome extensions from the Chrome Web Store.
There are still a few features missing from Chromium Edge, most notably history sync and extension sync. Microsoft is working on these and some other inking functionality that it still wants to port from legacy Edge, as Microsoft is calling it.
Microsoft also claims that Chromium Edge is twice as fast as legacy Edge. Curiously, the team isn’t making any claims against other browsers — at least not yet. In fact, our own testing shows Chromium Edge has solid performance.
The bigger picture here is that by leaning on Chromium, Microsoft no longer has to worry about “fixing” its underlying browser engine EdgeHTML. The company can instead improve Chromium itself, which helps all browsers that use the codebase, not just Chromium Edge. Microsoft says over the past year it has made more than 1,900 contributions to Chromium across areas like accessibility, touch, speech, and digital inking.
On the flip side, Edge is now just another Chromium-based browser. That makes it all the harder to offer a differentiated experience. Having failed with EdgeHTML, Microsoft figures Chromium is worth a shot.
Installing the new Edge: Manual or Automatic
If you’re running Windows 10 and don’t install Edge manually, you’ll eventually get it in a future update. Microsoft plans to start rolling out the new Edge “in the coming weeks,” starting with a subset of Windows Insiders in the Release Preview ring. The process will ramp up to more users “over the next several months.” It will be made gradually available on Windows Update and offered to additional devices “as data and feedback indicate that users are having a good experience.” Microsoft currently has no plans to automatically upgrade Managed, Enterprise, Education, or Workstation Pro Edition devices (documentation). If you want to block automatic delivery of the new Edge to Home and Pro devices, you can do so either via policies or the Blocker Toolkit.
When you install the new Edge on Windows 10, it will replace legacy Edge. Any shortcuts you have on the desktop, taskbar, or Start Menu will be updated to new Edge. The executable for legacy Edge is technically hidden, but it will be removed eventually. Your favorites, passwords, form fill information, and basic settings will carry over from legacy Edge to new Edge automatically. If you have Chrome or Firefox installed, new Edge will ask if you want to import those settings from there. Web apps built on EdgeHTML and Edge preview channels will continue to work without interruption. Depending on how up-to-date your Windows 10 installation is, you may be asked to install additional updates. A future version of Windows 10 will skip all this and include new Edge by default.
When you install new Edge on Windows 7, Windows 8, and macOS, it will work just like installing any other browser. New Edge will not replace whatever you have as the default (whether that’s Internet Explorer, Safari, or a third-party browser). Yesterday, Microsoft ended support for Windows 7, so it’s notable the company is still releasing new Edge for the decade-old operating system. It shows just how big Windows 7 still is — about one in four computers run it.
On Android and iOS, new Edge will replace old Edge automatically. That said, not much is new on mobile — Edge already uses Blink/Chromium on Android and WebKit/WKWebView on iOS. But you can expect the new logo, similar user interface to the desktop versions, and tracking prevention on iOS (coming soon to Android). More desktop features will make their way to Android and iOS over time.
Lastly, Microsoft’s FastTrack and App Assure programs cover Chromium Edge. The former means Microsoft will help you deploy Edge to your organization at no extra charge with an eligible subscription to Microsoft 365, Azure, or Dynamics 365. The latter means if your sites work in Internet Explorer 8 and above, Chrome, or legacy Edge, then they’ll work on the new Edge. If not, Microsoft will help you fix them at no additional cost.
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