Microsoft has started testing a new feature for its Edge browser that adds an AI-powered search to browsing history. This new “enhanced search” feature lets you find websites in your browser history even if you use a phrase, synonym, or even a typo that’s similar to the site you actually want to find.
The AI-powered history search started appearing in beta versions of Microsoft Edge last week. “After this feature is turned on, sites you visit will be shown in enhanced history search results,” explains Microsoft in its beta channel release notes. “An on-device model is trained using your data, which never leaves your device and is never sent to Microsoft.”
This optional feature seems like less of a privacy risk than Microsoft’s Recall feature that screenshots most of what you do on a Copilot Plus PC to make it easier to search for websites, photos, and documents. The use of an on-device model that’s limited to your browser history is certainly better than having to store everything on your screen in a local database.
Alongside the AI-powered browsing history, Microsoft is also adding a media control center to Edge that lets you control multiple media sources from websites. This media control center includes quick access to Edge’s picture-in-picture mode, which itself is getting better controls, and the ability to control music, video, or other sounds that are playing inside Edge.