Although Microsoft’s main stronghold is its own operating system, on mobile they have come to an end succumb to the popularity of Android and for this reason they focused on developing applications for the Google system.
In the past we talked about the browsers that Microsoft offers on Android, but in recent years this number has grown steadily and now we find up to six different browsers. For users, this does not generate more confusion and doubts on which to choose. Let’s take a look and see what they offer.
In the absence of one, these are the six navigators
If we go to Google Play Store, the official store of almost all Android phones, we will see that Microsoft Corporation has released dozens of apps. Some are useful, like its Android launcher, which we recommend as an alternative, and others less useful, like the six navigators who have.
We are all familiar with Microsoft Edge, the main browser available on all major operating systems, like Android. But in Google Play Store appears up to four times. The reason: we have the stable version and three versions in development.
Here we have the six Microsoft guests to surf the net
What are the differences between them? Well, if we are looking for a browser that works and follows normal updates, we will opt for Microsoft Edge. If you want to test the new features upstream, you can choose Edge Beta, which ensures a minimum of stability. Are we bolder? Install Edge Dev, which already brings the latest in the weekly updated version, which is Edge Canary.
Of all that, Canary would be the first to receive new featuresbut it is the one that involves the most risk for the user and could suffer insects and breakdowns of all kinds. But it’s not here, we have two more browsers, if we can call them that.
Browsers disguised as search and information apps
come on stage Microsoft Start and Microsoft Bing Search. Both apps have a different flavor to traditional browsers, but they still are.
On the one hand, Start does a kind of home screen on the internet. When it first opens, it will ask us questions about our interests and these will be used to plant news from different sources in our faces. It also has a top bar where one can find on any website, go what has been a browser. Of course, Start includes some additional features such as access to Microsoft Rewards and tools such as a calculator, economic and financial information, a weather section, among many others. In most cases, these are just shortcuts to different services of the Redmond company.
Changing sidewalks, we came across Bing, the search app from the same company. Currently, Microsoft has promoted this application due to the arrival of ChatGPT on Bing, which is already available if you have been accepted on the waiting list.
However, the Bing app stop making sense when it is exactly the same as if we are accessing, for example, from Edge. At first I thought the new Chat mode would be for this app only, but no, it’s available on the Bing site from any browser.
The Bing app has a more attractive design than Start, but it’s always pretty much the same: one more window on Microsoft services. We see weather, awards, stock information, and top news on your home screen. As for Start, we have a search bar at the top that allows us to browse the web.
Which one to choose ? If you have to, stick with Edge
When it comes to sticking to one, because we’re not going to install six browsers plus the default apps that we can’t uninstall, the most sensible option is to choose Edge. Specifically, the stable version. Because? Well, the answer is simple: it is the most traditional browser, with more functions and that any user can understand. Moreover, it is one of the best browsers for Android.
Microsoft Edge offers browser synchronization for Windows and other devices. Everything Google Chrome does Edge does it the same way, and it is that they share the root because Edge was created with a Chromium base. We cannot list all the functions and features of this browser, but we have tabbed browsing, downloads, private mode, built-in translator, we can change the default search engine, and it even has a game of Chrome dinosaur style.
Do you want to use a browser? Edge is the best option. If you’re looking for something different, you can install Bing to use ChatGPT’s AI
It is just a recommendation, and it is that we can make a combination, for example, if we use Chrome or another browser, we can install the Bing app to use AI in a simple way. Or use Microsoft Start to discover daily news, replacing Google Discover.
In short, fortunately we can choose and install only what we want, there would be more. But we do not understand Microsoft’s position that it could unify everything in Edge, making it the main application for browsing the Internet. Having so many browsers only confuses the user and that not a good strategy to attract them to your own ecosystem.
