How to customize Microsoft Edge Browser
Microsoft Edge Browser has now officially replaced Internet Explorer on desktops. Edge is now being shipped as the default browser on all Windows 10 desktops. Edge has various productivity and security features that makes it the perfect replacement for Internet Explorer. This article offers you some tricks that will enhance your browsing experience on this new browser.
Edge is Microsoft's new browser that plans to compete with the popular browsers like Chrome and Firefox. Though Edge lacks extensions that you find on most of the popular browsers like Chrome and Firefox, this doesn't stop Edge from giving you an experience equivalent to the other browsers. 
Private Browsing Mode
Follow the steps below to browse in the private mode:
1. Click on "More actions" icon "(...)" and tap into Menu.
2. Select "New InPrivate window" option
Once you select this menu option, you get to open private browsing mode in Windows. Privacy Settings
Edge allows you to manage your browsing privacy using "Privacy and Services" settings. You can send do not track request, save passwords and fill forms automatically. Here's how you can access the privacy settings.
1. Click on the Menu (...) button and then click on Advanced Settings option.
2. From Advanced Settings, check the option for "Privacy and Services".
3. Enable or Disable the buttons to set the privacy services accordingly. Dark Theme
Edge browser offers you a Dark theme in the browser. This theme may not look good for some users however those who prefer dark colored shells will find this theme very attractive. You can enable this theme by going to Settings > Choose a theme > Dark theme.
Once you enable this theme, close and restart your browser.
Also Read: Microsoft Edge browser - Tips to use and comparison with Firefox and ChromeReading View
Reading view focuses more on content instead of the clutter on the page. Think of this view as similar to the Kindle reading view. Follow the instructions below:
1. Open Microsoft Edge Browser app.
2. Press the key combination Ctrl + Shift + R
3. Alternatively press "Reading view" icon to enable reading view.
4. You can follow step 3 or 4 to disable or re-enable the reading view. Reading List
This feature allows you to add articles into a queue "to read later". This is an alternative to the bookmarks feature that allows you to keep tab of things you want to read. If it's short term reading instead of bookmarking entire page then you can use reading list. Here's how you can use it.
1. Click on the Star button at the top of the browser bar.
2. Click on Reading List icon from the list of opened icons.
3. You can now rename the web page using the custom name textbox.
4. Save the page to reading list by clicking on Add button.
That's all you have to do to save the webpage into the reading list. You can later visit the archived links to read them. Webpage Annotation
If you take notes using webpage data then annotation tool will be really helpful for you. Prior to Edge this tool was available with apps like Evernote. Now you can annotate a web page from within Edge browser. You can also save or export this annotation data. Follow the instructions to annotate the page:
1. Click on 'Pen and Paper" icon on the right of the browser.
2. Use Annotations tool at the top of the bar.
3. Save or share the annotations using top right bar options. Caret Browsing
In this browsing mode you can navigate a website using your Keyboard. This feature allows you to use the cursor to navigate between links, paragraph and other elements on the web page. Here's how you use the Caret browsing mode.
1. Press F7 when the web page loads.
2. Accept the Caret browsing dialog box options. Enable Cortana Integration
Cortana can assist you while you are using Edge. You can enable Cortana assistance by following the steps below:
1. Click on Main menu (...) button.
2. Select "Settings > Advanced Settings" option.
3. In advanced settings go to "Privacy and Services.
4. Enable button under the text "Have Cortana assist me in Microsoft Edge".
5. Restart the browser.
By default Cortana assist is disabled but once you enable it will help you use cortana to surf the web and to perform basic operations.
There are many other features of Edge browser that can enhance your experience. Edge API will open soon with new extension features for the browser. As EdgeHTML engine matures you'll find the browser being much more functional like Chrome and Firefox.
