Apps

Microsoft Edge Android Receives Improved Video Adblocker

Although the Android version of the Edge browser is only used by comparatively few users, Microsoft is constantly working on the further development of the app. The Adblock function has now been improved so that video ads are also blocked more reliably. This is the Reddit user Leopeva64-2 (via Neowin) noticed.

Microsoft has equipped the browser with a new configuration so that advertising clips in videos in particular are better recognized and prevented from playing. YouTube advertising should also be reliably blocked. Of course, it’s conceivable that the video adblocker doesn’t work in all cases and that some advertising clips still appear.

An experimental flag option is currently required to enable the updated adblocker. After installing the latest version of the browser, the address “edge://flags/” should be visited. Here you can find the setting “edge-block-video-ads” and set it to “Enabled”. The user then has to restart the app. The Redmond company seems to be testing the feature at the moment. It is unclear when the improved video adblocker will be built into a final version of the program.

Market share remains tiny

Despite the many additional functions such as the integrated ad blocker, most Android users rely on the solutions from Google and Samsung. While Chrome is installed on around 65 percent of devices, the Internet application from the South Korean smartphone manufacturer can be found on five percent of smartphones. Although Edge records more than ten million downloads, it does not appear in most statistics.