The best Edge extensions
Or rather, all the Edge extensions you can try out today.
When Microsoft debuted its fancy, speedy new browser -- Edge -- last July, user response was...underwhelming.
Edge was perhaps too minimalist in its approach to web browsing. It offered a couple of cool new features (such as inking), but it lacked most of the features, such as browser extensions, that made people turn from Internet Explorer to Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox in the first place.
Microsoft is hoping to fix this problem in the upcoming Windows 10 Anniversary Update, which is when Edge will finally get support for browser extensions. In anticipation of this update, we took a look at the best -- or rather, the entire list of -- browser extensions that are currently available for Edge. While these extensions are not available for regular Windows 10 users yet, Windows 10 Insiders running Insider Preview Build 14291 or higher can check them out right now.
AdBlock and AdBlock Plus
AdBlock and the similarly-titled AdBlock Plus are two completely separate ad-blocking extensions with extremely similar functionality. Both of these extensions, once installed, will block the majority of ads (you'll still be able to whitelist domains in the extensions' settings) on websites you visit in Edge. Because AdBlock and AdBlock Plus are basically the same extension, running both of them at the same time will not have any benefits and will only bog down the browser.
Page Analyzer
The Page Analyzer extension is mainly for web developers -- it scans and analyzes open webpages in Edge for performance issues, common errors and opportunities for optimization.
Save to Pocket
Save to Pocket is an extension for users of the popular read-it-later app Pocket. This extension adds a Pocket button to your browser. Hit the button when you're on a webpage you want to read later and it will be automatically saved to Pocket and synced across your other devices for offline reading.
Microsoft Translator
The Microsoft Translator extension makes browsing foreign-language websites a bit easier. When you have this extension turned on, you'll see a translation icon in the address bar of foreign-language websites -- just hit the icon and Microsoft will instantly translate the site into your current Windows language. Microsoft Translator supports over 50 languages.
Reddit Enhancement Suite
The Reddit Enhancement Suite extension adds extra functionality to Reddit. Most of these tweaks are small but mighty for Reddit users -- an easy account switcher, better comment navigation, and a never-ending Reddit stream from the homepage.
Mouse Gestures
The Mouse Gestures extension does exactly what it sounds like -- turns on mouse gestures in Edge. To use mouse gestures, click and hold the right mouse button down anywhere inside the browser and then drag your mouse into a gesture. For example, making a gesture that goes to the right and then up will open a new tab, while making a straight-line gesture to the left will take you back a page.
OneNote Web Clipper
The OneNote Web Clipper extension adds a button that you can click to capture all or part of a webpage to save to OneNote. The Web Clipper will either capture the entire page, let you take a screenshot of one part of the page, or capture the page in "Article" format, which grabs just the text on the page. You can save all of these clips to the OneNote notebook of your choice, so it's handy if you're trying to compile a lot of information.
Pin It Button
The Pinterest Pin It Button extension is similar to the OneNote Web Clipper, except for Pinterest. This extension adds a Pin It button to Edge. By default, this button appears next to your other extensions at the top of the ... menu, but you can change its settings so the button appears next to the address bar for easier access. The Pin It button lets you pin anything on the page -- such as photos -- to the Pinterest board of your choice.
LastPass
Popular password manager LastPass is also available as an Edge extension. LastPass stores encrypted passwords and form fill information and can be synced across multiple browsers, so it's particularly convenient for anyone who's thinking of switching over from Chrome or Firefox. You can download the LastPass extension directly from LastPass's website, or from the Windows Store.
Office Online
In Windows Insider Preview Build 14366, Microsoft introduced the Office Online extension, which links up with Microsoft's Office Web Apps to bring an in-browser Office experience to Edge. With the Office Online extension you can open and create new Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Swat Online documents without needing Office installed on your device.
Evernote
The Evernote extension is the latest addition to Edge's portfolio of browser extensions. This extension works similarly to the OneNote Web Clipper, but for Evernote. With the Evernote extension, you can clip articles or simplified articles from web pages, or save the full web page or just a bookmark to the Evernote notebook of your choice. This extension comes with its own set of customizable keyboard shortcuts for quick clipping. The Evernote extension currently only works on the latest Preview build (14372), but all of these extensions will be coming to Windows 10 in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.
Editors' note: This article was originally published on June 8, 2016, and was updated on June 28, 2016 to reflect changes made in the Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14372.