Microsoft Edge 131 Beta Released with Instant Updates and New Features

The Beta Channel has just received an update with Microsoft Edge 131, marking the last phase of testing before the stable release is available to all users. This version, 131.0.2903.9, introduces a variety of bug fixes, enhancements, and notable features, including the new instant update capability, which automatically installs updates while you’re away from your computer (users must opt-in to use this feature).

Below is the changelog outlining the new functionalities:

Effortless updates with instant update feature. The instant update functionality in Microsoft Edge guarantees that browser updates are applied automatically whenever you’re not using your computer. This means you can continue browsing with peace of mind, knowing that you have the latest security and performance enhancements. To explore more about this feature, refer to Get instant updates in Microsoft Edge – Microsoft Support. Note: Currently, this feature is in private preview and available only for enterprise users. Further updates will be detailed in the Microsoft Edge release notes.

Modified cancel dialog for beforeunload events. The behavior of the cancel dialog triggered by the beforeunload event has been updated in Microsoft Edge. Using event.preventDefault during a beforeunload event won’t stop the dialog from appearing anymore. Instead, developers should invoke event.returnValue = ” in the beforeunload event handler to suppress the cancel dialog. The BeforeunloadEventCancelByPreventDefaultEnabled policy is now obsolete and does not function in Microsoft Edge versions beyond 130.

For additional information about Microsoft Edge’s instant update feature, visit here.

If you’re interested in a more in-depth look at the latest beta release of Edge 131, you can review the detailed release notes from the Developer Channel:

Dev Channel update to 131.0.2863.0
Dev Channel update to 131.0.2875.0
Dev Channel update to 131.0.2889.0
Dev Channel update to 131.0.2903.5

Additionally, Edge 131 Beta incorporates numerous website compatibility updates, which are outlined in the official release notes.

Lastly, let’s review the policy updates introduced in Microsoft Edge 131:

Newly introduced policies

EdgeSidebarAppUrlHostAllowList – Permits specific apps to be accessed through the Microsoft Edge sidebar.

PrivateNetworkAccessRestrictionsEnabled – Determines whether to enforce restrictions on requests directed to more private network endpoints.

Policies that have been deprecated

NewBaseUrlInheritanceBehaviorAllowed – This policy allows for the enabling of the NewBaseUrlInheritanceBehavior feature (now deprecated).

RSAKeyUsageForLocalAnchorsEnabled – This policy checks RSA key usage for server certificates that are issued by local trust anchors (deprecated).

UserAgentClientHintsGREASEUpdateEnabled – This policy managed the GREASE Update feature of User-Agent Client Hints (deprecated).

Obsolete policies

BeforeunloadEventCancelByPreventDefaultEnabled – Manages the behavior of the beforeunload event’s cancel dialog (obsolete).

SignInCtaOnNtpEnabled – This policy allowed for the display of a sign-in click to action dialog (obsolete).