The latest version of Microsoft’s new Chromium-based Edge browser will follow in the footsteps of the other major browsers on the web.
As of Edge 92, the browser will automatically switch users to a secure HTTPS connection when visiting an HTTP address, provided that the browser enables the Automatic HTTPS feature.
It’s a good move that’s been in the company’s development channel for some time, but it was only very recently that the company finalized and announced an official roll out date.
Microsoft had this to say about the change in a recent blog post:
“Automatic HTTPS switches your connections to websites from HTTP to HTTPS on sites that are highly likely to support the more secure protocol. The list of HTTPS-capable websites is based on Microsoft’s analysis of the web, and helps enable a more secure connection on hundreds of thousands of top domains.”
The major driving force behind this change that is now either planned or in place on all the popular browsers in use today, was the infamous “Heartbleed” security flaw that caused chaos back in 2014, which it was publicly disclosed.
Since then, all the major browser companies and a number of other giant tech firms have been putting their collective heads together to map out a strategy to make the internet more secure. This is one of the strategies devised, and although progress has been slow, it has finally been made into a reality.
If you’re an Edge user and are interested in testing the new feature now, just open edge://settings/privacy, and when the page loads, turn on the feature labeled “Automatically switch to more secure connections with Automatic HTTPS.”
If, for some reason, that flag is not available to you, you can enable it another way by going to edge://flags/#edge-automatic-https, and toggling the “Automatic HTTPS” experimental flag, then restarting the browser. In our view, it’s an feature well worth experimenting with and getting comfortable using.
